The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-13

the Democratic ana POpul1St parties NOM
inee for President addressed between
10000 and $4,000 people. AT each of the
meetings he was greeted with prolonged
cheers, and at frequent intervals during
each of his speeches the enthusiastic pop
ulace gave vent to uproarious applause
The nominee was met at the train by an
immense crowd. He was escorted to the
Planters Hotel, where he ate dinner and
then went to Concorda Park. The Audito-
rum and Sportsmans Park were in turn
visited, and he made a speech at each
place. So great was the crowd that hun
dreds were turned away at each place.
When Mr.. Bryan and his escort stepped
upon the platform at Concordia Park the
great throng arose and for several min
utes shouted and cheered Upon being in
troduced, Mr.. Bryan said:
Ladies and Gentlemen-We are entering
upon memorable campaign, which means
great deal of good or Ill to the people
of this country, and in this campaign there
is one great oVershadowing issue, and upon
that issue people are divided There are
some who believe that the maintenance of
gold standard until foreign nations come
to our relief is an absolute necessity for
the welfare of this country. There are
those, on the other hand, who believe
with us that the. immediate restoration of
the free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver at the present legal ratio of 16 to l,
without waiting for the aid or consent of
any other nation is absolutely essential to
national prosperity. tApplause.)
This is a great question, which must be
submitted to the arbitrament of the ballot,
and in order that you may understand
this question / desire to submit a few ar
guments tonight in behalf of the restora-
ton of free coinage. / assume in the first
place that every American citizen is COM
petent to form opinion upon this issue
Our opponents tell US that the money ques-
ton is complicated question, and that
only few are able to master it. There is
no question which can come before the
American people which is too deep for the
American people themselves. (Applause.)
There is no question which must be SUBJ
mitted to a particular class of people
Applause.) The Creator did not make any
class of people to think for the rest of the
people (Applause.) If he had, he would
have given extra brains to those who were
to do the thinking and simply have given
back to all the rest that they might carry
the burdens of life. 1Applause.) The Con-
stitution did not suggest that any class of
the founders of the Constitution had ever
supposed that a question would arise like
the money question, and had thought that
it could be settled by financiers then our
forefathers would have written in the Con-
stitution that while on most subjects all
the people might vote. on the money ques-
ton only the ffnanNers could vote. Cap
plauSe and laughter.)
GOOD BOY, WILLIE"
when the ballot was given to you it
was given upon the assumption that you
had the intelligence and patriotism neces-
sary to use it right, and / believe, my
friends, that you have. applause and a
voice, Good boy Willie; hit 'em againr)
Now, 1 want to submit for your consd-
GRAFTON two or three propositions and l
believe that they are so clear and so plain
that every one of you here can recognize
the force of them. In the first place. /
call your attention to the fact that the Re
publican party in it's platform and through
its public men is making no effort to sup
ply the people OF the United
Of money ' to do business business with thu #
I were to tell you that a grown person
would think foolish and If / We're to
tell you that grown person could live on
child you would call foolish, and yet
they call these men financiers VINO assume
that the people, growing in population,
survive on a money decreasing in its
amount. applause and cheers)
Il want you 10 remember now the figures
which / going to read to you These
figures are taken from a government pub
i iss''0n ISSUED on Inc nfs' Jay OF July
At this point disturbance was raised
in the audience by some one cheering for
Mckinley. There were cries of Put him
out! and Make him shut upH
Mr.. Bryan continued: DO not be wor-
ried. my friends we are glad to have our
cause they need speaking to more than our
own people do. Great applause and cheer
ingo Now, give me your attention, my
friends In this government publication,
issued by the Treasury Department on the
1st OF July 1885, | find a statement of the
amount of money of all kinds in circulation
Let me call your attention to the amount
given here for the years 1894, 1896 and 1885,
according to this report, was 81. $50 10000
In 1895 that amount of money had fallen
to 81, col 900, coo, a decrease in one year of
500. 600, coo; in 1896. and the statements are
made on the goth day of June of each
year. On the 9oth day of June. 1896 the
amount in circulation had fallen to ST.
SOC. 600, 900.
what does it mean? 1t means that in
two years time, according to the treasury
report the amount of money in circulation
among the people had fallen about $3.50 00O.-
900 in amount. (Applause) In other
decrease of about 10 per cent. in the amount
of money in circulation among the people
This my friends. is the treasury report
and this report shows that. while the per
capita circulation in 1894 was s242S per cap
tia in 1896 it had fallen to $21.10. fall of
more than So per capita. applause and a
voice I have not got cents in my pocket.
mark of my friend that even the decrease
per capita is not distributed with absolute
equality. Oaughter)
BRYAN TACKLES SHERMAN.
Now, / have called your attention to
this decrease shown by the treasury re-
port Let me show show you. my friends
that. instead of there being a decrease;
there ought to have been an increase each
year. Senator John Sherman (groans) made
a speech on the 9th of june. 1890 and in
the course of that speech he used these
words
If our present currency is estimated at
81 400 000. GOO. and our population is increas-
ing at the rate of per cent. per annum,
1t would require $i2. 900 increased circu-
laion each year to keep pace with the in
crease of population: but. as the increase
of the population is accompanied by still
greater rate of increase of wealth and bust
ness it was thought that immediate in
crease in circulation might be obtained by
larger purchases of silver bullion to an
amount sufficient to make good the retire
ment OF bank notes and keep pace with
s54 600 600 a year of additional circulation
is needed upon this basis, that amount is
provided for in the bin by the issue of
treasury notes in exchange for bullion at
the market price