New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-14
TR BRYAN'S FRAUDULENT BIMETALLISH.

MR. BRYAN'S FRAUDULENT BIMETALLISM.
The gift of eoQuence often hides with lis
glamour the paucity of reasoning behind IT, ME-.
Bryan's shailOwness Of thought and want OF
originality have never been so effectively eX-
posed as in his first serious and important at
tempt to reach the minds of men by argument,
moderation of language and studied courtesy Of
tone Stripped Of the fiery invective which n
rabble is apt to mistake for logic. robbed Of the
artful appeal to prejudiccs and emotions which
reaches the multitude who care nothing for facts
or proof, Mr. Bryan showed himself in all his
mental nakedness. His speech was a labored re-
hash Of all the bimetallic and free-silver argu-
ments of the last generation. from Senator
Joness great three days speech twenty years
ago down to COIN Harvey's arsenal of impu-
dent untruths last year. 1t was nowhere bright
ened by new illustration. or fresh clearness of
statement, or striking phrase: nowhere strength
cned by any citation of proofs: and 1t was
completely ruined as free silver argument
by the ignorance or the unfairness Of the speak
er. who throughout suppressed the tremendous
changes which have made the strongest argu-
ments of 1878 utterly puerile to-day.
Thus Mr. Bryan asserts that he proposes no
new experiment. but simple return to the pol
icy which governed for many years. Which Is
1t. amazing ignorance or amazing mendacy.
that suppresses what all men know who think
at all-namely. the fact that the increase from
So. 600 900 to 174,OOO.oO0 ounces n year in the
production of silver. the closing of minis 10 sill
yer throughout the world, its practical demonet-
cation by all great commercial nations. and It's
fall in price from 59l2 pence per ounce in 1913
to 31la pence in July. 1896 have made II abso-
lutely impossible for any ration TO do things
which il might have done twenty years ago. ana
madly perous TO do many others which would
then have been safe? Here Mr. Bryans use of
the term bimetallism. from the beginning 10 the
end Of his long speech, is essentially fraudu
lent because il implies the false assumption that
one nation alone can fix prices for all countries
II is in the same sense an essentially dishon-
est thing 70 represent that the fall in prices OF
commodities has no other cause than the disuse
Of silver. because there is total suppression OF
the enormous progress in arts and sciences by
which production has been cheapened and trans
portation reduced more than half With every
desire 10 be fair and just to Mr. Bryan. The
Tribune is unable 10 believe that he has never
seen the ponderous and impressive arrays or
statistics. many Of them by eminent Democratic
economists. going to prove that this cause alone
accounts for nearly the whole of the decline in
prices Of commodities. But if his studies have
ever gone so far that these facts have entered
his mind. 1t can by no one be considered honest
in him TO suppress all mention of Them and 10
treat it as an established and unquestioned fact
that the purchasing power of money has been
Increased by the dsuse Of silver This asser-
ton is the more open to criticism because Mr..
Bryan also suppresses the enormous increase in
the use of other kinds Of money. and the world
wide revolution in organization Of credits by
which such other kinds of money have been rem
dered safe: nor does lie once let out the fact,
which he must have seen officially stated. that
the worlds production of gold alone, 5000
600 last year. is greater than It's production OF
gold and silver together in 1S73-$17S, 100000.
These suppresslons of wellknown facts were
necessary IN order to enable Mr. Bryan TO utilize
arguments which have been employed by far
ADLER men, at various times during the last
twenty years. when events had not as they have
now. rendered them valueless. If II be chart
table 10 suppose that he knew no better, 10 that
charity he is welcome. There are thousands of
mechanics and farmers. in that case who are
better equipped for high Office. Other state
ments occur in his speech which really cannot
be attributed to ignorance. He knows that
France and other nations of the Latin Union
have for many years been struggling TO get the
world TO agree to blmetaism on their ratio Of
1515 to l. and yet gravely asserts that no BIZ
metallists are endeavoring to establish any other
ratio than is to |. He repeats again quota
ton from Mr. Blaine concerning free coinage,
as if it's deceptive character had rot been abun-
dainty exposed He asserts that his opponents
offer no feasible remedy for existing disasters,
whereas the Republicans distinctly propose the
raising Of adequate revenue by Protection and
refusal TO NEEDLE with the coinage question
until other nations are ready to bear their part
Of the load Mr.. Biyan's suppression Of these
definite proposals is moi the part Of candid
and able man. One ringing sentence by Major
Mckinley from his veranda nj Canton 10 his
old comrades in patriotic service and peril will
outweigh with all candid and intelligent Ameri-
cans the whole Of the 1900 words read by Mr..
Bryan. Said the Republican leader: at IS a
good deal better 10 open up the mills Of the
United States 10 the labor Of America than 20
open up the minis of the United States to the
silver Of the world"