The herald., 1896-07-10
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attempt the experiment of free and un-
limited coinage of silver without the CO.
operation of other great nations. IT is
mot question of patriotism. 1t is not a
uestion of courage. 1t is not question
or loyalty. 1t Is not ques-
tion of valor. This majority plat
form speaks of the subject as though
it was simply question as to
whether We were brave people enough
to enter upon this experiment. 1t is q
question OF finance. 1t is question of
economics. 1t is not a question, not
withstandstin, which men ever so brave,
can solve.
Mr.. President, think that the safest.
the best course for this convention to
have pursued was to take the first step
forward in the great cause of monetary
reform by declaring in favor of inter-
national bimetallism. cloud applause)
L am not here to assail the honesty or
sincerity of single man who disagrees
with me. There are those around ma
who know that in every utterance made
upon this subject 1 have treated the
friends of free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, with respect
L am here to pursue that course today
l do not think that we can safely ignore
the monetary systems of other great
nations. 1t is that question about which
honest men may differ. believe we can
not ignore the attitude of other nations
upon this subject any more than we car
their attitude upon the other questions
of the day. I know it is said by en-
thusiastic friends that America can
mark out a course for herself. know
that it appeals to the pride of the aver
age American to say that it matters NOT
what other countries may do, we can
arrange this matter ourselves. But I
beg to remind you. if that suggestion is
carried out to it's legitimate conclusions
you might as well do away with inter-
national treaties; you might as well do
away with commercial treaties with
other countries; you might as well do
away with all the provisions in your
tariff bills that heve relation to the laws
'of other countries In this great age.
when we are connected with all portions
of the earth by our ships by our cables
and by all methods of intercourse we
think IL is unwise to attempt this alone.
Mr. President, I want to call your at
tention to this single point. 1 think it
hazard this contest upon single ratio.
What does this silver platform provide?
1t should have contented itself with the
single statement that it was in favor of
the reconciliation of silver and the
placing of it upon an equality with gold,
but instead of that your committee pre-
sented for adoption platform which
makes the test of Democratic loyalty
hang upon single ratio, and that Is
l6 to l. I doubt the wisdom of having
entered into detail. I doubt the pro-
priety of saying that 151s or II is heresy
and 16 is the only true Democratic doc
trine. Permit me to remind you'll see
distinguished senators before me who.
in the senate of the United States, friends
of silver, had introduced bills for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver at
the ratio of 16 to l. beg to remind this
convention that some of your candidates
| proposed for nomination are men whom
L accept and whose Democracy Is ad-
| mitted, who have time and time again
in congress voted for other ratios than
16 to 1; and yet you are proposing to
nominate men upon platform that lin
it's and restricts them to one single
ratio. With all due respect 1 think It
an unwise step. think it an unneces-
sary step and I think it will return to
plague us in the future. 1 think we have
too many close business relations with
the other great nations of the world for
us to ignore their attitude. Your pro-
posed platform says that the policy of
gold monometallism is British policy.
Mr.. President, they forget to tell the
people of this country that it is a French
policy also; they forget to tell the people
of this country that it is German policy
/ also; they fail to remind you that it is
a Spanish policy also; they fail to tell
you that it is the policy of the whole
number of governments represented in
what was called the Latin union. There
fore l think it looks a little-just a trine
like demagoSy to suggest that this
is the policy of a single nation alone
Mr.. President, regret also to see that
your platform reads not a single word
in favor of jnterna tional bimetallism:
not necessarily inconsistent with this
platform and there it no declaration
whatever that it is the policy of this
government to attempt to bring it about.
The minority platform declares express
ly that it is the policy of this govern
ment to make steady effort to bring this
about. 1t would be safer to do it; it
would be wiser to do it. We run upon
the great question of the finances of this
republic. l do not intend in the brief
time allotted to ME TO enter into an
elaborate argument upon this question.
I assume that this convention desires,
as the people of this country desire, that
every silver dollar coined shall be equal
to every other dollar coined. Every
thing is risked upon the mere fact that
it shall be given free coinage at the
mintS. I beg to call your attention to
this fact: In that in my humble opin-
ion, the very policy condemned by this
platform is the policy that has kept
your greenback currency and your sill
yer dollar at a parity with gold during
the past years. We think that times
and conditions have changed. We think
that you cannot ignore the fact of the
great production OF silver ia ta.s oo...--
try; we think that you cannot ignore the
fact, in the preparation of financial
system, that the cost of the production
of silver had greatly fallen. Why, it Is
very pregnant fact that confronts all
the world, the solving of the great ques-
tiOD Of tho IisrnNpr.iaS of CT