The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-01
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
IS IT A WHAT IS TT

Do MCKINLEY REPUBLICANS REALLY WANT
INTERNATIONAL BIMETALLIsM?
To the Editor Of the San Francisco Cdlt-SIR:
AS a plain Populist possessed OF faculties
which readily grasp the principle underlying
the construction of the multiplication table
without assistance shall / expose myself to
contempt il l confess that need the help of a
good Mckinley Republican to enable me to
understand the logic of the Republican argu-
ment made by Major Mckinley, General Harri-
son and others of like faith against the free
coinage of silver a hurtful measure W lille at
the same time they champion the proposal to
secure international bimetallism?
Let me state the in other terms. The
Republican platform expressly says: ave are
opposed to the free coinage of silver except by
an intern ational agreement with the leading
commercial nations OF the earth, which
agreement pledge ourselves to promote,
and until such agreement can be obtained the
existing gold standard must be maintained"
That is all plain enough with the exception of
the possible Punic faith implied in making in
ternational bimetallism dependent upon
agreement with the lea4lng commercial
nations OF the earth while they are all opposed
TO bimetalhsm and are all conducting their
business the basis OF the single gold stand
ard. But how do the ablest leaders of the Re-
publican party interpret their platform?
In brief letter it is not possible TO trans
cribe much OF what they teach us to the
nature ot the proposed International bimetal-
lism. (At this point laid aside my pen, and
l have spent an hour in trying to find what
Major Nc kInley in his letter of acceptance and
General Harrison in his Yew York speech mean
by the term International bimetallism as APP
piled to the ratio between silver and gold,
whether it be l6 to l or 81 to l or some point
between 10 and 81 This is near as l can
come 10 it: Major Mckinley says: "On August
%, 1891, in public address / said, III we
could have an international ratio, which all
the leading nations of the world would adopt,
and the true relation be fixed between the two
metals and all agree upon the quantity offs liver
which should constitute a dollar, then silver
would be free and unlimited in its privi-
leges of coinage gold is to-day. But we have
not been able TO secure it, and with free and
unlimited coinage" etc He goes on 10 set
he has to say about international ratio"
or international bimetallism." Satisfactory,
definite, tangible, is it? But whatever illu-
sorry thing it is we have the assurance that
he and his party "pledge themselves to pro-
mote" it.
AS plain Populist am trying to fl md what
Major Mckinley offers me under the terms
International agreement" international
bime tallism, - sin ternational ratio" as good
thing for all the leading nations of the world
instead of free coinage, which is a bad thing
and especially bad for the United states. Once
more viii try to find out what General Harri-
son offers me and other Populists in place of
this pernicious free coinage OF silver, which it
seems one found pernicious from the ioun-
datiOn of the Government down to 1873, a
period of nearly 100 years; and even when
John Sherman did fnd it out on that dark
night when it was demonetiZed it was at a
premium over gold at the dread ratio of 16
TO l.
ex-President, who is conceded to be an able
expounder of international law. He saws in
his New York speech in Carnegie Hail. August
~: But now. friends, there is great deal of