The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-04

number of dollars, how can you raise
the purchasing power of a dollar? By
legislating some of the dollars out OF
existence. Let your demand for money
increase more rapidly than the supply
of money, and dollars will rise in their
purchasing power. Dollars are the ere
atures of law. No dollar can go into
circulation except through the channels
of legislation. 1 know there are some
people that say the government has
not any thing to do with money, that
money exists independent of the legis-
lation, but I repeat the assertion, there
is not a dollar in existence in this coun-
try today but the dollar which finds
its authority in the BE it enacted of
the government. (Applause.) Now my
friends, I assert that when the gov
eminent prohibits the making of a dol
lar by an individual, then the govern
ment assumes the solemn duty of Gre
ating enough dollars for the people to
do business with. (Applause.) Will
you tell me that the government ought
to keep the individual from creating
dollars for his own use, and then refuse
to create the dollars which he needs
My friends, that doctrine has not any
support outside of Wall street Cap
plause.) No man dareS to defend that
doctrine before a community like this,
and yet the very people who revoked
the law of 1873 are the part of the peO-
pie who now wish to replenish the
currency of the nation. (Cheers)
I know that whenever we express
an opinion on the money question that
we subject ourselves to the contempt
of the New York financierS. (CheerS.)
But, my friends, when have read their
ideas on the money question, am con-
strained to believe that there is only
one passage of the scripture with which
they are familiar, and that is that pas
sage which says that a great many
years ago certain wise men came from
the east Great laughter and APP
plauseO They think that they have
been coming from that direction ever
since" daughter and applause)
Continuing his argument, Mr. Bryan
endeavOred to convince his audience
that interets of common people depend
ed upon legislation which would in
crease the volume of money and pro-
vide dollars, mot too high priced" and
this legislation he said the Democratic
Dartv stood pledged to enact. Then af-
ter a review of the promises contained
in the Democratic platform, he con-
Guided as follows:
THE very parts of that platform
which have been most hurtful to the
men who have used the Democratic
party for private gain and their cOun-
try for public plumber, are the nearest
to the hearts of the American people.
We expected some of them to go; we
knew some of our generals would go,
but we knew that battles are won by
the fighting of private soldiers more
than by the fighting OF generals. We
were willing to draw up our army on
one side and let our opponents draw
I'D theirs on the other, and then we
were willing to give them all our gen
erals if they give US all their soldiers.
Great applause.) We are not losing
any body from our party except the
great big Democrats Qaughter) and
don't you know when a great big Dem
Ocrat breaks into the Republican party
he makes a hole so big that a great
many little Republicans can run out.
daughter and applause.) They say
Democrats can't read or write, but we
are good at figures, and if we get Is
Republicans in exchange for every one
Democrat we will win Laughter.)
THE only trouble is in little while
we will have all their people, and then
of course we won't have to lose any
more. We can't have their moral sup
port, but we will get along without
their immoral incubus also. daughter }
we won't have their approval but it is
an aWfulIy high priced approval any