, 1896-10-09
Mr.. M0NDDLL'S PLAN.
HE WOULD ESTABLISH BIMETAL-
LISM WHICH WOULD De OF
SOME BENEFIT.
Democratic Free Trade Would Make
Free Silver a National Disaster
and Force America to Silver Mono
metallism-Proper Adjustment Of
Tariff Laws the Only Remedy.

In a recent address the Hon. Frank
w. Mondell stated his position upon the
silver question in the following terse
and eloquent language:
As a bimetallist, hoping to see the
day when the mints not only of the
United States, but OF all the world will
be open to the free coinage of both
metals, I protest against the action Of
the Chicago convention which endeav-
ored to use the garb Of bimetallism in
which to serve regulators and those
who would bring us to a par with silver
standard countries.
You ask how a true bimetallic condi-
ton may be brought about? If this
condition is to be accomplished fully
and completely and be permanent, it
must have behind it a considerable por-
ton of the business of the world, and
we hold In our hands as a nation wea-
pons of such power that il properly
used will compel the attention of Eu-
rope to this great question.
First, by the return to the protective
tariff conditions Of 1892; in that year
the balance of trade in our favor was
5000, 900 .O0O. II the balance of the trade
in u favor had continued to increase
up to this time in the proportion of its
average increase from 1876, the annual
balance Of trade in our favor would
now be over $500, oOO, 900, instead of
which 1t was barely Sc, 1000, 900. On the
other hand. had the Mckinley bill re-
manned in operation. with its reciproc-
ity clause. there is no reason why our
exports should not have increased at
the same rate that they did from 1890
to 1892, during which period the net
gain was 1925. 0O0, 900, and the same in
crease continued to the present time
would give US an annual trade balance
In our favor Of $44O, 0OO, 900.
These figures are large, but there is
absolutely no reason on earth why
these results might not have been OBJ
tanned. Under our reciprocity treaties
we can absolutely control the trade of
all South America and Mexico. We
can also largely increase our exports to
European countries.
Let us imagine a balance Of trade in
our favor, such as 1t might be today
had the Mckinley bill and the reci-
proctty treaties remained In force and
the four hundred millions OF fixed
charges in interest annually is wiped
out, leaving us a clear margin of $780,
000,0 600 Of balance in our favor, after
paying the outside world every dollar
we owe them in interest and on i'm
ports.
With our trade conditions thus ad-
justed. with every man in the nation
employed. as they were under those
conditions and would be again. with
American commerce. that has been
driven from the seas, again appearing
in every port. with the nations labor
ers well paid and prosperous. we conf
IDENTIFY expect to bring about a bimet-
allie condition OF currency"
But under present democratic condi-
tibns to open u mints to free coinage
is the sheerest folly, and would lead
to inevitable destruction.
The trouble with our Bryanite
friends is that they offered the Ameri-
can people four years ago a panacea
for an imaginary Ill: that nostrum
proved well nigh fatal. They cannot
come before the American people again
with the same quack elixir, and SO, in
their desperation. they have seized hold
of an old label Of an old and well-known
tonic called 'bimetallism," have pasted
1t upon their noxious mixture of free
trade and silver monometallism and
brhzenly proclaim 1t under the old name
as a remedy for all the ills to which
flesh IL heir. They remind one of the
ola auack who first drove his patients
into hts and then loudly extofled the
virtues OF his remedy for ITS.
That there Is something wrong with
the body polite we will agree with our
silver standard friends. And we are
not surprised At 1t, for more truthfully
than the %proverbial old lady we can
say: I'VE told you 30" for We pro-
phesied these things would come un-
der their tariff ttnkering.
We all appreciate the fact that we
have been severely suffering from
hard times: We all know. either from
experience OF hearsay, Of the closed
mills and factories; Of the chilled fur
nsces; OF the great army Of honest
lsbor marchtag up and down the land.
seeking work and finding 1t not We
all know that emblem oe American no-
biity, the -dianer pail, no loagse bursts
IL cover with fulnsas, no longer has
fres coinage. but hangs rusGing md M
used upon the wall
Nj. Nondell then skowed thnk ths
Amertcan peopas ussd l76y 10000 bash
IL Of wheat ieM n 1894 than n 1888,
when The ~so-called roAbsr Mc1kialsy
law was in force: that In The lAttsr
yeAr the eoasunpuon of corn VA Co.
i6oo,ooo banAeas m. than In he fofmee,
ofscotSpa "a. . - posnas lsa. - of
lwool. leo.eoQAes HunAs Len. Wills n
tie same tins imports a fofsagA
kgoods IN many lines shaA iAsssassa.