The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-24

1t the advantage Of gold: for gold Is
coined at its bullion value. and Is not
a legal tender at its face but only for
its value; SO when the gold coin Is
abandoned or worn of it ceases to be
legal tender at its face. and even the
United States government Will take 1t
only by weight.
The reason of this is that the coming
of it has added nothing to its value.
but 1t is merely the governments guar
anty of the purity and weight of the
metal when milled. Thus we have in
all these years given silver the ad-
vantage of gold. and our opponents
would have you belive that demone-
tized twenty three years ago. But IL
we have true and Independent free
coinage of silver. the silver dollar will
no longer be payable in gold or eX-
changeable therefor as now, and 1t
vii lor should cease to be legal tender
at its face and become SO for only its
bullion value.
In other words 1t must stand upon its
own bottom and not upon gold basis
This, free coinage necessarily implies.
Now, il our friends are really In favor
of a bimetallic currency, why do they
not advocate the coinage of silver at its
actual value, as was done before 1873?
account of the bulkiness of the coin
which would make it almost impossible
to use.
WHAT BRYAN ASKS.
This, however, Is the ony way that
we can have free coinage of silver and
still maintain the circulation of gold
for the history of mankind has shown
that whenever two metals have been
coined in a country, one of them at
less than its value, the dearer metal has
been forced from circulation.
Mr.. Bryan asked all debtors to vote
for free silver because they will then
be able to pay their debts with cheaper
dollars than those received when the
debt was contracted. In almost the
same breath he says that the effect of
free coinage will not be to cheaper the
silver dollar but to "bull' the prices of
silver so that the silver dollar will be-
come as valuable as the gold. Now
these propositions cannot both be true.
If the effect of free coinage be to cheap
en- the dollar, will an honest debtor de-
sire to pay his debt with a dollar less
valuable than the one he received?
This is a question of honesty and in
tegrity between man and man. Its in
justice will work both ways. Your
wages, whether you work I'm the mine
or the factory, the mill or the farm, will
be paid in the same kind OF dollars.
If, on the other hand, the effect of free
coinage Is to raise the price of silver
so that the silver dollar will be as
valuable as the gold, what benefit will
you derive from It, 1t will cost just as
much and will take just as much labor
to earn 1t. Who will then be benefited
by free coinage except the millionaire
owners of silver mines who will thus
be furnished with a market for the
output of their mines at twice the pres
ent market value.
WHAT YOU WOULD DO.
In short you would be voting out of
the pockets of the people of the United
States into the pockets of the wealthy
producers of silver the sum of $l50,0O0.-
900 to 5000 200, 900 per year. Are you
willing to do this?
And now, as close, let me urge upon
you by your votes to preserve our pri-
vate integrity and our public honor, so
that 1t may never be said that either
our nation or its citizens have repudiated
their contracts. Some of those whom ]
see before me wore the blue and barred
their breasts to protect our country
from those who sought her destruction
more than thirty years ago.
May l not ask you to again thrust
yourselves between her and those who
seek her dishonOr and to preserve now
as you did then, her flag so that 1t may
remain with not a stripe dimmed nor
star blotted out, but its colors bright.
fadeless and beautiful as the brilliant
colors Of the rainbow mixed in the
alembic of the Almighty and painted
upon the clouds of glory by the hand
of the Infinite Artist of Life and Light