The herald., 1896-10-19
WHY, AS A REPUBLICAN,. SUP
PORT BRYAN

WHY, AS A REPUBLICAN, SUP
PORT BRYAN
Editor Herald: The interests OF Or
dinary voters in this campaign are the
same. The Republican will be affected
just the same as his Democratic neigh
bor who is in the same walk of life. 1t
is therefore common sense to look at the
situation as it is-not through the
spectacles of campaign orators and wri-
ters, who are simply interested in being
on the winning side; who could talk one
way three months ago and now talk
the other.
we ali admit that something is wrong.
Times are in a deplorable condition.
Right here in Southern California we
are highly favored, and compared with
most parts Of the country, know little
Of hard times. In the advertising col
umns of my home paper, in town that
for years was prosperous and the peo-
pie happy, surrounded by beautiful,
producing country, good homes, well 10.
Gated, on large lots, go a-begging at $50
each. The man who was very safe anG
conservative finds that the small debt
which was too insignificant to worry
about, is now more than all his proper
ty would sell for Here we are just be-
ginning to feel the oncoming wave
which has engulfed other states. for
westward disaster takes it's way as well
as the star of empire.
From a Republican standpoint, what
are the causes of this fearful deprecia-
ton of values? For fifteen years pub
lished Republican newspaper and was
an active worker in the party. l be-
lieved in what I advocated, and do not
believe those principles have changed.
AS Republicans, it is easier to ac-
count for the times we now "enjoy" by
saying four years ago the people wanted
a change and they got it. But. as or
binary citizens. there is too much at
stake to be smart. We want the truth.
After election smartness will vanish.
but truth will abide. Simply calling
president "Republican' or Democrat
would make little difference. The poll
cy pursued is the important thing. IN
what essential particular has Cleve-
lands administration been different
from Harrison's or what McKinley's
will be if he is elected? The only reply
I hear is that Cleveland is free trader.
That may be true, but has he made any
radical change in the tariff policy of our
nation? Did not he, and all tariff tink-
ers, denounce the Wilson bill? Did not
we as Republicans hail it Uhe Wilson
bilD as a defeat of the free traders!
Was not Mr.. Reed elected speaker OF the
Republican house on the declaration
that he would not touch the Wilson bill?
The chief evil of free trade Is that II
increases imports and have not imports
been less under the Wilson bill than un-
der the Mckinley bill? And moreover,
is it not true that the depression began
before we ever heard of Wilson? Now
while it may be good politics for par
ty shouter to cry, free trade is the
cause" should not honest Republicans
look a little further?
As Republicans, we have always
maintained that the money question Is
Of the utmost Importance. A currency
safe and unchanging has been our pol
lev. Fluctuations in the currency would
change values and invite disaster. 10
maintain these principles was our
hardest fight for years. The people gen.
orally demanded more money, but we
replied that the nation is floating all
the credit money it can safely do, IN
fact more than real safety would per-
nit, and that the unrest and financial
disturbances were caused by too much
credit money. If we could send more
wheat to Liverpool or more pork to
Germany and get coin, or by manufac-
turing at home cut down imports, that
would be a remedy; but to increase the
credit money would simply unsettle val
ues and invite panics. In those years
we looked upon gold and silver as one
and the same. Both were primary
money. Then quietly in law and in
theory silver was transferred from the
primary money column to the credit
money column. In practical results
bullion went down. then the trouble be-
gan. The decline in silver and the gen
eral depression went hand in hand.
While in law and theory silver was
transferred from primary to credit
money by one act of congress, yet in
fact it is transferred only as silver de-
clines, for the difference between the
h,,lI of n Ia val
ue Is credit or fiat. Every dollar silver
bullion declines now adds to the amount
Of credit money and decreases the
amount of our primary money.
With these cardinal principles Of the
Republican party in mind, let us go to
the statistics. In round numbers we
have 100000, 900 in gold, 0,000, 900 in sill
yer and 900 in paper money. With
gold and silver both as primary money
we would have 1900, 100000 primary
money and 300,000,000 credit money, or
a ratio of twelve to three. Silver bull
lion now being worth only one-half its
coin value. we must place one-half of
money side. This gives us ratio of
nine to six instead of twelve to three
q change that the widest inflationist
never asked-inviting all the disasters
predicted by Republican statesmen, and
yet without one single benefit that an
lnIldCeQ currency WOulu give. IiOW cOu.N
we expect anything but disaster if we
were honest in our discussion with in
fiationistS?
But the frightful thing in these Re-
publican theories and the cold facts is
that we are nowhere near the bottom of
the hill unless we make change. The
law of supply and demand is a sure
prophet that silver will go down, down,
down, thus constantly decreasing the
amount of primary money and in
creasing the amount of credit money.
We are burning the candle at both ends.
We cannot increase the amount of our
gold; so to restore an equilibrium and