The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-01

silver to free coinage on this nicely adjusted
basis OF 1885 plus, which was given US by
that 1t had failed to prove blessing to the
country during the eighty-one years of its
continuance from 1892 10 1873.
l ask my readers to carefully go through
this great speech by General Harrison to see
II he has one word to say about this matter of
international bimetallism, this international
agreement which the Republican platform
offers the country in place OF the long-tried
free coinage of silver; and yet General Har-
rison is under pledge to promote this great
boon OF an international agreement" Why
Is he so silent bout Its merits?
And now what in fact is this sin ternational
agreement" this international bimetallism,"
which is commended to us by MCKINLEY Re-
publicans? What are its terms, supposing
there is the remotest prospect that we could
IT not In 1act financial nondescript, a verit
able "What Is It?" We all know what free
coinage OF silver is at the ratio OF sixteen
ounces of silver to one ounce of gold, and we
know what it has done for the country; and
we also know to our sorrow what it is 10 be de-
priyed of 1t for the past twenty-three years.
| tons OF the single gold standard, which Nc
Kinley Republicans tell US must be main
tanned till tue leading commercial nations of
the earth are willing to abandon il, though
they all favor it and transact their business on
it. Surely it seems very much like scheme
| TO bewilder the poor Populists and if possible
| to lead them into the gold camp.
(Which agreement we pledge ourselves to
promote" says the Republican PLATFORM and
we must assume that it is meant TO be taken
seriously, even ii Ma or Mckinley and Gen.
eral Harrison, admittedly the highest author-
ties in Calculating its meaning do fail to tell
us what this "internatonal agreement" or
international ratio Mckinley calls it,
will prove to be, provided these leading COM
mercial nations, now ali gold-basis countries,
ever should adopt it. II, then, this pledge 10
promote the adoption of an intern ational ratio
is TO be taken seriously and our votes are to
be given in favor OF 1t rather than for free
coinage we are to rest our faith on the as
mi wi n n G Ind
will benefit the nations that enter into the
agreement. AS this ratio can only be found by
taking account OF the relative quantities of
gold and silver in the world and the relative
production of the two metals 1t cannot vary
much from g to l, though the present greatly
increasing production of gold may-fix it at or
below the European ratio, 1512 TO 1. But let
US suppose that it would prove to be Is to l,
or even 20 to /, what would follow?
Do you Il OF see what would follow? Why all
the evils and disasters predicted by Major Nc
Kinley, General Harrison and all the Republi-
can orators, namely, the loss to pensioners
savings banks depoSltors, holders OF life ill.,
surance policies and wage-earners would just
5 surely follow international bimetallism as
free coinage. with only this difference, that
these disasters would then be universal
throughou all the leading commercial nations
OF the earth instead of being confined to the
United States under independent free coinage.
Is there any escape from this conclusion?
1t must be true that II International BIZ
metallism is notsn unmitigated sham. clever
scheme 10 fool the people and thereby per-
petuate the present gold standard. it would be
laden with all the dire calamities attributed
by gold men to free coinage, mitigated only
by possible increase in the ratio, and no in
crease is at all probable. All, these evils are
unsubstantial shadows, affecting only one in
sixty of the people as compared with the solid
and permanent benefits of free coinage, and
they are conjured up by gold men TO terrorize
voters who do not understand the money cues
ton and lead them to vote for Mckinley and
for the gold standard to be contit ued. Think
ii on 10 the end, reader. Then see where YOU
stand JOSEPH ASBURY JOHNSON
San Francisco, Aug. 81, 1896