Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-09-01
A Great German Thinker for Silver.

A Great German Thinker for Silver.
DIR. Otto Arendt, the famous Ger
man bimetallist and statesman whose
praises have been frequently sounded
by the monometallic American press,
has sent'a article to the New York
Journal in which he takes the ground
that the election of Bryan and the
re-opening of the American mints
are desirable because by reason of
them Europe would be forced TO re-
adopt bimetallism. DIR. Arendt was
the chairman of the commission APP
pointed by the Reichstag two years
ago to investigate the cause of the
agricultural and industrial depression
and which subsequently reported
that the rise in gold resultant from
the discrimination against silver was
responsible. and he is recognized by
scholars throughout the world as one
of the foremost economic thinkers of
Europe. His article in the Journal
is most important contribution to
the literature of the money discus
sion, and it deserves to be widely
read and considered. Those of DR..
Arendt's compatriots who are Ameri-
can citizens will doubtless peruse it
with more than ordinary interest.
DIR. Arendt says:
1.-THE people of the United States
have never been called upon to de-
eide question SO important as that
of the coming presidential election.
persons and parties do not count
in this campaign at all-the great
fundamental principles of modern
national life are at stake. Shall these
be upheld or shall they be trsmpled
under foot? This is the all-absorbing
question.
Europe. the mighty grandparent
of the young colossus, feels in her old
bones that the ballot boxes which
are soon to be set up in the cities and
villages and hamlets of America, will
speak the destinies of her leading ma
tions.
"Never before was the dividing line
80 sharply defined, and we under
stand that the sovereign people the
sovereign people of the United States
mean once for all to solve the social
question which has in late years
caused so many disturbances and I'M
happy conditions.
Look at the two sides and mark
the striking contrasts. Mckinley
and his votaries represent the party
of so-called "honest money" and dis
honest profits, the party of trusts
and monopolies, the party that
brought pillage of national re-
sources for the benefit of capital to a
fine point and into method on the
one side.
1.-The ir opponents we find under the
proud banner of Bryan. These are
the productive classes-w orkingmen
and farmers who refuse to permit
themselves to be bled in the future
for the cause of the gold standard.
European bimetallists who have
been fighting the gold standard for
many years past regard international
bimetallism as the true solution of all
the questions involved.
''My own views on that subject have
laid down in an essay published in
the June issue of the North American
Review, when I gave it as my opin-
ion that the question of free silver
should be settled only after an inter
national agreem ent regarding the
relative values of gold and silver had
been arrived at; for at that time I
took it for granted that both parties
would favor silver in their platforms,
although not to the extent of free
coinage.
with respect to the possible can
didates, bimetallists, taking McKin-
ley to be thorough silver man, Ger
tainly regarded him with much favor.
What disappointment, however, came
with the st. Louis convention! 1t
was obvious that the spirit of that
convention was inspired by Wall
street, while Mckinley himself de-
serted the peoples cause and closed
an alliance, offensive and defensive,
with all grasping capital.
"Heaven-high above him, unfet-
tered end unmercenary, rose Bryan,
who at once gained the respect and
sympathy of bimetallists the world
over.
'If were an American citizen !
would unhesitatingly vote. for the
peoples champion.
America offers the tantalizing al
ternatiye between prohibitive tariff
and silver standard. But oul
money monopolists in this case har-
vest the storm where they have been
sowing tho wind. Their long con
tinued opposition to international bi
metallism is on the eve of receiving
its proper retribution. Bryan's vic
tory will no doubt prepare the way
for an international agreement.
"Should Bryan be elected we, the
bimetallists. would gain formidable
allies, while American bankers would
certainly do all in their power tc
forestall the depreciation of American
values by backing our cause OF inter
national biIuetallism.
'.Now, as to the prospects in Eu
| .o.,n Tho nnSsasSnrs of all meta