Birmingham state herald., 1896-10-25
THE ANSWER WILL BE EMPHATIC


 the money power. Every legislative en- actment since 1861 bears witness to the truthfulness of this proposition. First came the law the banks had passed for the issuance Of government bonds under the cry that the public credit must be strengthened, and to do that the govern ment must cease Issuing greenbacks and issue bonds. The bonds were to be paid in the currency of the country, but to bear interest payable in gold
 This law on the statute books, the banks began exchanging their hoarded gold for greenbacks on an average of $l in gold for $2 in greenbacks, and buying bonds with the greenbacks al their face value.
 When the war closed the first step was to have the contract made by the people, through the government, with the pur- chasers and holders of the bonds, changed Without making 1t an issue and hearing from the people on the ques- ton, lobby representing the bondhold- CTS gathered in Washington and had con- gress to strike down, by the passage of an act, the peoples right to redeem the bonds their government had issued in the currency of the country, as provided for on the face of the bonds. This act made the bonds redeemable in coin-gold and silver.
 This brought us down to 1873, when again, without submitting the question to the people, congress, at the command of the money power-through it's agents, "of whom one of which" was John sherman of Ohio-struck down the right of the people to redeem the bonds they had is- sued through their government in either gold or silver, or both, by demonetzing silver.
 Each of these important and fatal steps to the prosperity of the producers of this country were taken without consulting the people, and strictly in the interest of the money power.
 No well posted person will attempt to deny these facts. The justifiers of that unjust and inquitous legislation will not discuss them.
 The president who signed the bill passed in 1873 said several years afterwards that when he approved the bill he was not aware that he demonetized silver Many of the men who were then members of the house and senate have said since that time that they did not know the bill de- H1OHelIZeu SiteT. Iue TeCOIuS Ol lhC house and senate and the files of the daily newspapers published at that time show that the question was never discussed, and that the people did not know they were being shorn of half their power and ability to pay their debts and accumu- late property.
 When it became generally known that silver had been stricken down, the people began to realize that the money power had the government by the throat, and was strangling the very life out of the country.
 From that time until now the people the great mass of the people-have been seeking an opportunity to wrest their government from the clutches of the money changers.
 In order to prevent them from doing so the money power went to work systemat- ically to cover up the main question and keep it from the people. great hue and cry was raised about the tariff, and that question was showed to the front, and both great parties were fixed on the mon ey question. In 1880, 1884, 1888 and 1892 the voters were assured on all sides that both of the parties were favorable to the restoration of silver Democratic speak CTS and democratic papers and republican speakers and republican papers vied with each other in the effort to make the peo- pie believe that their respective parties were favorable to the restoration of sil- yer as standard money. Both party plat forms promised it.
 The tariff-the tariff-they all said was the important question to be settled. and upon the passage of the proper tariff law depended the future prosperity of the country.
 It made no difference--so far as the voter was informed by the party plat forms and the press and speakers of both parties--.which party was successful. the country was to have bimetallism. Every body was then busy denouneing the crime of '7S
 The money power was taking but little hand It had kindly given the people the platforms and taken unto Itself the can didates. The result was that in 1884 the country went for low tariff and bimetal- lism, but got no bimetallism; in 1888 it went for high tariff and bimetallism, but got no bimetallism; in 1892 it again went for low tariff and bimetallism, and again got no bimetallism.
 By this time the money power Hau 50 entrenched Itself that it came forth and demanded additional legislation, the ob- feet of which was to forever establish the gold standard in the United States. The people had been pulled from one side to the other on the tariff question, and made poorer and poorer each year, until the money power concluded that there was no longer any necessity for fighting under cover. It became confident that the people were fools, and would never see the point.
 Here the money power let Its foot slip. When 1t demanded through the stuffed prophet from Buzzards Bay-a president elected on platform promising free coin age-that the platform pledges of 1892 and the uniform record of the democratic party on the silver question down to that date be ruthlessly trampled under foot, and the last vestige of legislation looking to the use of silver as standard money be stricken from the statute books, 1t aroused the latent determination that for