The Indianapolis journal., 1896-08-31
BRYAN'S IGNORANCE.
His Ridiculous Assertions About Par.
ty Declarations Money.


To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
1t seems to me that IL candidate Bryan's
lecture tour is likely TO be cut short for
want of funds. the Republicans could make
no better use of a few thousand dollars
than 10 appropriate freely toward its con-
tinuance. for. while Mr.. Harrison at his
best might turn more votes TO the RepuD-
lican party. he could not induce half as
many 10 abandon the Chicago platform
and candidates. No such educational Sc
ries was ever before delivered in America:
the only one at all approaching IL was that
delivered by President johnson when he
swung around the circle. in 1867. seeking
nomination for reelection by harangues
on the Constitution. Mr.. Johnson did not
come as near a nomination as he would
have done had he not made an exhibition
or himself. The parallel is obvious.
All OF Mr.. Bryan's assertions are remark
able. and betray utter want OF accurate
information or most brazen reliance upon
the Ignorance and guilibility OF the people.
Take the following as an average speci-
men: In his speech at Rochester last
Wednesday he asked with an air of def
ance: IF the gold standard is a good
thing. why has no political party in the his
tory of the United States ever declared
for gold standard in lis PLATFORM Bless
the dear young man, The first Democratic
national convention ever held that of 1896.
in the first platform ever constructed by
that party or any other. put forth the fol-
lowing its leading declaration: Re-
solved. That We declare unqualified hostil-
ity TO bank notes and paper money as a
circulating medium. because gold and sill
yer is the only safe and constitutional cur
rency." Mr.. Bryan should read up little
before he goes oLt on a campaign of in
struction. remarkable feature OF the
politics of that period is that everybody be-
lieved in that declaration that gold and sill
Yer were the only safe and constitutional
currency; no one ever asked for any other
as the ultimate. There was a difference
OF opinion TO national bank. the Wings
maintaining that, as there was not specie
the general government. not the States,
should regulate one or more banks. while
the Democrats, as usual. relegated them to
the States. with what results every school,
boy now knowS-broken banks and ire
deemable bills everywhere.
Mr.. Van Buren, was elected. and Congress
at once set about providing for coming
money on larger scale than ever; there
was no party opposition 10 this: IL was q
patriotic measure, though the Democrats
TO this day want 10 claim the honor of IL.
The first thing was to recall the millions
| cheap silver dollars, the ratio being Is 10 l.
| There was hardly a gold coin of any de-
nomination in circulation. first step was
| 10 cndnSe the TdtlO TO 10 TO i. by lliS Sill
| Yer was undervalued and began 10 go out.
or refuse TO come in, SO that from 1857.
when the new ratio took effect. TO 1Ss3
| when the coinage OF silver dollars was
abandoned. only ESQ, 719 We're coined. every
dollar of which was at premium, some-
| times OF more than per cent, and nearly
every dollar being the product of the sill
Yer coins of other countries, which had
| found their way 10 the United States
through immigrants and otherwise. AS fast
| the speculator, for IL was intrinsically
| worth more than gold dollar. for the
cheap money always drives out the dearer,
| so that practically IL was not in circulation
| at all those thirty-six years.
The esteem in which the Democratic par
| ty, and all other parties, held gold as cur
| rency down TO 1873 may be inferred from
| the fact that during the period in which
| $3.50 719 were coined in silver there were
| coined $3.50. 0.0l2. 402 in gold. more than 12s to
| one. That a man should be travelling
through the country asking why politi-
cal party had ever indorsed gold as a cir
| culating medium in the face of these fig
| ures, accessible to all. passes comprehen-
| sion. That even the commonesl rustic
| should be deuded by such arguments is
| hardly possible. The Republicans. at least,
| propose to retain the parity between a gold
dollar and silver dollar as it new exists
| They have done il so far, and If permitted
| to manage in their way they will continue.
| While il must be humiliating to intelligent
| Democrats TO have their candidate thus
| presuming upon the ignorance of the peo-
| pie, the Republicans can stand IL.
| Indianapolis, Aug. %. L. l.. SEE.