New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-30
BUSINESS MEN FOR GOLD.
LEADING MERCHANTS WITH SETTLED
OPINIONS ON FINANCE.
WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
AND ITS PROBABLE REsULTs-AN OBJECT
LESSON IN AN INVOICE BOOK.


business men Of Brooklyn are for Mckinley
and sound money a man. Not one Brooklyn
business men Of any prominence has thus FAR de-
cared himself friendly to the cause OF william
J. Bryan and the free-silver heresy. Abraham
Abraham. Of the firm Of Abraham & straus
| said yesterday:
IF had no confidence in the patriotism OF the
American people might fear the outcome OF the
campaign / have that confidence, though. ana
I believe the result will be the election OF Nc
Kinley and Hobart and the triumph OF the sound
money issue Before election day the people will
have been thoroughly educated to the meaning
| OF free silver coinage and will be made to under
stand what the outcome Of II will be. With that
education and that understanding there can be
| no fear as TO now they will vote we nave
money enough now. II we can keep II Circulated
| The great necessity is confidence in business
| With that will come constant exchange OF
goods and money. and money now boarded VIII
be brought into use With all the money circu-
| lating the SO a head that there Is now In the
country will be Just serviceable as " we had
! $50 head The present stringency is not due
| 10 lack OF money The number OF men ana wo-
men out of work and the prevailing low prices
| for certain commodities would not be remedied
nv an increase Of money. Much trouble Is due
| 10 the fact that the world Is undergoing an evou-
| ton Inventive genius has resulted In the pro-
| duction Of labor-saving machinery that not only
| throws many people out Of work. but causes
| over production. over production makes low
| prices and II there is surplus Of labor the
prices Of labor must go down just the same as
wheat goes down when there Is more OF that
| cereal than the necessities Of the people demand
| There is surplus Of labor now and II will re-
| quire time 10 remedy that and 70 give work 10
| all It cannot be remeded by law TO increase
the amount Of money in circulation No amount
| Of money would benefit man II he could not
| find work with which to earn IT,
| Il think that the Democratic platform Is so
extremely radical that the people have only TO
| understand it TO reject IT, II means destruction
Its advocates admit that that will be its
first effect but. they say. something new and
beneficial can he built on that which has been
DESTROYED What can may be built up Is
doubtful II might he worse than we have at
| the present time"
Mr. Abraham said that he thought a second
| Democratic ticket would he Of advantage. but
| that he was confident Of McKiney's election.
| Democratic honest-money campaign would In
| crease the number Of teachers In campaign
| that was to be largely educative, and the, 90
cent dollar could not withstand the enlighten-
ment Of an educative campaign. He said he had
learned from buyers Of Western houses that
they were not buying In quantities now. but wait
| ing the result Of the free-silver craze
James Matthews Of the firm OF A. 3. Matthews
| Sons. is a pronounced gold Democrat. He said
that the election Of Bryan looked probable to
him now but he thought that between now and
Election Day the voters would be educated to a
realization Of the evil that must follow the pub
lie ratification of silver platform. AS illustrat-
no n
| standard Mr. Matthews pointed TO an invoice
| book in which the imported goods were entered.
| You will see from an entry in this book. he
| said, that we had lot of goods on the steamer
Monmouthshire. We contracted to pay for them
81 2J3 in silver. found that could save money
by paying for them In gold. So settled the bill
for 1891 gold Thus 7j6 American gold dol
| lars are equal to 1853 American silver dollars on
the other side. No. sir. this country would not
thrive on a silver currency basis An American
dollar must be worth 100 cents all over the world
II America would be prosperous"
| Louis Lebmann Of The Lehman Company.
said: II a red-hot gold-money man. as in
deed is every other merchant have met since
the money question became an issue. A silver
advocate among merchants would be curiosity.
have hardly brought myself to believe that the
election of a silver candidate for President is
possible do not think the American people
| have lost all their common sense yet We have
| been bothered by all kinds Of cranks and now
! the silver crank has come 10 amuse One effect
OF the election Of silver candidate would be
that all the gold In the country would be held
merchandise We are getting invoices now
stamped Payable in gold or its equivalent. But
this sort OF thing think hurts the chances OF
gold candidate We will not elect a President
a silver platform this year"
Henry T. Burger. superintendent Of the Henry
Offerman drygoods establishment, said: Il
have been a Democrat ever since have been in
this country, but shall vote against the Demo-
cratic ticket this year. / am satisfied that the
success Of the silver idea would be suicidal for
the country. l know many other Democrats
who feel tho same as do in the matter and
can't see how Mr. Bryan can win
Joseph Wechser. of Joseph Wechsers Sons.
said that he intended to influence every vote he
could for the gold platform.
| Or Robert G.. Newman. of the Newman dry
| goods house. said that he intended to vote for
| Mckinley and the gold standard. He expressed
sorrow that the Democratic party had gone back
| on its old time principles.
| j T Chestnut. Of the firm OF Shellas & Ches-
| mutt. furniture said: II am a protectionst and
/ will gladly support Mckinley. When pro-
tect our industries we put money In circulation
| In our own country. l hope to see the gold stand
| ard prevail and for that reason will support the
| Republican candidates and the platform Under
| the gold standard values are fixed and justice Is
| done to every one We may pass liver all
right in this country. but when we come to nav
| for the goods from other countries gold Will be
! demanded of us.
Il feel confident OF the election Of Mckinley
| but until then business men generally will go
slowly. Small orders are the rule now"
w II Meyer. superintendent for Henry Batter
| man. expressed the belief that business would be
good this fall in spite Of the campaign. He be-
| leved that Mckinley and the gold standard
would win. but he did not predict disaster from
! tt1nr ha ,Ubt
! time before any harm would be done even II
| Bryan elected
Alderman Adam II. LEIGH who came down
| from his summer home in Connecticut to attend
| the snecial meeting nf the I'd of