The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-10

in silver for 500 in gold. The bankers
and brokers there got control of all the
gold. 1t will be the same in the United
States if this free-coinage scheme is intro
I Guced. Gold will vanish. 1t will be with
drawn from circulation and held at high
premium. Men who work for daily wages
and monthly salaries will be paid in
silver, but the wages will not increase nor
salaries so higher.
at will take seven or eight silver dol
lars to buy the same commodities which
one can now purchase for five dollars in
gold. The workingman that expects to be
benefited by the free coinage of silver will
be grievously disappointed, for in all sill
yer countries the standard of wages is
low.
Yes, l have been a Democrat ali my
| life, but l will not follow the leaders in
| the Chicago convention, who have gone
crazy on the silver question. They are
not Democrats and do not represent the
Democrats of this country"
Raphael WE'LL, the senior member OF
the firm of Raphael WE'LL & Co., is as
well known as time-honored and patri-
otto member of the Democratic party as is
the white House. as one of the leading
mercantile establishments OF the City. Ac-
cording to his own confession che has
voted for Democratic principle when he
knew that for the time being it would
| iniure his own business"
Mr.. WE'LL was seen at his private apart
ments in the Bohemian Club yesterday
afternoon, and readily consented to give
his views on the money question, reserv-
ing the right to hit the Republican party
a few hard ticks on the side. "a free sill
yer policy" he said, sis impossible. 1t is
the creation of a demagogue. No Demo
crat can afford to support such policy. ]
am a Democrat and always have been a
Democrat, but | am emphatically against
the free coinage of silver. Free coinage oil
silver means free robbery'-nothing else.
L will not sustain the platform of the
party, and do not see how any sound
minded Democrat can-though l do not
wish to be understood as declaring in
favor OF Republicanism. The convention
at Chicago is not representative of the
party. 1t is made up of demagogues, so
ciallsts and communists of the worst
| stamp. l. believe in the Democracy OF
thirty years ago. The free-silver idea is
inconsistent with true Democracy Thirty
years of Republicanism has brought about
this condition of political affairs in the
country, and the present upheaval is
simply natural opposition to pIutocracy.
"The result of National declaration
for free silver would have the effect OF
making gold merchandise and running
every branch of trade and commerce. II
will be hardest on the salaried people.
The rich men can stand these changes in
the political policy of the country. They
can look ahead and see what is coming.
Two or three years of a calamitous policy
/ do not make so much difference to them,
but the poor men have to bear the burden
unaided. They get less for their labor and
pay more for their living, but they will not
| see it until the mischief has been done
and the whole country has suffered terri
| BILE loss. Within two years the masses who
have been led into this fallacy will rue the
day they ever voted for free silver in case
| the party advocating that policy is sue
cussfuI in the coming contest. They will
curse their leaders and hang them if they
/ can.
while | have always been practical
Democrat, am not afraid to stand by my
convictions. even though / have to aovo-
| cate the policy of the other party. Ivoted
for the Wilson tariff, knowing that its
adoption would cause me loss by reducing
value of nearly all the goods in my store
| But believed in the principle, lust as I
now believe that free silver would ruin the
country. No man who has any business
or other interests in the country can afford
to indorse such policy with his vote.
! Neither can any man who takes an inter
! est in the welfare of the country think of
voting for free silver"
''Do believe that the Democratic mer-
chants are in favor of free silver?" re-
sponded d. N. Walters of the firm of D.
N. Walters & Co. when approached on the
| subject by CALL reporter yesterday.
Have you found one YETI" incredulously.
Il do not think there is sane Democrat
who has anything TO do with commerce in
this City who does not denounce such a
| policy on the part of his party in the
strongest terms. 1t means calamity
J wholesale calamity-for this country. No,