New Ulm review., 1896-09-02

to be bled in the future for the cause o1
the gold standard.
European bimetall.sts who have beer
fighting the gold standard for many
years past, regard international bimetal.
lism as the true solution Of all the cues.
tons involved.
My own views on that subject have
laid down in ali essay published in the
June issue Of the North American Re.
view, when | gave It as my opinion that
1.-The question of free silver should lie
settled only after an international agree.
ment, regarding the relative values OF
gold and silver, had been arrived at; fol
at that time I took it for granted that
both parties would favor silver in their
platforms, though not to the extent Of
free coinage.
With respect to the possible candi-
dates, bimetallists, taking Mckinley to
be thorough silver man, certainly re-
garded him with much favor.
What sad disappointment, however,
came with the St. Louis convention! It
was obvious that the spirit of that con-
vention was inspired by Wall street,
while Mckinley himself deserted the
peoples cause and closed an alliance,
offensive and defensive, with all grasp
ing capital.
.Heaven-high above him, unfettered
and unmerccnary, rose Bryan, who at
once gained the respect and sympathies
of bimetalists the world over
If were an American citizen I would
unhesitatingly vote for the peoples
champion. A free coinage president ap-
pears to me lesser evil than stock ex-
change president, who should walk in
Cleveland's footsteps. There are super
fetal people in this and other countries
who imagine that if Bryan is elected ia
November free silver coinage will begin
next March. They forget that congress
must finally decide the question. Even
should President Bryan, as will be most
probable, call an extra session, it would
take several months before free silver
coinage would be legalized.
1t is fully appreciated in Europe that
free coinage would prove a mole formi-
dable menace than the proposed suspen-
sion of the Bland and Sherman acts. Eu.
ropean tuanciers and monopolists have
had taste of the fluctuations in Ameri-
can values, and fear them more than ev-
en- McKinley's prohibitive tariff.
America offers us the tantalizing alter
native between prohibitive tariff and
a silver standard. But our money mon
opolists in this case harvest the storm
where they have been sowing the wind.
Their long continued opposition to in
ternational bimettal,ism is on the eve Of
receiving its proper retribution. Bryan's
victory will no doubt prepare the way
for an international agreement.
Should Bryan be elected, we, the BIZ
metallists. would gain formidable allies,
while American bankers would certainly
do all in their power to f.restall the de-
probation of American values by back
ing our cause of international bimetal-
lism.
| kNow as to Che prospects in Europe.
The possessors of American values, fear
ing depreciation, would influence the
bourse to such an extent as to cause cap
ital to consider it's attitude toward BIZ
metallism, whereupou the European gov
ernments may he obliged to adopt bimet-
tallism in order to restore confidence and
equality.
All Europe has formally declared that
bimetallism shall not he introduced
without Blitain's corporation. The
English cabinet at Balfour's instis "a
tion decided on March II that nothing
should interfere with the gold standard.
Balfour represents the remarkable and
questionable view that no change of coin
age should be imposed on financial men.
In other words, the world of finance rules
the thief is jailor.
Bslfour waits and hopes patiently for
the bimetallic conversion of London.
That famous debate of March II has
clearly shown what is thought Of the
question in that city. The Shylock stand
point was never presented with more
brutal effrontery than by Harcourt. The
American silver party will find Har-
courts speech the best campaign docu-
ment. A producer who reads this speech
and does not vote for Bryan cuts his
own throat. In order to prevent.somc of
this moral suicide: quote few charac-
teristlc phrases. Said the leader Of the