The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-02-19
EIAR'TMAN'S TALK
For Free Coinage in the House
Of Representatives.
Shows ConolusiveIy That the Gold
Advocates Have No Argument
On Which TO Stand.

The lIous,. Ia wing under consideration the
bill Ni. H. 2G0l) TO ma ntalll and protect the
coin redemption fund, and TO authorize the
issue Of certificates OF Indebtedness to meet
temporary dcticicnccS Of the revenue
Mr.. Hartman said: e..-...
Mr.. Speaker: The issue presented
by this bill is a plain one between
tile policy Of gold monomctallism as
against bimctallism. No ingenuity
Of words or plausibility Of statement
can disguise the plain situation pre-
scntcd at this time. No gentleman
here will deny that we are now on a
gold monomctalic basis. TO be re-
lcvcd Of that basis, and Of the con
ditions produced BY it, the senate
framed and passed the bill now under
consideration. In the able argument
Of the distinguished gentleman from
Maine (Mr. Dingley) against this
bill, every argument possible to be
presented in .thc time occupied by
him adverse to the bill was placed
before the house. THE fact that that
gentlemen devoted his entire time to
criticsing the remedy proposed in
the senate bill and did not at any
time give expression to any view fav-
orablc to the maintenance Of the
gold standard, but, on the contrary,
especially avowcd his fidelity to BIZ
mctallism, without pointing out any
practical manner Of achieving it, has
left the house without the benefit Of
his valuable opinion upon that ques-
tion, and has been to that extent a
disappointment to many Of us.
I'hc gentleman from Maine is prob
ably the best equipped man upon the
floor Of this house for the perform
ancc OF his duty as a representative
Of the people, land it is with great diff
tdcncc that | undertake to make any
reply to the mastery presentation Of
the anti-frcc coinage argument made
bv him to the committee in the open
ING OF this debate. That dit1idcnce
is not in the least expelled by the
thought that whatever may be said
by me must be compressed within
the small space allotted tp me for the
discussion Of this great question. In
his argument the gentleman from
Maine charges that France and the
Latin Union having entered into
the agreement to maintain a bimet-
allie standard, we're compelled to
abandon that standard and were ur-
able to maintain it. Upon what
authority was such 4 statement made:
The history 0f the transactions OF
those governments with respect tt
the maintenance Of bimctallic coin
age nowhere disclOscS the inability Ol
those Governments to maintain the
coinage Of gold and silver.
On the cOntarV, the reason assign
ed bv France for her course in closing
her mints to the coinage Of silver
was that she did not propose to aic
her ancient foe, Germany, by absorb
ING her silver. have been unable K
find any authority to justify tho
1 Il, ~.
compelled, by reason Of their inaDil
tv to maintain the standard, tt
abandon it. The gentleman say!
that France and the United State:
are maintaining, tentatively: :prccisclA
the same coinage policy, not gol(
monumcta}s1n, but limited bimcta}
ism. With every respect for t}la
gentleman and for his profoun'
knowledge Of public questions,
most respectfully deny the truth o
that statement.
The United States and France boil
have gold and silver money, but il
France gold and silver are STANDARD
money, while in the United States
under the istratiUn Of a lax
declaratOrv of Il bimclIllic, stand
ard, gold is standard money and sil
Yer is token money. Gentlemen tel
us that they are trying to do justic
to both mctals-to do Justice bctwcc
them. AS well might IL father ull
dcrtakc "to do ,sticc' between tw
sons in this way: lie might say t
to William, 81 will give YOU $50, ,00L
and you shall have Il store on thi
side Of the street" and then he Nigh
say to John: 81 will give YOU SOC
900 and Il store on this side Of til
street. SO far the action Of thl
father would seem to do equal an
exact Justice between his two sons
but if, after having made this cQu;
division, he should march up an
down the street and say to the pcnpl
who camn to buy: .'Do not 60 nca
Johns store: he sells bad goods: h
will cheat y III; he will not Give vc
your moneys worth. II YOU want ,
buy anything 50 to Williams store:
if that father, protesting to do equ;
and exact Justice between his son