The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-08-21


coming across the line, can put his dollar
In the American slot and take out without
cost a dollar of the United States, whose
value Will be worth the same as his is, what
Is the argument? Either that by free coin
age on the part of the United States we
double the value OF every Mexican dollar
or else we strike by one-half the value OF
every American dollar. because they must
come to a common level. Either we double
the value of all the money of China or
Japan and South America, where the silver
standard is. or else we drop our standard
Of measure down to the level of theirs
Two years ago In the city OF Lincoln,
Neb., In joint debate with William j. Bryan,
i gave him this object lesson: held that
dollar up (Mexican.l There is an eagle on
1t and 1t is silver, but II is not tho bird of
freedom; that had the Mexican eagle upon
1t. That silver dollar contained five and
one-half more grains of silver than this
silver dollar of the United States-the same
silver, measured by the same standard of
fneness. Put them In the scales and this
silver dollar weighs this one down by five
and one-half grains. On that October
morning. and In that debate two years ago,
brought those two silver dollars (Mexican)
from the First national bank. of Lincoln.
with one of these american dollars). To-
day the Mexican brings that dollar over the
line, and If he leaves 1t with you he can
take back to his own home just 80 cents
worth of American labor, whether from the
shop or from the farm.
''They ask not only that our minis he
opened to a recoinage of that Mexican dol
lar, but they ashland here is the terrible
evil that these people ought to flee from al
from plague-they ask that the laws of
this country be made to compel the Ameri-
can to accept that dollar run through our
mints as an exchange price for 100 cents
worth of product of American toll.
To-day that Mexican brings his silver
dollar in, he takes It to our mint and he
takes out 80 cents worth of our wheat or of
our manufactured goods. Tomorrow under
free coinage he brings It to the mint. He
cents worth of the product of your toll He
1t In his pocket to make another dollar with
and without expense. Under that law this
government hands him back his silver dol
lar, with law attached which authorizes
him to demand from you in exchange 100
cents worth of the product of your toll. He
brings 30 cents worth of silver into the
country, he takes out a dollar of American
labor in exchange. My countrymen, there
Is no financial legerdemain about this. That
man takes out twice as much as he brought
into the country. and somebody pays him
for doing 1t.
Mine Owners Seeking Benefit.
''Who asks this silver coinage? Who Is II
that Is to be benefited thereby The great
silver bonanza kings of the United States
s62, 900 of American silver. The great
silver producers of the rest of the world
produced in the same year 5000, 900 900, COIN
age value of silver bullion. That is n COM
modify to-day In the civilized world. Their
proposition to you Is that you shall take all
that silver at the mint-not at the price that
they can obtain in the open market--6S
cents per ounce-but that you shall take It
you, the people, we, the people-and turn
them back $129 for every ounce they can
produce, for every ounce that Is In the
mines now opened, for every ounce that
fills the heart Of the great mountains of this
OF Mexico, of British Columbia,
and of South America.
my countrymen, who has made this
silver campaign? For three years and
half this land has been flooded with literat-
ure. For three years and half orators
have been going up and down the country
asking the people to take free silver on the
promise that their products would greatly
increase. Who has made this campaign
And who Is behind It? If our minis are
opened to the free coinage of silver and
silver appreciates to its old standard, as
they insist II will, It means on the present
production an absolute gift by the Ameri-
can people Of sS1 100000 year to the silver
producers of the United States alone. 1t
means an absolute gift by the American
people on the basis of the present produce |
ton Of 500. 900 to the silver producers of
tho world.
''Why the silver producers of the United |
States? know a mine In Idaho that Will |
take as a fair sample. In 1888 It was sold |
to a great foreign syndicate for three mill |
ions and q half of money. In three years |
they took out Of that one mine six millions |
and half Of silver. They took It out as |
the property Of foreign subjects, and al |
most every great silver mine Of this coun- |
try to-day Is stock concern. and ma
jority of all its stock has been fioated on |
the other side of the water. lApplause.1
Who Has Carried on the Silver Campaign
"who has carried on this great silver
In these years, when tho con-
1tion of the people has been such as to
make them easy subjects for this presenta-
ion, who has made this plausible and won
lerful promise of something for nothing?
Who has been carrying 1t on? have not
ZONE here to-day to say one unjust word
against any living man, but the people of
his country have a right to know as to
whether or not the great advocates of free
silver are carrying on this campaign out of
owe for the people or as the hired employees
II that great silver bonanza institution
which Is asking the American people to
louble the value of It's silver output. Why
his opening of our minis to the free coin
lge of the metal? On the 18th day Of July,
500, democratic paper, the Chicago
Chronicle, the one great democratic sheet
" tho northwest, published this In DOUBLE
eaded type on its editorial page:
The proprietors Of the big bonanzas
lave found 1t profitable to keep a large
lumber of orators, lecturers and other
pokesmen on the road preaching to the
'eople. Among the many who have thus
'een employed and carried on the pay rolls
4 the big bonanza for number of years
> William J. Bryan. Of Nebraska--[hisses
nd applause]-a paid agent and spokes-
nan for the free silver combine @
THAT charge was thus publicly, spe-
cally, directly made on the 18th day Of
uly by one of the greatest democratic
ewspapers In the United States. In the
ity of Omaha, where William j. Bryan
oes editorial work on the Omaha World
Ierald, the other great paper there, the
)moha Bee, has made that specific charge
time and time again. 1t has never
cen met.
II do not stand here to say an unlkind
hing of Mr.. Bryan 1 do not stand here to
ay that that would be any reason why the
eople of this country should not vote for
i'm. You must decide that for yourselves
tut what do say as an American citizen,
aving at heart the welfare Of this people
do say that that man, posing as the advo-
ate of the downtrodden masses of his
holding a crown of thorns In
ne hand and the bugaboo of gold cross
I the other-I say that man owes II as O
a. a. n n. r.. 1