Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-12-11
SENATOR CHANDLER ON b.
METALLlSM,

written by Senator William K. Chandler
for the December issue of the National
Review, the conservative English month
ly, In which he discusses the late election
from republican standpoint, and urges
European bimetallsts to continue their
propaganda. Commenting upon this
article, the Review will say editorially:
"Unless the republican party settles
the silver question before 1900 there will
be nothing left of the party after 1900"
Senator Chambers article is as fol-
lows:
European bimetallists need not
believe that the selection of Mckinley
and Hobart by overwhelming maiorities
is decision to permanently accede to
the single gold standard"
1.-THE Bryan proposition was soon seen
by the American voters to be simply that
the Unitedi States should adopt silver
monometallism should deliberately give
up all attempts to keep gold and silver at
a parity; should send gold to premium
and thereby make it merchandise merely,
and should base all American prices
upon silver only. 1t can hardly be con-
sidered upon reflection by any true BIZ
metallist that such action on our part
would have helped the cause of blmetal-
lism in any country in the world.
FREE SILVER NOT A HELP.
~ had supposed that it was generally
agreed by thoughtful and rational BIZ
metalllsts everywhere that it would not
not help, but rather hinder, the
cause of blmetalllsm for the United States
to leap at once to free silver coinage.
Now, then, can the late decision of the
| United States against immediate free
coinage iniure the contest for bimetal-
lism? Here the question might be left,
but fuller survey of all the causes of
the defeat of Mr.. Bryan and the election
of Mr.. Mckinley may be useful.
GAS above stated, the main proposition
of Mr.. Bryan and his followers was, in
substance, the accession of the United
States to the silver monometallist
nations. This In truth few Americans
desire. Such an immediate change of
our monetary system was seen to be an
act of national dishonOr; an initiation
and consequent debasement of the cur
rency, and the reputation of public and
private debts to the extent to which gold
might rise and remain above par.
'The laws of 1890 and 1898 distinctly
bound the government to maintain the
parity of the two metals, and it is general
" believed by American bimetallists that
the honor of the country is pledged to
pay the national debt in gold. 1t will be
very little use for any political party
ever to lead the American voters to do
any act which can even plausibly be
claimed as one of national dishonor.
Met suddenly with such an appeal, they
will always vote no and make investiga-
ton.
ut was not demonstrated that such
quick imitation of the currency would
really benefit any class. On the con-
trary, it seemed that the prices of the
necessaries of life would rise faster than
the wages, that the reduction of the pur-
chasing power of money would do in
finitely more harm than good, and that
even needy debtors would not be helped
so much by the rise in prices and cheaper
money as they would be harmed by the
widespread panic which Mr.. Bryan has
admitted would follow his election.
ALARMED AT BRYAN's FOLLOWERS.
"Consrrvatlve people-and America
has more conservatism that Europeans
think-were alarmed at the character of
the followers of Mr.. Bryan, and at their
doctrines additional to the one favorng
free silver coinage. All the socialists,
anarchists and wild men of society
whom Europe has sent US shrieked for
Bryan, although the great bulk of onr
adopted citizens voted for Mckinley.
rioting as means of redress of griev-
ances, and it made one of its planks re-
construction Of the supreme court In
order to change legal decision.
"A majority of the American people
wish more energetic foreign policy than
they believe will come from any admins
tratlon named democratic. They mean
to annex Hawaii. They desire to see
Venezuela allowed to retain her rightful
sole dominion over the mouths of the
Orinoco. They are intensely anxious to
see arrested the atrocities in Cuba, and
to aid IN making the island free and ln-
dependent.
but none of the foregoing reasons
not even the one concerning the national
honor in connection with the currency
influenced so many voters against Mr..
Bryan as did the determination of the