The sun., 1896-10-25
TUEVOICE OF TIE PEOPLE.
~ noNESr STANDARD.
r,, Illustration Afforded by Abrnhain'i
rurcha.e of the Cave OF Mhcpheiah.

Yurchase of the Cave OF Mhcpheinhs
~, rur EpIroR OF THE suN--Sr: Mr..
prv,n is fond OF quoting from authorities ho
tpows TO be respected throughout the land
fr,,n sp.rGhos and letters Of Washington. Jof-
,.r.o, and Lincoln, and especially from the
Riblc. lie has occasionally taken tho liberty OF
giving an extract from n sentence or para
grnph, studiousy emitting the context, thus
..pnsing himself to tho hazard Of correction.
Brt he never quotes tho incident narrated In
tienesis at tho time of tho purchase OF the Cave
Of Macphelah. When Abraham was looking
for burial place" he found at Macphelah
the IDEAL spot, and tho world has ratified his
selection and declared it sacred Tho owners
OF the property offered IL as gift, but Aora-
ham would not accept for his services as peace
maker or Arbitrator in the boundary controversy
OF his day "even a shoe latch" for indepen-
dence was his principle. and he was above the
dream OF avarce. He would pay for the parcel
OF land he had chosen. The owners named tho
price and he assented. The record says that he
paid It in "shekeis of silver current with the
merchant" and that he weighed the four hun
dred shekels publicly.
Mr.. Bryan docs not repeat this Scriptural
story. which demonstrates that over four thou
sand years ago there was standard Of money.
fixed and invariable. known among merchants
10 the markets Of the world. At this date, also
there 10 q standard common to the commercial
and financial centres, and to this standard the
currency OF all countries must conform. The
present standard is gold. and its admitted 1T
ness has made It comparatively permanent. In
deed. in the days OF Solomon silver was moth
ing accounted Of" as tho great Kings treasury
WAS on q gold basis.
Foreign born citizens who suffered from In
Justice and inequality in their native countries
came hither to better their condition. They will
not tolerate an illogical or q variable standard
They desire to deal with their neigh bors upon
the basis OF justice and honesty which they had
yearned to SEQ and to live under: they are weary
Of AZ spetsrtuGe. in every day pue'.onss
dollar-theso are ideas which appear so elo-
mentary. natural. and right that departure is
intolerable. lndehnitene-s In tho standard Of
weight or measure is dishonesty.
Why should the people Of the United States
not to consider for a moment the disgrace and
the dishonesty attending such q policy some
n,IsSs hoI ho nticn,nd Huc ~s "a our ,n.ea .S
issue is not doubtful. We have had our ex-
perience with the irredeemable paper money OF
the civil war era, rapidly eliminating in value
while the gold premium mounted higher and
higher, carrying upward tho prices of COM
wages either stationary or raised very moder-
atrly. We have authentic records OF disaster.
where the fixed standard was abandoned. Wo
have the spectacle at this day OF Austria and
Russia strainlnR every nerve to attain the gold
standard. and to this end plling up In their
treasures hundreds of millions OF gold. that tho
newly e-tabls shed strength aud character of the
coinage may be maintained.
Ii | at last understood that tho currency
question is only a pretext The rrai intent and
purpose is to make war upon capital, arraying
class against class This In America. where
every one 10 accorded equality of rights under
the Constitution and an equal chance to OBTAIN
comfort and prosperity. The Anarchist is out
OF his element In the United stntes.
Happily all danger has passed away. The
- N n fnn n Nf Il IArx
what the Populists propose as q substitute for
national honor. and have determined to adhere
10 common sense and honesty a. the policy
which acts FOR the credit OF the nation and for
its continued prosperity. And the people will
he victorious over the politicians. the false
prophets. the agitators who have sought to de-
ceive the farmers and the wor kiugmen, but have
simply themselves been duped by the silver
miners. The people shrink with dread and de-
ttstaton from such Rainesters rs Altgeld and
Tillman, who dare TO risk tho future OF the re-
pnbl at their dangerous and speculative game
of the red and the black flag
The people march to victory under the Stars
and Stripes floating proudly over the hosts led
by Mckinley and Hobart
NEW YORK