The San Francisco call., 1896-07-20
BIMETALLIsM AND SCIENCE.

The New York Journal, which is the
Eastern edition of the San Francisco Err
dminer, announces in a double-column
editorial that it will support Bryan, but
the burden of the article is an apology for
the platform upon which its man is sup
posed to be making the race for President,
and to whose declaration of principles his
honor is pledged. Why the Journal should
apologize for the platform when Mr.. Bryan
says every word and every sentiment OF 1t
is an inspiration, is political mystery,
unless it is the purpose of the Journals
manager to handicap its candidate by
showing the enormity of the crime against
the country that would be committed by
the practical application of the principles
he advocates. There appears to be many
of the characteristics of the snake when
charming bird in the Journals declara-
ton that it will support the Chicago nom-
inee
Referring to the silver plank in the Chi
cago platform, which Bryan wrote himself
for the Nebraska-Demo-Popu Conven-
ton Of 1884. the Journal says: ait does not
deserve the fanatic vituperation leveled
against it. If its authors were mistaken
in their methods their aim was to intro
duce bimetsllism. The Journal should
read the platform it alludes to. Now it
so happens that the word "bimetallism"
is not used at ali in the money plank of
the Chicago declaration. In plain Eng
lish the platform declares for free-silyer
coinage without waiting for the aid or
consent of any other nation" Moreover,
it Is intiu ated at least that the silver dol
lar should be made the monetary unit of
value and the gold dollar adjusted to it.
The Journals plea that the trainers of the
platform were honestly mistaken: that
they did not mean to say what the plat
form says, bnt that they were providing
for bimetallism gives emphasis to the
charge Of incompetency which has been
made against the inventors of the docu-
ment. Nevertheless, without waiting for
the aid or consent of any other nation" is
and has been Mr.. Bryan's chief hobby for
several years.
The Journal continues its defense of the
stupidity of the inventor of the coinage
plank by observing that "bimetallism is a
scientific theory, with too much expert
authority on it's side to brand Its advo-
Gates as lunatics and incendiaries." That
is it exactly, although such high COM
" SAS LSCRuOAtGaH
money plank was not intended. The Re-
publican party has insisted all along that
'bimetallism" is scientific" question,
and it proposes to settle il upon scientific
lines. But the Journals candidate, Mr..
Bryan, says it is not scientific question
in any sense. 1t is simply question of
issuing proclamation declaring that 1.-The
mints are now open for the free and un-
limited coinage of silver at the ratio of l6
to l." No other country is to be con-
suited. The first notice the people of
other countries with whom we do an an
nual commercial business aggregating
nearly $4,000, 900, 000 are to have that we
have changed our monetary system must
reach them through the news columns of
newspapers. That is Mr.. Bryan's plan;
but will the Journal indorse it as 'iscien-
tlfic" way which has the sanction of sex
pert authority"2
The fact is, the Journal, like q good
many other of Bryan's supporters, wants
Bryan elected if his hands can be tied by
an anti-Bryan Congress. This the Journal
has already admitted. Nothing could be
more annoying to the business sense of
the Journal than Bryan's unscientitic way
of settling scientific question by procla-
nation. Like Joshua of old, Bryan would
command the sun to stand still if he
wanted few more hours of daylight, but
the Journal knows that there are certain
scientific reasons why the sun would re-
fuse to obey, just as it knows that there
are scientific reasons why the commercial
world would only smile at Bryan's COM
mand to open the mints to the free and
unlimited coinage of silver without con-
sulting commerce; and it is because the
Journal knows the smile of the commerce
of the world under such circumstances
would mean declaration of war upon
Americas commerce by every other ma
ton that it is so solicitous about having
Bryan's hands safely tied by Congress
that would stand for the kind of blmetal-
llsm the Republican party is pledged to
secure.