The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-09-30
Some Organisms.

From " Y Tribune.
For William j. Bryan to make
speech or write letter without display
ing his ignorance seems beyond his pow
er. Every time he gets within hailing
distance of public question he says
something TO justify Carl Schurz's
wonder that man so young should have
found time to develop so mature an in
capacity for understanding the subject he
tries to expound. His formal letter of
acceptance fairly bristles with misinfor-
nation. For instance, in discussing the
recent bond issues, he declares that the
policy of giving to the holders of Govern
ment obligations the option whether
they shall he paid in gold or silver
..leaves the Government at the mercy of
those who find pecuniary profit in
bond issues" Perhaps Mr.. Bryan can
explain, but we doubt it, how with an
empty Treasury any Administration
could meet the demands made ON 1t by
paying out silver instead OF gold. Sup
pose the men who presented greenbacks
for redemption had asked for silver in
stead of gold. How would the Govern
ment have been better of? IL had less
silver than gold. How could it have
paid out silver, except by borrowing it.
just as it borrowed gold? There is in the
Treasury to-day, available for use, over
slO3, 900, 900 of gold. and less than s22,OOo,-
O0O.of silver. There are outstanding over
S275, 900, 600 greenbacks. Will S2OO,OO
in silver go further in payment of tn ose
obligations than sl03,000,OO0 in gold
Does Mr.. Bryan think that free coinage
of silver would meet deficits? Free
coinage of anything means the stamping
of somebody else's metal into coins at
the expense of the Government. Build
ing more mints, as Mr.. Bryan suggests,
would increase the deficit instead of
lessening it. because it would involve
more expense. Possibly he thinks that
Jones and Stewart aud the other silver
miners would give silver TO the Govern
ment to pay its debts with.
Mr.. Bryan also says that Ito assert
that the Government is dependent on
of the people other than constitutional
majority is to assert that we have
government in form. but without vital
force" Very well. There are over
100000 people in this country. We
have an army of about $4,000 men.
Because the Government is dependent
on the assistance of that army to repel
an invasion of foreign foes, is it any
proof that the Government is without
vital force? Because the city of Lincoln,
Neb., in time of profo und peace, was
dependent on the assistance of certain
capitalists when it wanted to raise money
to pave its streets and put in sewers, was
it any proof that the city's government
was one of form only? But when the
National Government, finding itself
without funds, goes to the men who
have money TO borrow what it needs,
that, to Mr.. Bryan's mind, becomes
proof that republican institutions are be-
ing misused. What nonsense!
Mr.. Bryan further maintains that,
'while the United States guarantees to
every State republican form of govern
ment, and il empowered TO protect each
State against invasion, il is not authoriz-
ed 10 interfere in the Domestic affair of
any State, or upon the application of the
Legislature of the State, or upon the ap-
plication of the Executive when the
Legislature can not be convened" II
this means anything at all, taken in con-
nection with the Chicago platform, on
which he was commenting, it means that
the transportation of the United States
mails and the blocking of interstate COM
merce are the domestic affairs of State
and not of concern to the Federal Gov
eminent. When we have man in the
Presidential chair who so interprets the
Constitution of the United States, repub-
lican institutions will indeed be in
danger.