The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-04
Ex-Congressman BANDS rawlings In
fbe "Forum.s

ExCongressman Richard p. Bland, the
Original Silver man. has an article in the
September Forum" in which ne ex-
PLOTS the claims of William J. Bryan and
the theory of silverism in an amusing
and Instructive manner. All that he
has TO say about Bryan is summed up in
one sentence. viz:-That the election of
that gentleman viii mean the return of
the government to the hands of the
,plain people" Just why the plain
people" shotld be better qualified TO gov
ern than the educated people, the thought
full people, the experienced people. the
people who have vast interests taxed on
the permanent success of our political
system. he fails to say. It is a first
principal of ~Jacobinism that wisdom re-
sides IN numbers alone, and it would be
futile to attempt to argue the point with
a man in Mr.. BANDS present mental con-
dition. To sane men it will occur, how
ever, that the mere election of Mr.. Bryan
would be a pretty conclusive proof that
the plain people"-if indeed they were re-
aponsible for it-were unfit to govern.
We. who are opposed to Bryan. have
confidence in the plain people. We be-
1ieve that working in harmony with and
under the guidance of the enlightened
people of the country. they win defeat
Mr.. Bryan in a way that viii surprise
him n Mr.. Bland. and elect in his
stead either Senator Palmer or Major
Mckinley, who represent honor, reason
and the Constitution in this fight in OPP
position to knavery, madness and revolu-
tion. for which Mr.. Bryan stands.
When he comes down to discuss the sill
yer question. Mr.. Bland shows himself
jest what he is, an addle pated idiot,
thinking in a circle and thinking stupidity
at that. Here is the star selection from
his argument
No man in his senses but can see that
Should our government cease its great de-
mand for gold. which now exists under
the single gold tandard and throw its
power upon the side of silver. making It's
demand for silver instead of pold. si,eh
a condition would inevitably lower the
value of gold and appreciate that of sir
yer thus bringing the Two metals to
practical party In this country and
throughout the world. Whatever value
We should give to silver at our mints.
No matter where silver might be. ii
would there command the same price IT
would have in the United States. less the
cost or transportation; for no man would
tzke less for his silver, anywhere in The
world. than he could procure for it at
our minis
This means-if it means anything-thai
the free coinage Of silver into dollars viii
give bullion silver added value. and the
increase in the value of bullion silver
viii Civ the coined dollars the same
value an elegant theory of finance which
when applied to paper. means that the
printing Of pape dollars gives other paper
the same parity with gold, while, Of
course, the value thus gained by white
paper is the thing that gives the printed
dollar its v~alue-a matter of fact which
Is familiar to all and comprehensive b,
wen the meanest intelligence. It re
minds US of the story of the little DO,
who had been reading up the Greek myth,
olOgy and found himself slightly puzzled
BY the physical status Of the late Mr.
Ajax, of nowhere iii particular. He wen
10 his father for explanations.
Pop said he, docs Ajax support tn,
world on his shoulders?'