The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-02
WON'T BUDCE.
Congressman Curtis Arrives
From Washington Today.
Says He Hasn't Changed His
Views a Particle
ON MONEY MATTERS
In Spite of the Gold DecIara-
tiOn at st. Louis.
A True Friend of the People
and a Strong One.

Congressman Charles Curtis and
family returned to Topeka today from
Washington. Mr.. Curtis said he made
every effort to be home in time for the
Republican league meeting yesterday,
but was unable to do so on account of
work in Washington. He said that he
found the crop prospects in as much
of Kansas as he had seen better than
any place along the road.
When asked by the Journal reporter
what he thought of the St. Louis plat
form Mr.. Curtis said he was not going
to go back a single jot on his previous
record.
He said:
4 was surprised when I learned that
the st. Louis convention had promised
to maintain the present standard un-
til there is an international agree
ment and [ believe it would have been
better to have declared for limited coin
age at least until such time.
I have not changed my views on
the money question.
"On the 9Th day of March, 1896, the
Republicans of the Fourth Kansas
district hOnOred me with a third nonli-
nation, at which time the convention
declared in favor of bimetallism- On
the date above named 1 informed the
convention by wire that I accepted the
nomination and extended my thanks
to them for the confidence they re-
I explained my position to the peo-
pie of the Fourth district in 1S90-92-
"a ana 20, ana nave haQ no reason 10
change They know where 1 stand and
I look to the Republicans of this dis
trict for my instructions.
Personally, I believe in honest BIZ
metallism In other words I am for a.
bimetalIism that will guarantee the
permanent use of both gold and silver
and am against monometallfsm of
either metal. because I believe mono
metallism will decrease our circula-
ton This is evidenced by the fact
that our circulation has decreased
November, 1893. am also against ir-
redeemable paper money and believe
that every dollar issued should be as
good as every other dollar
1.-The Republican party has always
contended for an interchangeable cur
rency based upon coin. Under its pol
icy every dollar has been maintained
and redeemed according to the prom
ise, and l believe the Republicans of
Kansas stand today for the use of
gold. silver and paper Interchangeable
THE Republican party may well be
proud of it's financial policy from 1873
to 1898; it gave us as safe and as sound
a currency as any people were ever
blessed with; every dollar was good
in every part of the United States and
its stability was not confined to the
limits of this country but in every part
of the civilized world 1t commanded
unbounded credit and confidence.
During that period the paper cur
rency was based upon gold and silver
The gold was back of the greenbacks,
tificates and treasury notes, in short
we had in round numbers eight hun
dred million dollars of paper money and
575 million of interest bearing bonds
resting on six hundred million dollars
of gold and silver. Now we have eight
hundred million dollars of paper rest
ing, directly or indirectly, on one hun
dred and two million dollars of gold
and to this eight hundred million there
should be added eight hundred and
thirty-seven million of our interest
bearing bonds
rs there any wonder that our cur
rency system is top-heavy," asked Mr..
Curtis.
Another thing" he continued. ''un-
der the Republican policy We had no
trouble with the gold reserve from
January, 1879 to March, 1893, and Mr..
Foster said that in carrying out the
provision of the act of July. 1890 this
department had found it advisable to
interpOse no obstacle to the redemption
of the treasury notes of that act in
gold coin when desired by the holders"
Yet he says, the amount so redeemed
up to July 81. 1892, was eight million,
four hundred and forty-seVen thousand
seven hundred dollars.
During Mr.. CleVe1and's first admin
istratiOn, from 1885 to 1899 he tried to
stop the purchase and coinage of sill
yer and forced the country to gold mon
Ometallism and a free trade policy He
began his fight as soon as ne was elect
ed in 1892 and before he was inaugu-
rated. and the gold reserve, which
amounted to $121, 900, 600 January I, 1898.
dropped to less than S9O,000,OO0 in Octo-
ber 1898, by reason of his gold mono
metallism and free trade policy.
He has succeeded in forcing his fin
anciaI and free trade policies on the
country, and what has been the re-
suit? There has been $293, 600 600 of
gold added to what he found on the
4th of March, 1898, to say nothing of
the $64 900. 900 in gold received in the
ordinary course of business, $262, 900. 900
of interest bearing bonds have been
issued, and today the gold reserve is
less than it was March 4, 1898.
I am surprised that our people per
nit themselves to be frightened by Mr..
Cleveland's false alarms. The truth
is, he has never uttered a prophecy
which events have not falsifed. In
1885 he told the people that the hoard
ing of gold which has already taken
place indicates that we shall not escape
the usual experiences in such cases. so
if this silver coinage be continued we
its equivalent will abandon the field of
circulation to silver alone
eThe coinage of silver was continued
but gold did not abandon the field of
circulation for we had over sI90, 600 600
in the gold reserve June 30 1890: SIPS
100000 November 80, 1892, and 1921. 00O,-
600 January I, 1898; in fact, up to the
election in 1892 the government had
more gold than it needed.
For fear that some of my friends
have forgotten the position our party
took at that time I desire to call their
attention to what the Republican con-
VentiOn said at Chicago June q. 1883:
The Republican party is in favor
of the use of both gold and silver as
money and condemns the policy of
the Democratic administration in its
efforts to deTnonetize silver
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