New-York tribune., 1896-08-27
WHAT STEWART MEANT BY GOLD.

Here certainly Is richness. After twenty-five
years of silence Senator Stewart rises 10 eA-
plain that when in 1874 he said he wanted goih
standard for this country he didn't mean II, ana
he accuses Senator Sherman Of misrepreseh'a-
tion when he quotes Stewart against Stewart 10
show that the white-haired millionaire from Ne
vada has changed his views TO suit his pocket
book Senator Stewart said, in 1874:
Gold has made the world respect It, Tne Eng
lish people once thought they could get alohe
without gold for a while but they had 10 go
back TO IT, do not care how much you
discuss ii, or how many resolutions you pass
they do not make any difference: you must come
to the same conclusion that all pee pie nave
ard Of value 1t is idle to talk about COM
promising on any other measure Of value: the
world viii not accent H. The wheat will
be measured by the same standard-gold-ih
Illinois as 1t is in Liverpool and any man can
figure It. . 1t a little party in Eng
land once but Il grew wonderfully 1t has been
n little party in this country occasionally, Dut
under Silas Wright. Tom Benton and Calhoun
and others. 1t grew to be the party OF the coun'
try.
These are only few examples Of the manner
in which Senator Stewart inadvertently used
the term gold" when he meant specie ana
the "con standard of both gold and silver. IL
doesn't speak well for the Populist Senator's
knowledge Of language that he could utter the
world gold" every time he meant specie or
gold and silver 1t doesn't speak well for the
Senator's knowledge of facts that he should
think wheat was measured in both gold ana
silver when 1t got TO Liverpool. 1t doesn't speak
well for the Senator's knowledge Of history tnat
he should think Tom Benton devoted himself
to securing n change Of the mint ratio between
gold and silver for the purpose of making gold
and silver jointly standards when the rec)rds
Of Congress show that he deliberately voted for
a ratio which he knew would drive silver out OF
circulation and make gold the standard But all
these Indications are aside from the interesting
point. If Senator Stewart says truthfully that
he did not mean gold when he said gold, OF
course he must admit that he means what he
says now If he did not mean gold wheE he
said gold in speeches In the United States Sen
ate, of course he did not mean gold when ne SAID
gold in mortgages What he meant when he
made the men who borrowed money from him
sign mortgage payable in gold was. of course.
specie" and silver will be specie just as much
under free coinage as it is now.
We call attention TO this point not in spirit
of carping criticism, but to save votes for Sen
atoy Stewart and his man Bryan Until now the
men who are In debt TO Stewart under gold con-
tracts have had no reason TO think they could
discharge their obligations in silver. and. natu-
rally they would vote against Mr.. Bryan ont OF
self-intercs Now. however. they will, OF
course feel free to join the other repudators, If
they are so minded. for their silyer-halred cred
ltor has himself said with great voublty and
vehemence. that gold when uttered by his
mouth or written by his pen. means specie
and silver is specie.