The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-08-22
Hon. Arthur 2. S-rQM.

platform. The last income tax law sought
to apportiOn the burdens of government
more equally among those who enjoy the
protection OF the government. At present the
expenses of the federal government. collected
through internal revenue taxes and import
duties, are especially burdensome upon the
poorer classes OF society. A law which col
lects from some citizens more than their share
of the taxes and collects from other citizens
less than their share, Is simply an indirect
means OF transferring one mans property to
another mans pocket, and while the process
may be quite satisfactory to the men who
escape just taxation, it can never be
satisfactory to those who are overburdened
Not only shall l~refuSe to apologize for the adj
vocacy of an income tax law by the national
convention, but l shall also refuse to apologize
for the exercise by it OF the right OF dissent
from a decision of the supreme court. In a
government like ours every public official is q
public servant, and the people have a right to
c~riticiSe his official acts. No public official
who conscientiously discharges his duty will
desire 10 deny to those ne serves the right to
discuss his official conduct.
1t is scarcely necessary to defend the prin-
cipIe of bimctaIlism. No national party DUR
ing the entire history OF the United States has
ever declared against it, and no party il this
campaign has had the temerity 10 oppose it.
Three p~artieS-thc democratic, pOpuliSJ and
silver parties-have not only declared for hi
metalllsm, but have outlined the specific leg
islariOn necessary TO restore silver to its an
cient position by the side OF gold. The repub-
lican platform expressly declares that bimct-
alliSm is desirable when IL pledges the rcpub-
lican party to aid in securing 1t as soon as the
assistance OF certain foreign nations can be OBJ
tanned. Those who represented the minority
sentiment in the Chicago convention opposed
the free coinage OF silver By the United States
by independent action, on the ground that in
their Judgment it would retard or entirely
prevent the establishment Of international
bimetallism, to which the efforts OF the govern
ment should be steadily directed. When they
asserted that efforts should be steadily di-
rected toward the establishment OF internal
tional bimetalliSm. they condemned mono
metallism. The gold standard has been
weighed in the balance and found wanting.
Take from 1t the powerful support OF thsmoRey
owning and:tbe money changing classes and it
can not stand for one day in any nation in the
world. 1t was fastened upon the United
States without discussion before the people,
and Its friends have never yet been willing to
risk q verdict before the voters upon that is
sue.
There can be no sympathy or co-opera-
ton between the advocates of a universal
gold standard and the advocates Of bimetal-
lism. Between Observation-Disclosures indie
pendent or international-and the gold stand
ard there is an impossible gulf. Is this quad
renpial agitation in favor OF international BIZ
metailism conducted in good faith, or do our
opponents really desire to maintain the gold
standard permanently? Are they willing to
confess the superiority OF a double stand
ard when Joined in by the leading ma
lions Of the world, or do they still in
sist that gold is the only metal suit
able for standard money among civilized ma
ITEMS! II they are, in fact, DESTROYS OF secur-
ing eimetallism, we may expect them to point
cut the ertis OF q gold standard and defend BIZ
metalNsm as a system. II, on the other hand,
they are bending their energies toward the
permanent establishment Of q gold standard
under cover Of a declaration in favor of inter-
national bimetallism,I 1 am justified In sug-
gestiDg that honest money cannot be expected
at the hands Of those who deal dishonesty
with the American people.
TAe test of honesty in money must be plainly
in the purchasing power Of the dollar.
An absolutely honest dollar would not vary IN
IT'S general purchasing power; it would be abb
solutely stable when measured by average |
prices. A dollar which increases in purchase
ing power is Just as dishonest as ! dollar which
decreases in purchasing power.
1t cannot be successfully claimed that mono
or bimetallism, or any other sys-
TEN, gives an absolutely just standard OF
value. Under both recommendation and BIZ
metallism the government fixes the weight
and tnenesS Of the dollar, invests It with the
legal tender qualities and then opens the
Qints TO its unrestricted coinage, IeaT- |