The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-29
uonreAsoHs WOULD surrrR.

xogTGAGoRs WOULD srYFER-
Tas fa.ssxsns letter hs< eeen received
/ frozn coTre@port~n.s
ia yoor artisie 'Qss~sicns Answered,
t. ssss4 q fo1ay. yo8 says -T'no@s VIA
have aaorszzees % pay rad better sscsr-
tain sefors hey vote for free szvsr =
thalg oaslxAfsona ars Taa6s 5ayaaie -
geld. These are ne vsry anes frat ne
fres s4v~~ missionaries 90 Tor. Tksy issS
tnesr 70 expeet rat wlsh Bran SRI
free slfves congress becs % bta1, eeaErsas
wfll snna4 ere szrs5aas esassss 70 see
sf February r. tg1s. ard thus make al
god contracts csya1ss in fegA F@1asr
money. They bring o2t tfas CONSTITUTION
- ne Tfn.fed s.&sex - stsg~ saae taNTe
Is nonfng ia the constitution Erons o4f4FAs
tas pzasaee by congrSss o. ssws irrsSis-
snz the oslsfwarf0a - con s-1etss tae -
egrfesbos - apoa ne STATE they esairS
tkax oongre~s has raase1 sucn l2ss. arr
thai fna supreme court % Ire Lnis~d
Seats suss1zSnec ss~a laws. and TefeT o
re sinking find cases. - Unitec STAIRS,
TO-
.~Tns rnorf~a9or - ire man they are
wording on Us. now. and they are doing
= very quietly. No repFtabie paper o.
eaolsc saeaksr woilsd venture TO advocate
sach policy openly. but the quiet WORK
they arc dong " telling upon RE morals
ard the yotss Of sou1s.
No man who viii laks The trouble %
Investigate ere subject car doubt that
me fear OF free coinage OF silver w7sasd
lnfure those who have given seca-1fy Tor
s4s0rey borrowed. We say ire fear, Re-
sasrs4 40 mortgages wnsse Joan nnatured
before the passaE. Of free coinage act
u-osl6 wait for ~, He wossld Immediately
forss.loee. sfozt mortgages on dwelling
s.e4xnes ars for sisort periods. and within
tie past year or &C many mortgages
have extended ths time instead Of rsr'w-
ing the mortgages. These loans would be
called ia or foreclosure follow long before
congress could pass free coinage ACT,
coupled with the Popu.lst demand that
even with payment N gold eontFacted for
silver might be rendered.
Bryan's election would inspire the fear
az such legislation and gold would be
withdrawn from circulation. This would
not be the act OF any syndicate, but the
general action Of depositors in banks,
whose money forms 50 large proportion
OF tho amount invested In mortgages.
This would send gold TO a premium and
make Il more difficult for the Inortgagor
to meet his obligations For free silver
10 benefit him. the supply Of money would
need 10 be greater: instead OF being great
81 Il would be less by the withdrawal OF
most OF the $3.50, 500 coo Of gold now in cir
oulatlon It Is absolutely certain that no
new loans could be effected until the
money question could be settled.
One mistake generally made is that
mortgages want TO foreclose and obtain
the property held as security. This Il not
so. They usually want their money back,
especially II they are non-reslients. This
IL particularly the case with savings banks
end trust companies.
Il must be remembered. TOO. that even
n free coinage bin Is passed, II viii
take years more 10 make any appreciable
difference in the volume OF money. Even
at the full mintage capacity OF s4o.ooo'oo
q year would take nearly two years 10
give every person in the United States
one dollar each more. Bryan says build
moro nlnts." But II takes time even TO
build minis. II we had ten times the
present capacity for coinage. IL would
take nearly two years after Bryan's cleo
ton 70 turn out s. head for each per-
son In the United States.
one thing IL sure-the United States win
never pass AZ ex post fscto iaw-that IS,
enc violating contracts already made II
might. II Bryan's vicious policy prevailed.
SAY that thereafter in spite OF promise
10 pay in Eold a borrower need not keep
II. and pay IN gold or silver at his option.
but past contracts would have to be kept.
The constitution does not Say that no
law shall BE- passed inpairing ma obli-
gatsen OF a contract. Neither does Il say
that a citizen shall not steal or commit
murder. II does not include the ten com
rrandneuts In sts recital OF the response
all,fes ef citizenship. The sacredness OF
a contract underlles al human law. Legal
sanction OF It's violation would undermine
an The institutions OF civilization. A con
tract must be maeo BY two persons; every
nan IN the weird IS ~ some time = party
beneficiary. II the projected law favored
h..n at one tine. u would place him a. a
disadvantage at another.
No dishonest man need hope. no aones;
man need fear. that this government-ur-
der any pvessdent-~ln ever pass a Law
ehrogasinx the right 81 contract
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