The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-29
Questions Fired at Bryan.

At New London, while Mr.. Bryan was ex-
plotting his free coinage theories, man
standing near him asked:
Where will we be when we get free sill
ver?''
Mr.. Bryan Are you in favor of a gold
Standard?
The woiec: II am.
Mr.. Bryan: TELL me why.
The Voice, Because | believe it is best
for the country. Every nation VIII accept
a gold dollar for a dollar.
Mr.. Bryan, why? / will tell you. Be
cause of IT'S value; the reason why our gold
: doiiar and our bullion are worth the same
vert the bullion into a dollar at the mint.
The Voice: We'll. how about silver?'
Mr.. Bryan: When the laws are sc, under
the free coinage Of silver the holder Of
silver bullion can convert his silver into
dollars at the mint that will fix Il mint
price for silver as we have a mint price
be worth as much abroad as our gold dol
lars
sion that when the free coinage of silver
is brought into effect they can take their
silver teapots and have them coined into
Mr. Bryan: 1T is true that under free
coinage any man can melt up dollar and
a half worth of spoons and have the silver
coined into one dollar and twenty-nine
cents IL you have man who is fool enough
to do it. Now, why will people refuse to
be worth more as silver than 1t will be
worth as silver dollars under free coinage"
Mr.. Bryan proceeded with his argument
and added: Il assert that the business
man depends for success on the farmer and
the laboring man. If you want business
men to prosper you cannot make them
prosperous by making the money lender
prosperous, because business 1den do not
make their money out of those from whom
they borrow. They make their money out
of those to whom they sell goods. and IL
the people cannot buy goods the merchants
cannot sell goods, and people cannot buy
goods until they have money to buy goods
with.
A Voice. Start up the MILL
Mr.. Bryan: Suppose you start up the
mill; how are you going to dispose of the
things which the mills produce unless peo-
pie can buy the produce, of your mills
in 1878, said that the destruction of silver
as money and the establishment of gold as
the sole unit of value must have a ruinouS
effect on all forms of property except
those investments which yield a fixed re-
turn of money, and these would be enor
smously enhanced in value and gain a dis
proportionate and unfair advantage over
every other specie of property (Applause)
change the standard of money in the world
as it would be to change the standard of
weights and measures in the world?'
Mr.. Bryan: Il will answer that question
by saying that in the first place the world
has no standard of weights and measures
and We have been unable to bring the ma
tiens of the world to agree to a standard
of weights and measures. In the second
place. why did not you give that advice in
1873 you are giving now? They changed
our standard of money then and for TWEEN
~ years they have tried to keep US from
understanding what they did then. Those
who deny the right of the people to use
the law to restore silver to It's rghtful
place are the very ones who helped to
pass a law twenty-three years ago to de-
stroy the free coinage of silver and sub
Stitute new standard after the nations
of the world had tried bimetallism. and
after this Nation had tried it from the be-
ginning of the Nation down to that time.
care not what other nations shall do.
but insist that we shall decide what this
Nation shall do. Did Austria ask our con-
sent when she resumed specie payment
a gold basis? Did Italy ask our consent
when she resumed specie payment on
gold basis? Did the other nations of the
world ask our consent when they changed
their standards? No. Then. sir. what man
who wants to be American, wants to
get down on his knees aud ask other ma
tons consent when we want to do what
we please?
II have given you, my friends. what
might be q sufficient answer. | want to
give YOU more than sufficient answer NV
friend wants to know how that can change
the standard of the world. I tell him that
Prince Bismarck has stated recently that
If the United States acts alone it will be
salutary in bringing other nations to accept
our himetalliic policy. If my timid friend
doubts the ability of this Nation l beg
him to sit at the feet of a foreigner and
learn confidence in American institutions =