Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-29
SECRETARY DIFENDERFER
He Criticises the Mckinley Letter From a
Silver Standpoint.
Asks Questions for the Republican
Candidate to Answer and
Cites Figures.

OF the SILVER COM
mittee said today in regard to Major Nc
Kinley's letter of acceptance: Mr.. Mckin-
ley makes this statement in reference to
the proposition made by the democratic.
silver and peoples parties, that to inau-
gurate the free and unlimited coinage of
silver by Independent action on the part of
the United States. at ratio of sixteen
ounces of silver to one ounce of gold. as a
declaration is a mere menace to our finar-
cial and industrial interests. and that it
had already created universal alarm: that
it involved great peril to the business o.
the country, peril so great that cOnserva-
tive men everywhere are breaking away
from their old association
No Proof offered.
This gratuitoGs assumption is without a
shadow of proof; this commonplace assec-
ton of Mr.. Mckinley is an idle threat and
an assumption, and simply the stock in
trade of the gold organs in an attempt to
intimidate still further the poverty-stricken
unemployed and haif-paid producers of the
United States. There seems to be con-
certed action en- the part of the eastern
plutocratic press to predict all these direfu
results, but l have yet failed to See oil
to hear of their producing a single fact to
sustain their calamity howl
An Advantage.
I'VE who are bimetallists have slightly
the advantage of these gentlemen by sim
ply referring to our present conditions. and
then asking the great mass of voters Of the
United States whether they are satisfied
with the present conditions. During the
administration of Mr.. Harrison We had a
higher tariff than any tariff known in the
history of the United States. and yet prices
the high tariff, known as the Mckinley
bill.
Not u Panacea.
High tariff has proven not to he the
panacea of the ills that have overtaken US
it has been used to shuttiecock political
issues. and has been used heretofore 10
divert attention from the issues that con-
front us. The gold interests. with whom
Mckinley is allied. have been granted every
concession they have asked. The Bland
Allison act did not suit them: it was re-
pealed. and prices fell: tariff was too low
and the Mckinley bill was instituted
prices still fell.
Sherman Act Did Not Suit.
THE Sherman bill was made a law. and
that did not suit them; it was repealed and
prices fell. The Mckinley tariff was toe
high: 1t was repealed for their benefit. and
prices still fell. Then they claimed tina,
the reserve had fallen below its normal
condition. after having been looted by Wall
street. The reserve was replenished to the
amount Of So. 300,0 and prices still fell
$lU,UD,OW more came to the rescue OF
that reserve. and prices fell again.
Prices Fell.
"One hundred millions more We're throw
into the Golfers Of the treasury, and prices
still fell and are falling. until the last SIX
months of the last fiscal year prices fell Il:
per cent. In about the same ratio that the
money of the people was contracted Mr.
Mckinley also says that the remonetizat tor
Of silver would result in a silver standard
Has Mr.. Mckinley forgotten that after the
of gold in America increased three-fold?
Question for Mckinley.
And is Mr.. Mckinley still further ac.
quanted with this significant fact, tina,
upon the repeal Of the Sherman law the
gold Withdrawn was seven times greater
than - any time in the history of the
United States before the repeal of the
Sherman law? Notwithstar ding the fac
that Mr.. Sherman, upon the floor of the
Senate. mad" a statement that our gold
would be retained. that confidence would
be restored and that prosperity would re.
turn within ten days after the repeal OF
concerned. We are not relying upon predic.
ton to give force to our argument. we
are relying upon focts as they exist, anf
are willing to surrender to Mr.. Hanna tho
New York banks and Mr.. Mckinley the Cd
ton of forecasting direful results"