People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-07-02
hfnI such brand upen any proposal Of

| Inc people oann0b De QeoelYed. he
are studying this question as never before
Epithets cannot detef them from penetrat
ing to fts mystery. The "craze" ma
have passed, but the era of sober and de
hberats investigator has hegun-nay,
already far sdvsnoed-and warn gentle
men that there never hes been so much in
terest in this great question as there 1
now. what is honest money!" mel
are asking. Have We 1t nowf II not
how shall we obtain iti" These question
must be answered by arguments, not b,
adjeotiyes
Nor, sir, on the other band, does thi
discussion give proper place to wild tall
Of revolution, secession and bloodshed
Sir, that kind of declaration has no justi
fioation In this forum or in any other il
the United States This is a government
Of the people. 1t Is the highest form ye
known Of that kind Of government whicl
great commentator has called "a govern
ment by discussion" and it Is by orderly
sane, pasSionless though earnest discussion
in the presence Of the intelligent public
opinion Of the United States that we mus
settle all large questions ofpolicy. Duclo,
said, in reference to public opinion, "ThC
man In power commands, but the intelli
gent govern, because IN time they form
public opinion, and that sooner or latel
subjugates every kind Of despotism. vi
bow to the reign Of law, and be who advo
Gates any other way Of settling differences
is preaching anarchy and will find nc
sympathy in this country.
In the discussion Of this question the
first line Of demarcation should be plainly
drawn between the advocates Of the single
gold standard upon the one side and the
advocates d bimet8llism on the other. In
this matter there is great confusion Of
terms 1t has been noticeable In the dis.
cussiOns on this floor, 1t is noticeable in
similar discussions everywhere among
those who take part In this controversy.
Men call themselves bimetallists, men
have today upon this floor called them
selves bimetallists who believe In a none
tary system having one metal as basis
and another metal practically redeemable
In it or resting upon 1t.
That Is not bimetallism. That / re-
peat, 10 not bimetallism. Nothing can be
gained By a false use Of terms. Everybody
ought to favor the removal of all unoer-
tainty in the meaning Of the terms en-
ployed in this argument. II man actual
ly believes In the continuance of the pres
ent systsm-and / concede that there are
two sides 70 the question and that o man
may nationally contend for the one OF the
other-but II man honestly believes shat
gold should be the sole measure Of value
In the world why cannot be say 60 and
stand boldly and bravely up to bis declara-
aons l have no patience with the believer
In the gold standard who exhausts all the
resources Of ingenuity In an attempt to
avoid stating his real position. Such
evasion beepeaks g lack Of confidence Ell
Their in his own conclusions oc m their &C.
ceptabilNF to the country.
Binetalhsm Defined
Now, SIR, a man who Is honestly b.
metallist, who believes In the use Of both
gold and silver as standard money, as
money d ultimate redemption, the final
basis Of all token and representative cur
rency, cannot consistently stand up here
and deny the evils Of the single gold stand
ard. 1t smoEes me 70 hear gentlemen up
on this floor loudly proclaim themselves
hmetallists and then lsunoh themselves
into tedious argument to prove that the
gold standard b wholly satisfactory. They
are biihetallists, yet gold Is stable mees-
ure Of values They are bimetallists, yet
there Is no appreciation Of gold! They
Sre biDetollists, yet prices have not fallen !
They are btmetallists, yet prices have fall
en- and entirely because Of cheapened cost
Of produoaonl They are bsmetallists yet
the raseoretion Of silver u impossiblei
They are bimetsfhste, yet the present sys-
TEN must continue indefinitely They are
bimetallises bus the single gold standard
Is good enough for themI Why, sir, this
Is the very some Of Inconsistency, know
not which Is the more pftisble-that suoh
folly should be tolerated OF thst so many
who oommH 1t should be 80 unconscious
oft
1t may be thought, SIN, that am spend
ing too much time upon this matter. But
IN the forum where this discussion is soon
to be taken-I mean the great tribunal Of
the public opinion Of the United States-it
b OF the utmost importance to both sides
that We agree upon the meaning Of the
terms used in the inquiry, and that men
honest In their convictions shall boldly
take their places under the banners they
mean to follow.
Mr.. Maurice L. Muhleman, deputy as
sistant treasurer d the United States at
New York, In bis recent book, Monetary
Systems Of the World, page 10, says.
by bimetallism, strictly defined, is
meant the tsse and unlimited coinage Of
both gold and silver into coins Of full debt
paying power"
I refer 10 Mr.. Muhlemen' 8 definition be-
casse be speaks with authority upon mat
tiers OF fact, and because his book aims
not at theoretical discussion, but at a
dear statement Of settled and existing
conditions.
Let me cite another authority: The
royal commission appointed In 1885 by
Queen Victoria Ito inquire into the
causes Of the recent changes In the values
Of the precious metals" reported In 1888,
and the report was published by our gov
eminent In 1889. Iquote from page so Of
that report, section ll6:
"a bimetallic system OF currency, to be
completely effective, must In the view Of
those who advocate 1t, include two essen
tial features: (a) An open mint ready to
ooin any quantity Of either gold or silver
which may be brought to It; IA the
right on the part Of a debtor to discharge
bis liabilities, 8, his option, In either Of
the two metals at ratio fixed BY law"
That sir, Is bimetallism, and II a man
DO not believe In 1t let him say 80, but Let
him not believe in something else and