Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-09-11

,r generally fair; variable winds
r SPEAKING LAST NIGHT.-The
80 House contained a fair audience
- MONT Notwithstanding the heat, to
n-.sn 10 Mr.. John NJ. Johnson's speech.
M rbird Regiment Drum Corps dis
li,nr-ed some lively Sirs in front of the
Son previous TO the meeting.
~, S5or,ly after eight o'clock Mr.. M. B..
uar,ow President of the Bryan, Sewall
and and Rixey Club, advanced to the foot
nm ag and before introducing the
-. ..=ss Ler announced that the hesdquar-
.lrso he club in Sarepta Hall were
NV omen and extended cordial invi-
-ot,na 10 nil present to call and make
,SsrqsrIyes at home. He then an
cnnne-3 NJ. Johnson as the speaker of
evening. and that gentleman arose
smid much applause. The speaker be.
1Sn ,y saving he was bi-metalist and
5sityel in the double-standard theory.
II. .sili the future of the country de-
r.r,iei npon tine restoration of silver
m. original standard, and until this
wa done we could not reasonably look
i,rnr5speritv or contentment. 1t was
a rr4st issue, one which had divided
the country, parties and families, and
~ referred TO Lincoln when he said
van might fool the people for time
I'm. Won could not hoodwink them
for..yer. The question had to be set
,Iaj and he WIS confident the PEG
ii. would settle it eventually.
/, mjsht not be done this
year MOI four years hence, but it was
coming and in the end would be settled
by the votes of the people. Mr.. john
son then went into an exhaustive ex-
n'sus.ion of his reasons for being BIZ
meta list. and he was emphatic in his as
.ar,ion that if he believed in the single
oo'l standard he would be true to mis-
party and vote for Bryan, Sewall and
R.xcy Tremendous applause. No
matter OF conscience was stitied IN be-
ing bimetalist; it was not an uncon-
s,jtutional act, and he sacrificed no per-
sonsl notions in voting the straight
democratic ticket. The question of
money he said, was as old as the world
Itself and he went into the history of
i. throughout the past ages. AT first
the precious metals passed by weight
until finally for convenience they had
the lamps of nations placed on them.
The stamp amounted to nothing, as
every one knew, and money OF the
United states when taken to England
or any other European country was
only worth It's weight regardless of its
national stamp. Thus it is seen that
there must be intrinsic value in coin
money. which was different in the case
of paper. as that was merely represent
alive money. Gold, he admitted,
was more handy for use in large trans
actions. butin ordinary trade, the small
business in life, silver was to be prefer
red. The relative values of these two
circulating mediums had always been
maintained and could be now. He then
traced the history of silver coinage IN
thi, country down to the present day,
and said the supply of silver had moth
Ing to DO with its fluctuations IN value.
One.haif OF the silver produced, he con.
tended. was used in the arts, and be re-
ierred to the Encyclopedia Britannica,
the American Encyclopedia and other
works of reference 10 substantlate his
assertion. England at one time had
demoneti2ed silver; so had Portugal, the
Latin Empire and Germany, but to-day
the latter country stood ready to Join
hands with the United States in restor-
ing it. Silver, he said, had not depre-
cated in value by its decentralization by
these countries. In 1873 this country
had demonetized it, and at that time it
was well.known fact that gold had
deprecated in value while silver had
advanced. This was the reason given
for the act OF Congress. 1t was claimed
that on account of its value people were
melting the money and boarding silver
bullion. This decentralization, he
asserted, was the work of monty
changers, the descendants of the same
class which We're driven from the tenn
pie in Jerusalem before the whip cord
and piercing eye of the holy one OF
Israel eighteen hundred years ago, and
were accused of making the house OF
God a den Of thieves. They reappear-
ed in 1873 under the Goddess OF Liber'
~ IN the capital of the United States
aud caused the denomination of silver
because gold was more valuable as q
commodity They are responsible for
The present order of things. Had ii
not been for them the money market
would never have been cornered. Had
silver been let alone there was no tell
ne the good which would have result
ed But the deed had been committed
by a republican Congress and repub
hcau President for the aggrandizemen
OF a class and behold the train of evil:
which have followed Why, he asked
was it necessary in 1878, when no COLI
was to he seen and when an irredeem
able paper currency was in circulation
TO demonetze silver? Because TIT
money lenders knew the special pay
ment was coming, was there at tn
doors, and they wanted gold, and the.
are responsible for the injustice done t.
silver. Mr.. Johnson said he coult
readily understand why England want
ed gold. 1t was nation which Loaned
money; 500, 100000 were sent Their
from this country every year to pa,
interest. OF course the Englishma'
preferred gold. In the course OF MI
johnson's remarks he referred to tn
TACT that the national banks were nc
allowed to loan money on real eS
tate, and to the results of moo
ern machinery; how under tn
present order of things one ma
could do the work of four or five
and showed how the ranks of the III