Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-24
Mr.. ATKINSON'S LETTER.

=
Editor of The Gazette; In one Of the
recent speeches made by William j. Bryan
these words are reported;
1--WE say increase the demand Tor silver
by legislation and that new demand, net
ing with the demand now in existence VIII
operate upon the price OF silver, we
say that that new demand VIII be suti-
cient to consume all the silver coined nv
the mint, and being sufficient VIII raise
the value OF silver bullion 10 9l.-o
throughout the world. we have reason
for our belief. They simply say u won
do II, and then sit back and propose an
solutely nothing.
IF we need relief from the gold stand
ard we must secure 1T for ourselves, and
ii we must secure this relief for ourselves
you can only secure it through u party
which believes In the restoration OF the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver Mt the present legal ration OF III TO
l. without waiting for the aid Or consent
of any other nation.
II will be inferred by nearly every reader
of this speech that MIR. Bryan and his sup
porters believe that by only opening the
mints of the United States to the free
| and unlimited coinage of silver Mt the
| present legal ratio of 16 to ]. that act only
will increase the demand for silver in such
a way as to bring the value OF silver pull
| lion throughout the world from ITS pres
| ent price of sixty-six t66) to sixty-eight
| t6S) cents an ounce in gold to S1.29 an
ounce. The discussion of this question by
| the advocates of free coinage is so con
Quoted us to convey that impression, and
that Impression only.
Let il be assumed that what Mr.. Bryan
| calls for, namely, to increase the demand
| for silver by legislation is granted. Let
| 1t be assumed that by legsla tion the
mints of the United States are opened
TO the free and unlimited coinage Of silver
bullion. Let it be assumed that bullion
may be brought from any part of this
country, or of the world, to be coined
into silver dollars of the present standard
of l5.99S to i, at the expense of the tax
| payers of this country. There remains
one question which neither Mr.. Bryan,
| MIR. Newlands, Senator Jones, General
| Warner. nor any other prominent advo-
cate of free coinage has yet dared to
answer: 1t may happen that not one of
these men will dare TO answer IL now when
| il is put with two or three other questions
which must of necessity follow the first
one.
| Mr.. William j. Bryan and the other
| gentlemen named, or any other advocate
of free silver coinage are now challenged
to answer these questions:
First, If those who now oppose you
will support Won in legislation for opening
the mints of the United States to the
free coinage of silver bullion at the ratio
of III to l, coupled with a repeal of the
legal tender provision by which these dol.
lars are now given a forced circulation,
will You accept that measure?
If you do not accept, then
Second. Is not yo,lr advocacy NJ tbo
free coinage of silver bullion at the ratio
of 16 to / wholly insufficient for your
purpose?
Third. Do You not intend to maintain an
act of legal tender under which you and
Your supporters may force the people of
this country to accept standard silver dol.
lars ut the ratio of 81. 30 in gold whether
you succeed or not in raising the bullion
value of silver to that price in yoldp
10 Mr.. BRYAN certair ouest;ons n,,s,
he put in yet more distinct terms. you
have been conspicuous advocate of nor.
sonal liberty and of free trade in goods
On what ground do you and your SIN.
pOrters propose to denriy, tho n,nnIn -,
this country OF free trade or free choice
in money? On what ground do Won deny
the right of private contract? On what
ground do YOU propose to dcpriye The
workman who cannot wait, hut must mai
a contract for the future payment n
wages Of the right to demand good money
made of gold or money which will bny
the greatest quantity of goods in Mi,
or any other country? By what right
and on what ground do YOU force any on,
to take silver dollars Mt 81. 10 whetbo,
| their bultinu pulun 4, ,,,.,,.I 1. 49,