The herald., 1896-09-11
THE HOUR TO UNMASK

the mask pall has It's hour when the
mask must be laid aside. So it is also
in the masquerade of politics.; the hour
comes when the office.seekers must
unmask. The hour has come in the
United States when the masks Of
money-changers have become useless
to politicians. No one is any longer de-
ceived. The line is drawn. On one side
is bimetallism in definite, legal and
practicable proposition, and on the
other gold, growing in value by arti-
fetal means, reaping where it has not
sown, taking profits where it has rem
dered no service. The thin disguise Of
the Republican national platform Of it's
gold plank did not mislead. No one be-
lieved that 1t meant anything but gold.
Everyone saw it's ent-of-foreign-
nations -bimetallism was transparent
lie. BY common consent, the mask has
been dropped, and at last the people
see the masquerading gold standard
uncovered, contending on it's own ground
against the written contracts of the
American coinage laws. The contest :s
between bimetallism and the single gold
standard; between the public debts as
nominated in the bond for coin of either
metal and the public debt as doubled by
a legislative attempt to nullify the con-
tract protection of option to the debtor.
The conservative bimetallist no longer
exists. 1t is free coinage or nothing. 1t
is the peoples currency of the constitu~
ton or a bond-holders' currency of
shrinking values and doubling debts.
The hosts are aligned for battle. There
11n
man in the middle now will be shot
down and trampled over by both sides.
The conscientious bimetallist has to-
day but one choice-bimetallism as
proposed by three national parties or the
gold standard of the Republicans, sec
onded by the boiling millionaires of the
Democracy. 1t is the situation OF the
man recently returned from trip in
the mountains to camp. Without any
thing to eat for twenty-four hours, he is
offered dinner. There is nothing but
veal. He does not like veal. But when
it Is veal and dinner or no veal and
starvation, he takes the veal, and
doubtless finds it very good eating af-
ter his long fast So the ex-conserva-
tive bimetallist is offered 16 to 1 aad
Qltlu6E VI uOtuluS uio SOiAtAhoSo osAi
walton. The logical, and, in fact. the
only course for the American bimetal-
list today is the support of Bryan and
the old constitutional free coinage of
both gold and silver
Those who were for free coinage and
bimetallism, and who have changed
their coats and now dress in solid vel
low, have a plain explanation of their
course. 1t is the flesh pots Of Egyp-
that they yearn for. When mans liver
is disordered he turns yellow. The pre-
valence Of yellow in the giant trusts
of this country suggests the propriety
of Uncle Sans prescription of little
silver tea. 1t will do us all good.
Now that the mask is off who can
doubt the decision of the people. 1t will
be for stable constitutional money
measure, giving the nation and the peo-
pie the optional use of either precious
metal. This has always been their right
by law, as it always must be in justice
Bimetallism protects the people against
the excessive valuation of either metal
Policy to promote the prosperity Of
the people. honesty to stop the unjust
growth of debt by unjust law and the
common welfare Of the world demand
a prompt return to the bimetallism of
the constitution.