Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-09-04
ARENDT ON SILVER.
THE GREAT GERMAN BIMETAL-
LIST FAVORS BRYAN.

WI AAsS SuCCehh Depen0S the f0te o
! silver In Europe-Other Nation
Will Re Forced to Follow tn,
| Lead - will Bring England I,
Terms-The Election of IcKin
ley Would Destroy all Hope o.
the Double Standard.
The New York Journal OF the 90
inst, publishes the following article
written by DIR. Otto Arendt, the we'll
known bimetallist of Germany. The
article is additionally important tc
silver men from the fact that DR.
Arendt has recently been fattered by
the goldbug" press for his recently
published opinion that free coinage by
the United States alone would be
disastrous to bimetallism in Europe
1t will be seen that DR.. Arendt has
now changed his views, and is an en-
thusiastic advocate OF Mr.. Bryan's
election.
The people of the United States
ha, never been called upon to decide
a quesliOl 80 important as that of the
coming Presidential election. Persons
and parties do not count in this cam.
paign at all; the great fundamental
principles of modern national life are
at stake. Shall these be upheld, or
shall they be trampled under foot?
This is the all.absorbing question.
Europe, the mighty grandparent OF
the young Colossus, feels in her old
bones that the bsllot-boxes which are
soon to be set up in the cities and
villages and hamlets of America will
speak the destinies OF our leading ma
tions.
Never before was the dividing line
80 sharply defined, and we understand
that the sovereign people OF the
United States mean once for all to
solve the social question which has in
late years caused so many disturb
ances and unhappy conditions.
Look at the two sides and mark the
striking contrasts. Mckinley and his
votaries, representing the party of So
called honest money and dishonest
profts-the party OF trusts and monop-
olies, the party that brought the
pillage OF national resources for the
benefit OF capital to a fine point and
its method on the one side. Their
opponents we find under the proud
banner of Bryan. These are the pro-
ductive classes, workingmen and farm
ers, who refuse to permit themselves
to be bled in future for the cause oil
the gold standard.
European bimetallists who have
been fighting the gold standard for
many years past regard international
bimetsllism ae the true solution of all
the questions involved. My own
views on that subject, have laid down
in an essay published in the June is
sue of the North american Repiew
when gave it as my opinion that the
question OF free silver should be set
tied only after an international agree
ment regarding the relative values o
gold and silver had been arrived at, fol
at that time l took it for granted thai
both parties would favor silver in theil
platforms, though not to the extent o
free coinage.
With respect to the possible candi'
dates, bimetallists, taking Mckinley
to be thorough silver man, certainly
regarded him with much favor. What
sad disappointment, however, came
with the St. Louis Convention. II
WAS obvious that the spirit of that
convention was inspired by Wall
street, while Mckinley himself de-
serted the peoples cause and closed
an alliance, offensive and defensive
with all-grasping capital.
Heaven high above him, unfettered
and unmercenary, rose Bryan, who at
once gained the respect and sympa.
thies OF bimetallists the world over. II
were an American citizen would
unhesitatihgly vote for the peoples
champion. A free coinage President
appears to me lesser evil than Stock
Exchange President who would walk
in Cleveland's footsteps
There are superficial people in this
and other countries who imagine that
if Bryan is elected in November free
silver coinage will begin next March
They forget that Congress must fin
ally decide the question. Even should
President Bryan, as will be mos'
probable, call an extra session it woult
take several months before free silvel
coinage would be legalized. 1t is fully
appreciated in Europe that free coin
age would prove a more formidable
menace than the proposed suspension
of the Bland and Sherman Acts
European financiers and monopolist'
have had taste of the fluctuation
in American values, and fear then
more than even McKinley's prohibi
tive tariff.
America offers us the tantilizing al
ternative between q prohibitive tariff
and the silver standard, but our none!
monopolists in this case harvest th'
storm where they have been sowing
the wind. Their long.continued op
position to international bimetallisn