The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-07-30
Bryan Says Free silver Would Cause
"A Panic M

Fanic.
Mr.. Bryan declared short time
ago that the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at this time would
produce a panic. He made this
statement in Ackley, lows, but a
short time since, in answer to a
question put to him by prominent
merchant Of that place during a
lecture Mr.. Bryan delivered there
on the subject of the free coinage OF
the white metal. Mr.. Peasants
asked the lecturer this question:
"Mr. Bryan will the adoption OF
free coinage Of silver at the ratio
of Is to cause business depres-
sion and panic, as Secretary Car
Isle and other great financiers
predict% Mr.. Bryan answered
promptly as follows: ayes III my
opinion, it would have that TEN
dency. But there is no use putting
off giving him his medicine, and
letting him get worse. | think it
will cause panic. But the country
is in deplorable condition, and it
will take extreme measures to re-
store it to a condition Of prosper
ity."
/ saw this statement in an Iowa
newspaper, and / wrote to a friend
in Ackley for vsrificati0n of the
correctness of the statement. He
answered: ~ heard the lecture
every word of it and can vOuch
for the correctness OF the news
paper statement. / also refer you
to Mr.. P. G. Waters, a prominent
citizen of this place. If necessary
/ can give you the names of d
hundred of our most reliable citi
zens, who will testify to the same
thing. More than that, 1 can give
you the names of several of oul
business men who were in favor
of the free coinage of silver until
they heard this statement made by
Mr.. Bryan. Many here will not
vote the free silver ticket for the
reason that they heard the head Of
the ticket make this fatal admis
sion."
The answer made by Mr.. Bryan
to Mr.. Peasants question is
characteristic of the man. He il
very clever at repartec, both In
avoiding a direct answer and in
making direct answer, and In
following it up with an explanation
that will more than compensate
with whatever of frankress and
directness there is in the answer
In this instance, he was both toe
frank and to direct for the good OF
the cause. Never theless, he must
be given credit for the answer. He
undoubtedly told the truth, and his
answer should be made the subject
)of serious thought by every candid
and thinking man. The. explana
ton given by Mr.. Bryan to justify
taking fhe step that will bring
upon the country, as he admits il
will, "business depression ant
panic" is both unique and Insult
ticient. He says that the country
is sick and needs heroic treatment
and the case, according to the
diagnosis of Mr.. Bryan, needs an
allopathic dose of "free coinage Of
silver" He reminds me of the
quack doctor who was called to a
fever patient, and instead of giving
remedy for the real condition.
administered dose that threw the
unfortunate patient into couvul-
sions. The patients condition
grew so alarming that the friends
of the sick man hurriedly sent off
for another physician. When he
came and took in the situation, he
asked the first doctor what he
meant by such extraordinary treat
ment. "Why," said the quack, 81
kn0w'd he had fever, but 1 never
had much luck docterin' that so
I throwed him into fits, as
knowed was hi on fits"
Mr.. Bryan should be repudiated
on his own admission. The people
of this country have had enough of
quack doctors and eloquent ven
doris of cure-alls. The time has
come for sober reflection and cour-
ageous action. Assurdly the state
ment of Mr.. Bryan that free and
unlimited coinage of silver would
produce business depression and a
panic ought to have this effect
William M. Michael in Washing
ton Post.
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