Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-09-04

''BimetalliSm cannot be secured ny
| independent action on our part. 1t
cannot be obtained by opening our
minis to the unlimited coinage of the
| silver of the world at a ratio OF six
4 teen ounces Of silver to one ounce OF
gold, when the commercial ratio is
more than thirty ounces Of silver to
one of gold. Until international agree
ment is hal it is the plain duty OF
| the United States to maintain the gold
| standard 1t is the recognized and sole
! standard of the great commercial ma
tons of the world, with which we trade
more largely than any other. Eighty
four per cent of our foreign trade for
| the fiscal year 1895 was with gold
| standard countries, and our trade with
other coutries was settled on a gold
| basis.
| Chiefly by means of legislation dur
/ ing and since 1878 there has been put
| in circulation more than S624,0O0,O0O OF
| silver, or it's representative. Prior to
that time there had been less than o.
entire history of the United States.
period Of eightynine years. We have
today more silver than gold.
"The so-called Sherman law sought
to use all the silver product of the
| United States for money at it's market
value. From 1890 to 1893 the govern
ment purchased 4,500, 900 ounces of sill
yer month, or 100000 ounces a
year. This was one-third of the pro-
| duct of the world, and practically all
| of this country's product. 1t was be-
| lieved by those who then and now fay-
! or free coinage that such use of silver
! would advance it's bullion value to its
coinage value, but this expectation was
| not realized. In a few months, not
!, witbstanding the unprecedented mar
ket for silver produced in the United
/ States, the price of silver went down
| very rapidly, reaching lower point
than ever before. Then, upon the rec
concentration of President Cleveland,
4 both political parties united in the re-
| peal of the purchasing clause of the
/ Sherman law. We cannot with safety
/ engage in further experiments in this
direction.
"The first duty of the republican par
/ ty, If restored to power in the country,
will be the enactment of tariff law
which will raise all the money neces-
sary to conduct the government, eco
nomically and honestly administrated,
/ and so adjusted as to give preference
| to home manufactures and adequate
| protection to home labor and the home
market. We are not committed to any
| special schedules or rates of duty.
| They are, and should be always, sub
Ject to change to meet new conditions,
/ but the principle upon which rates OF
duty are imposed remains the same.
! Our duties should always be high
enough to measure the difference be-
tween the wages paid labor at home
and in competing countries, and to ade-
quately protect American investments
and American enterprises.
! Another declaration of the republi-
can platform that has my most cordial
/ support is that which favors reciproc-
! ity In my judgment congress should
Immediately restore the reciprocity sec
/ ton of the old law, with such amend
/ mends, If any, as time and experience
sanction as wise and proper The I'M
| DERIVING principle of this legislation
| must, however, be strictly observed.
| 1t is to afford new markets for our
surplus agricultural and manufactured
products without loss to the American
laborer of single days work that he
might otherwise procure.
Il am i'll hearty sympathy with the
present legislation restraining foreign
immigration, and favor such extension
OF the laws as will secure the United
States from invasion by the debased
and criminal classes of the old world.
we should permit none to participate
IN the advantages of our civilization
VINO do not sympathize with our aims
and form of government. We should
/ receive none who come to make war
upon our institutions and profit by
! public disquiet and turmoil. Against
/ all such our gates must be tightly
closed.
The declaration of the republican
| platform in favor of the up building OF
| CUR merchant marine has my hearty
approval. We should no longer con-
tribute directly or indirectly to the
maintenance of the colossal marine
OF foreign countries but provide an eff
fieient and complete marine or our
own.
The pledge of the republican ma
tional convention that our civil-service
laws shall be sustained and thoroughly
and honestly enforced and extended
wherever practicable
There are other important and
timely declarations in the platform
which | cannot here discuss. l must
content myself with saying that they
whenever practicable, will be fully OBJ
served.