Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-08-20

metallism would be a hardship upon shoe,
who have entered into contracts payabls
In gold coin, but this Is mistake. It viii
Be easier 70 obtain the gold with which q
meet gold contract, when most Of th.
people can use silver. than IL IL now, when
every one Is trying to secure gold
The Chicago platform expressly declare.
In favor Of such legislation as may be nee
essary 20 prevent for the future the de.
mOnetizatioa Of any kind Of legal tende,
money by private contract. Such con
tracts are objected TO on the ground thai
they are against public policy No on.
questions the right Of legislatures TO IL
the rate Of interest which can be collected
by law. There Is far more reason for pro
venting private individuals from settins
aside legal tender Law. The money which
Is by law made q legal tender must, In
the course % ordinary business, be accepted
by ninety nine out of every hundred per
sons Why should the one hundredth mar
be permitted TO exempt himself from thu
general 'rulse Special contracts have q
tendency to increase the demand for q par
ticular kind Of money, and thus force 1t e
n premium. Have not the people n right
% say that q comparatively few individ
uals shall not be permitted TO derange tbs
financial system Of the nation In order e
collect premium In case they succeed IL
forcing one kind Of money to a premiumi
There Is another argument to which
ask your attention Some Of the mors
jealous opponents Of free coinage point Il
the fact that 10 months must elapse be
tween the election and the first regular
session OF congress and assert that during
that time, In case people declare themselves
IN fav1r5f Tree JoiI,efec, ali loans VIII WIFI 5.
withdrawn and all mortgages foreclosed
II these are merely prophecies indulged In
by those who have forgotten the provisions
Of the constitution. IL win be sufficient K
remind them that tho president Is empow
cred to convene congress In extraordinary
session whenever the public good requires
such action. II In November the people
by their ballots declsre themselves In favol
Of the immediate restoration OF bimetal
lism. the system can be inaugurated with
in few months.
If. however, the assertion that loans viii
be withdrawn and mortgages forecloset
Is made 10 prevent such political action as
the people may believe TO b. necessary fol
the preservation OF their rights, then q
new and vital issue Is raised. Whenever II
Is necessary for the people "a "a whole Il
obtain consent from the owners Of none,
and the changers OF money before they car
lezislatc upon financial questions, we shall
have passed from democracy to q plu
tocracy. But that time has not yet arrived
Threats and intimidation will be of M
avail. Tho people who in ITO rejected
the doctrine that kings rule by right di
vine will nos In this generation subscrib,
to doctrine that money is omnipotent
international BimetaIlism.
In conclusion, permit me to say a wort
In regard to international bimetaliism
We are not opposed to an intcrnationa
agreement looking to the restoration O
bimetallsm throughout the world. Tn,
advocates of free coinage have on all coca
sions shown their willingness to cooper
ate with other nations in the rcinstate
meut of silver, but they Gre not willing :,
await the pleasure of other government
when immediate relief Is needed by tn
people Of the United States, and they fur
Their believe that independent action offer
better assurance OF international bimet
allism than seryile dependence upon for
cign aid. For more than 90 years we hav,
invited the assistance of European nations
but all progress in the direction Of inter
national bimetallism has been blocked b,
the opposition of those who derive pecun
larry benefit from the appreciation of gold
How long must we wait for bimetallisu
to be brought TO us by those who profit b,
monometallimp If the double standarI
will bring benefits to our people. who will
deny them the right to enjoy those bene
fits. II our opponents would admit tn
right. the ability and the duty of our PEG
pie to act for themselves on oil publ
questions without the assistance and re
gardless of the wishes Of other nation
and then propose the remedial Legislation
which they consider sufficient, we coult
meet them in the field of honorable debate
but when they assert that this nation 1
helpless to protect the rights Of Its owl
citizens we challenge them to submit tn
Issue TO people whose patriotism has new
er been appeased to in vain.
We shall not offend other nations whel
we declare the right of the American pee
pie to govern themselves, and, without 10
or hindrance from without decide upol
every question presented for their consid
Grafton In taking this position we sim
ply maintain the dignity Of 10000, OO
citizens who nre second To mono in thci
capacity for self government
Tho gold standard has compelled tn
American people to pay an ever increasin,
tribute to the creditor nations of the world
a tribute which no one dares to defend
] assert that national honor requires tn
United states 10 secure Justice for all IL
citizens Us well az do justice to all its cred
tors. For n people like ours, blessed wit
natural resources of surprising richness
TO proclaim themselves impotent to franz
financial system suited to their owl
needs is humiliating beyond the power O
language to describe. We cannot cnforc
respect for our foreign policy so long a
we confess ourselves uSabIe to frame on
own financial policy.
Honest differences of opinion have al
ways existed and ever will exist as to tn
legislation best calculated 40 promote tn
public veal, but when IL Is seriously as
serted that this nation must bow to the
! dictation Of other nations and accept the
! policies which they insist upon the right
OF self government is assailed, and until
/ that question Is settled all other questions
are insignificant
! A Word to New York Citizens.
! Citizens of New York, I have Travelled
from the center Of the continent to the
seaboard that might, in the very begin,
ming of the campaign, bring you greeting
! from the people Of the west and south and
assure you that their desire Is not TO de.
stroy, but to build up. Thsy invite You &c
accept the principles of living faith rath.
er than listen TO those who preach the Cos
pei Of despair and advise endurance Of the
ills you have. The advocates of free coin.
age believe that in striving to secure the
immediate restoration Of bimetalllsm they
are laboring in your behalf as well as In
their own behalf A few OF your people
may prosper under present conditions, but