Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-10-01

stand on. [Laughter.] / am glad it didn't
| hurt him; but tumbles OF that sort sub
serve after all useful purpose. He is re-
hearsing for the farewell performance
| election day. Here is what he said: II
the mints are opened, so that every man
with an ounce of silver can convert it,
How many of you are going to have an
ounce of silver to convert? Who are the
men that will have the silver to take to
the mint? Not you, nor me- I can't get
any OF it, nor can you unless you buy it,
either with your days work or with your
| money. 1t is the silver miners of the West
| ern states who are to have this bullion and
| take it to the mint. He says, If the minis
are opened so that every man with an
ounce of silver can convert it into money,
there would be no surplus to drag down the
| price [Laughter.l That is the silver OF
all the world, mind you. The bullion diff
ference is 80 to 1. The coin difference 16
to 1. Now what does he say? Can the
United States take all the silver offered? He
| didn't dare say Yes; but he said IF so
than a mountain-'we can maintain the
parity If so, we can maintain the parity
What is the converse to that proposition
II the United States can't take all of the
silver which the world offers it and coin
it free at your minis into dollars at 16 to 1,
then we can't maintain the parity. ZAP
plause.] But that is not all. He pro-
ceeds, and this is the most valuable speech
think Mr.. Bryan has made since he was
nominated: The only way to know abso-
lutely is to try it, [Laughter.] That is to
say, here is a gentleman who has discov-
cred a poison which he says is deadly. He
has tried it upon dogs and cats and other
animals, and it has never failed. The
experience Of the world has shown that
it is deadly poison. Now here comes a
new doctor from Nebraska who says to you
L don't think it would kill you; I don't
way for you to find out absolutely whether
it will kill you or not is to try it. Laugh
ter and applause.]
''Then the paper continues: AT Licking
ton Mr.. Bryan made a stop of three minutes
more but advanced no new idea.' What
it? Laughter [Cres of mo, no."] Are
you going to try it? [Cres of, NO. no."]
In Kentucky Mr.. Bryan complained bitter
ly that the Republican orators and sound
money Democratic orators as having re-
ferred to the bone and sinew,' the 'toiling
Mr.. Bryan is mistaken. No Republican
newspaper, and no sound money Demo-
cratic newspaper or orator has referred to
the toiling millions as anarchists. It is
the toling demagogue they have called an
anarchist. [Applause.]
Will Have the Best Money.
81 come back now to that doctrine which
Sir Thomas Bette announced so many
years ago, which has been enforced in the
United States, 10, these many years, and
what is that? 1t is that we will have the
best money in the world for our money
standard, and that we will coin just as
much silver and put it in circulation as
money, whether represented by the GER
tificate or otherwise, as we can keep at
parity with gold, by redeeming it in gold.
[Applause.] That is what we have done;
4I>@A \
not of course what is called international
bimetallism; we have not perhaps genuine
bimetallism; but we have limited bimetal-
lism. We have gold standard, and we
have all the silver in circulation which we
can keep at a parity with gold. You may
American proud, and it does-take the
gold dollar, take the paper dollar, take
the silver certificate, take the silver dol
lar, and it is good for 100 cents anywhere.
[Applause.] You don't have to watch it to
keep it from cheating you. Laughter
have a sort of bimetallism-they have tried
it over there, and they are absolutely GER
tain over there just what the effect Of the
poison is; they are on a silver basis-you
take a silver dollar over there and you
can buy two of them with our dollar, al
though there is more pure silver in their
dollar than there is in ours. Why is it?
Why is it, gentlemen, that when I offer
you silver dollar, which you know is
only worth inherently So cents, you unhes-
itatingly take it for 100 cents? I will tell
you why it is. 1t is not because it is legal
tender, as some of the free coinage advo-
Gates insist is sufficient. Greenbacks we're
a legal tender, but it wasn't until 1879
that they got to be worth gold 1t is not
the legal tender quality. 1t is because
every dollar of silver money in circulation
was issued by the United States govern
ont Of hoco
silver, owned by the government.
And not only that, but because
the pledge of the United States is written
in the law that it is our policy and our
purpose to maintain our silver at an
equality in value with gold and to make
every dollar of our money, in whatever
form it may be, just as good as gold. There
are just two things, gentlemen, that sup
port that gold dollar. 1t is your double
belief in the United States of America.
First your belief in the honesty of this
government and it's purpose to do what it
pledges itself to do. That is not enough.
1t is second your faith in it's stability to
do what it has pledged itself to do. Zap
plause1 If you thought the United States
was honest, that it meant to carry out it's
pledge to keep this great mass of silver
dollars at a parity with. gold, nevertheless
you would not take them if you believed
the government had not the power to do
1t. And so under the operation of the sill
yer purchasing act men began to fear that
silver would become so plentiful, our
pledge so overwhelming, that gold would
be driven out; and that as honest as our
government might be. we could not re-
deem the pledge.
Proposition of Dishonor.
"This proposition, gentlemen, to open
our minis to the free and unlimited COIN
age of silver, is a proposition of govern
mental reputation and dishonor That
pledge is out. We cannot do anything or
permit anything to be done which shall
endanger it's performance. You do not
want to write the United States down, in
the presence of all the world, as a liar, do
you? TCries of "No, not Our credit:
What is the credit of the nation? Why it
is as important to a government as repu-
tation for honor is to a man or chastity to
a woman. The honest man, though his
judgment may be bad, though he may fail
in this thing or that thing, though he may
lose your money because of the help you
extended to him, if he is honest the star
of hope always shines for him; if he is
honest the world wants to see him get
along, and pities him because of his mis-
fortune. If he is dishonest let him go.
What is the credit of government? It
is the faith of mankind in it's purpose and
in IFS ability to do what it agrees to do.