The San Francisco call., 1896-08-29
Q WHAT DOES IT MEAN ?

Every day furnishes new evidences that
the men who are supporting Bryan In this
campaign are not seeking the -enonetiza-
ton of silver as a means of restoring bl-
metallism, but for some other and far dif-
ferent purpose. What that purpose is has
never been expressly stated, but it to
be the payment OF debts and wages in dol
lars having about half the purchasing
power OF dollars on the present standard.
The fact that some such object is in view
is made evident by the refusal OF the
Bryanites to accept as satisfactory to them
any argument in favor of true bimefal-
lism.
A sufficient illustration of this charac-
teristic of the Bryan party is to be found
in the Examiner of yesterday in an edi-
torial commenting upon the recent debate
on the money question by John ?. Irish
and Edwin F. Adams before the Political
Economy Club of this City. The club is
not political organization and party poll
tics has no part in its debates. Mr..
Adams argument was scholarly, able
presentation OF the defects of the single
gold standard as an equitable measure Tor
the settl ement of deferred pay ments, and
i'll the opinion of all genuine bimetallists
amply justified the reputation Mr. Adams
enjoys as writer and speaker on
economic topics and as the founder and
one of the managers of the Grange Sum-
mer School of Economics at Camp Roache.
Moreover, it seemed to many. if not most
who heard the discussion that Mr.. Adams
had the best of the argument and thtt Mr..
Irish evaded rather than answered him.
Bmetallism based on sound economic
ground, however, is not favored by the
extremists, and accordingly we find the
Examiner declaring the debate to have
been "a political bunko game" and sug-
gesting that it was arranged for the pur-
pose of allowing the advocate OF gold to
win victory over "a dummy" champion
of silver. 1t asserted that Mr.. Adams
had made himself "the tool OF shabby
political trick, " and for half column de-
rided in cunning form of speech the whole
of this discussion, arranged by one OF the
m ost thoughtful and earnest clubs in the
City.
Small as this incident is in itself it
serves as one OF the illustrations of the
tendencies of those who are supporting
Bryan. To them conservative, thoughtful,
fair-minded, studious bimetallist is more
Objectionable than the advocate of the sim
gle gold standard. They care nothing for
blmetallism on economic grounds. Their
delight is in Bryan when he talks of cruel
lying mankind ON the 'cross OF gold"
or when, as at Erie on Thursday, he told
a mob, "The future is written in blood
crushed out of you by gold" Any man
who does not discuss the money Question
in that lurid style is denounced as an OPP
ponent of silver, though he may be among
the most earnest in seeking to restore it
toits proper place as money metal by en-
lightened craftsmanship.
Fortunately for the cause of good gov
ernment, sound business and genuine BIZ
metallism, evidences of the kind we have
pointed out are occurring SO frequently
and so glaringly in all parts of the Union
that the people cannot fail to see what is
the purpose of those who are supporting
the Bryan ticket. 1t is not bimetallism
they are after. 1t is not the concurrent
use of gold and silver. 1t is not any mea-
sure of conservative or constructive states
manship. 1t is not anything the intelli-
gent student OF finance, whether banker
or farmer, can support. 1t is something
that is to array one section of the Union
against another, one class of the people
against another; something that can be
advocated only by threats against capital
and by schemes that menace every indus