The San Francisco call., 1896-08-06
FOR FREE SILVER.

THE CALL STANDS 1Or silver. Inc hcpuD-
lican party stands for silver. Neither the
Republican party nor THE CALL, however
stands for silver monometallism. Both
advocate monetary policy that will make
the fullest use of silver and gold, not only
in this country. but throughout the world.
1t is in vain that the demagogues, the
agitators and the semi-anarchists of silver
monom etallism endeavor to fix upon the
Republican party the charge of being in
league with the gold ring, either of this
country or of Europe. The gold standard
is Clevelandism. 1t is the monetary policy
of an administration for whicn Democracy
is responsible. Republicans neither sup
port it now, nor ever have supported IT.
either by precept or practice.
The platform adopted by the Republican
National Convention at st. Louis is ex-
plicit in its declaration in favor of pro-
noting an enlarged use of silver, not only
in this country, but in all countries. 1t
says. indeed: "We are opposed to the
free coinage Of silver, except by inter-
national agreement with the leading COM
mercial nations of the earth," but it adds:
which agreement we pledge ourselves to
promote" 1t is on that clear and un-
mistakable pledge the Republican party
appeals to the suffrages of the people. No
man can doubt that the pledge will be
kept. The Republican party has never
yet broken any pledge made to the people,
and its record of fidelity in the past is an
assurance of the honor with which it will
observe it's obligations in the future.
One of the silly charges of the campaign
is the assertion that in seeking an inter-
national agreement for the reconciliation
of silver the Republican party denies the
power of the United States to regulate its
mon etaIy system TO suit itself. A fool
might just as well assert that policy of
reciprocity treaties implied lack of power
to establish protective tariff without the
consent of other nations. We enter into
reciprocity treaties in order to open up in
foreign countries freer markets for certain
classes of American goods. So we would
enter into international agreement in
order to provide an enlarged use of silver
as money in countries that now use very
little of it. International bimetalism
would be far more beneficial to silver pro-
ducers and to the world at large than
would be the adoption by this country
alone OF silver monometallism. The Re-
publican party is therefore the truest as
well as the safest friend of silver, and no
genuine and intelligent bimetallist can in
trust the great cause to any other party.
The clamors of the demagogues of De-
moeracy and the agitators of Populism
may confuse some of the people on this
subject for time, but it will not be for
long. The campaign of education has
hardly begun yet. but 1t is moving forward
rapidly, and in a comparatively short
time the whole scope of the issue will be
well understood by ths people. Then
they will see why THE CALL, as a stanch
advocate OF silver and an exponent of stall
wart Americanlsm, must of necessity act
in the future, as in the past, with the Re-
publican party, and follow with loyalty
the standard of National honor and Ma
tional prosperity so worthily upheld by
the soldier candidate and patriot states
man, William Mckinley.