The advocate., 1896-09-02
$l.OO A YEAR.

the mischievous and impossible fetch Of
the free and unlimited coinage Of both
gold and silver at the ratio Of l6 to l
without awaiting similar action by other
great commercial nations. And the
dollar 80 to be coined is to be full legal
tender, equal with gold for all public
and private debts. Apparently rec
ogniEing the inherent weakness Of
such policy, it is backed by the threat
OF force bill which will take from
citizens the right Of contract. The dec
laration is accompanied by misrepre-
sentattion 90 to the language OF the
constitution, by fsllRciOus statements as
to the effect OF existing laws, and by o
puerile declaration that those who believe
In gold standard under existing
circumstances are devoted to an un-
American policy. The truth is, no
Democratic leader ever advocated the
free and unlimited coinage Of silver and
gold at any fictitious ratio, and no Dem
cratic platform ever asked Democrats TO
subscribe to the dogma of coinage Of
gold and silver at the ratio other than
that favored by Jefferson, to-wit; the
commercial ratio.
ave declare that the only teSt Of
metallic money Is the fire. any coin
GO7ticb Is not north as much GCitb0Nt as
0Oith the Insignia Of the mint, Is ais.
honest, and no Democrat can subscribe
TO q dishonest public policy, no matter
h00O 10 mag be dGSgWiSed.
"Fluctuating or unstable money means
now, Rs it always has meant, increased
financial paralysis and continued distress.
We believe in bimetRllism whenever
practicable; without the cooperation Of
the great commercial nations, the hope
thereof 10 but theory; and until such
time, the United States cannot maintain
its smoley at par, nor continue it's stability,
on any other basis than that Of gold.
ut is as idle TO say that Congress can
create value as it is to cay that 1t could
change the law Of gravitation. We are
opposed, therefore, not only to the Is to
l theory, but to Bryan, because we are
unable TO tell whether he is in favor OF
that fallacy or Of the creed Of the
Populists, tO-Wit: the issue Of irredemRble
paper money. AS candidate he stands
upon both the Chicago and st. Louis
platforms and is seeking the votes OF
both parties. One set Of his constituents
insist that he believes in their half way
fiat money. The other set insist that be
believes In their more thorough doctrine
Of absolute fiat money, and is only using
the 10 to dodge as stepping stone to
the end which they desire.
'"Ihe country needs financial rest,
This distressing period OF stegnatiOn
cannot end until it is definitely settled
that the American people cannot be in
duced to change that inflexible deter
mination which has marked it's entire
history 10 deal In financial matters 30 as
to deserve the confidence Of the world
and all it's citizens.
Democratic platforms and orators
have declared for thirty years that the
vicious legislation Of the Republican
party had for its object TO make the rich
richer and the poor poorer; but the pro-
posed remedy will increase every evil,
intensity every wrong and postpone
indefinitely the period Of prosperity. The
agitation for free coinage Of silver within
the Democratic party has cost it power,
created loss OF confidence, parRlyzed
business, deprived labor Of employment,
arrested all development, and until this
agitation is ended the present distressful
condition will continue. We are opposed
to putting this country on q silver basis.
There IL no country now in the world
on q silver basis which is as prosperous
as the United States in this time Of de-
preston. There is no such country in
which the wages are 90 high as they are