The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-09-09
MIR BRYAN ON GOOD THINGS,

MIR, BRYAN on GOOD THINGS,
Mr.. Bryan is constantly asserting in
his speeches that no party In this couu-
try is IN favor or ever has been in ia
vor VI the gold standard aud that no
platform has declared 1t 10 I've sood
thing This phrase, "a good thng." 4"
the resource ~ an extremely limited
vocabulary, is frequently on Mr., Bry-
ans lips. Presumably with him every
political proposition must be reduced to
the terms "A good thing" or "A had
thing" Thus ne declares THE Rcpuh-
lcan platform does not say that a gold
standard is a good thing,' and because
it does not employ that particular
phaseology MIR, Bryan assumes that
the Republican party admits that the
gold standard is bad thing, Of which
il wants To get rid by means VI inter
national bimetalliSm. He then gnes on
with much defamation to talk arout
"bowing To the yoke ~ foreign power.
and achieving our Independence With
out the help of foreign nations" with
other meaningless phrases that merely
tickle the ears OF the crowd or make
the barren laugh,
The Republican platform is not So
easily demolished. as he win ind. nor
does it Justify his differences, The fol-
lowing is the money plank.
We are unalteNbly opposed to every
measure calculated TO debase our cur
rency or impair the credit OF our coun-
try. We are therefore opposed to the
free coinage Of silver except by inter-
national agreement with the leading
commercial nations Of the world, which
we pledge ourselves to promote. and
until such agreement can be obtained
the existing gold standard must be pre-
served"
Here are three propositions: l, op-
position TO the free coinage Of silver by
this nation alone; ., faVoring bimetal-
lism il that can be brought about by
an agreement with the leading COM
mercial nations; 5, preserving the ex-
listing gold standard until such agree
ment can be obtained.
Here is no talk of good thing" nor
Of asking consent" nor any other
expressions. Questions Of
political eNpediency cannot be reduced
to the bald terms Of good or bad. A
measure Of government may be neither
good nor bad, but may be the best
lttainable in the circumstances Of the
time and condition OF the country.
Statesmen do not relax their efforts to
gain what is possible because they can
not obtain their ideals. The trainers
IF the constitution would never have
formed our government and created a |
nation had they set out to frame the |
best possible government. Compromise |
md concession is at the basis Of all |
great laws in a popular government,
md must necessarily be.
Mr.. Bryan's argument is but idle
wind, for it is based upon assumptions
hat have no foundation. We support
he existing gold standard because We
believe it to be the best attainable |
standard at the present time. II at a
uture time a better standard can be
obtained we will gladly accept it.
Mr.. Bryan processes to believe in |
and asserts It to be "a
good thing" but the policy he advo- |
,ates does not lead to bimetallism, but |
10 silver monometallism. All history |
proves it, our own as we'll as that Of !
other nations. If the experience Of all
other nations does not teach this it
nothing. II bimetal!!sm is a
good thing" the only way it can be
is by international agree
ment, and this is what the Republican
platform asserts.
And yet Mr.. Bryan, shutting his eyes
to all human experience, closing his
ears to the utterances Of every econ
1mist whose opinion is best worth hay
ing, even such writer's as General
Walker. who believe in bimetallism, |
goes on decIaiming about our inde-
Dendence, and would madly plunge the
country to the monetary level Of Mex
CO. bringing untold disaster to the |
people Such is his idea Of "a good |
hing"
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