The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-03

what is the use of talking about all that
when you do not propose to put this
wealth and power and influence behind
the silver dollar at all? (Applause0
They propose that the man who digs sill
yer out of the mines may bring it to the
mint and have it stamped and handed
back to him as dollar. the government
having no responsibility about it. These
men would reject with contempt the
proposition that free coinage was to
come with a pledge on behalf of the gov
eminent to maintain the parity of the
two dollars. (Applause.) But this feel
ing is well adapted to touch that preju-
dice against England which we people
have. But can we do this thing our
selves? 1t is question whether we will
do it or ask somebody's consent whether
we may or not ask the cooperation of
somebody. This government can fix its
money unit. 1t can declare by law what
shall be the relative value of an ounce of
gold and an ounce of silver, but it can
not make the last declaration good. Cap
plause.) You may make me take silver
dollar for a debt, but if | have bought
my goods at gold prices you can not make
me give as many yards of cloth for a sill
yer dollar as | have been in the habit of
giving for gold one. applause and
cheers.) If | have a gold dollar in this
hand and silver dollar in that and you
declare that they are equal and you
take the gold dollar to a bullion broker
and get two silver dollars for it, | knew
it was lie. Great applause.) If |
have nothing but gold dollar, and sugar
is twenty pounds for dollar, | will not
give that gold dollar for twenty pounds
of sugar. | will take it around to a
broker and get two silver dollars for it
and get twenty pounds of sugar and have
one silver dollar left. So it is, my
friends. We can ourselves, of our own
wisdom, declare the unit of value. We
can coin silver freely, but we can not
make sixteen ounces of silver equal to
one ounce of gold unless it is (applause),
and it is not, unless the merchants take
it ut that rate. They might as well pass
Il law that 80 cents is Il dollar. That
would not make it so, would it? But 1t
would he legal dollar, but if it would
not buy dollars worth of anything,
what is the effect of that! The mcr-
chant would take care of himself. lie
can mark up the prices on his goods, but
the workingman and the pensioners can
not protect themselves in this way. The
man who owes debt that he contracted
upon a gold basis, and is able to pay 1t
with 50-ccnt dollar, he and the mine
owner, who gets an exaggerated price
for the products of his mine. are the only
people, or classes of people that can see
that would he benefited out of this sys-
TEN. That is not even democratic doc
trine. 1t involves the idea that this gov
eminent of ours shall pay not only its
debts, but they pay interest on its bonds
and circulating notes in debased cur
rency." (Applause)
Mr.. Dcpew then introduced Dr.
David j. Hill. president of the Roches-
ter university, who talked eloquently at
some length against free coinage of sill
yer.
Mr.. Hanna and Mr.. Wanamaker spoke
briefly. and the audience dispersed, after
giving three cheers for the national tick
ct, at the request of Mr.. Depcw.