The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-10-14
A Few Solid Reasons Why Am For
Bimetalism.
InY IsAIAnA. awARrz.l

because no party in this free country
ever declared for permanent gold
standard. Even the very platform upon
which the goldites are running In this
stirring campaign does not advocate
the continuance Of the gold standard.
IL has bimetalism In view, and IL says
In effect that we must first enter into
partnership with the nations beyond
the great waters before IL would be safe
for us to adopt the bimetalistic policy
OF the free and unlimited coinage OF
both gold and silver. The Chicago
platform says that this is not necessary
part Of our treaty, or amicable relations
with other nations, so that we can legis-
late on IL as seems best for the general
welfare of our Republic, without wait
ing for other nations to tell us their
mind and interested wishes upon the
question. The principal difference
between the two great parties upon the
subject OF the free coinage OF both gold
and silver Is, therefore, merely this:
The goldites say that we cannot return
to bimetalism without the consent Of
Europe; the silverites say that they
still believe in the Declaration of Inde.
pendence and assert that we are
Independent enough to legislate for
ourselves without waiting for the
acquiescence Of foreign powers In all
matters not necessarily included In a
friendly international relationship.
Even should we wait for an agreement
between us and Europe who knows
whether the Europeans would ever
agree with us on international bimetal-
ism. II we were famishing from failing
harvests the Europeans would not lose
much time in coming to our aid, but
H. ...nl l..
seeking their own interest and not ours
So long, therefore, as our present gold
standard Is q benefit to any nation
beyond the ocean, as 1t is to England,
that nation would not be any too ready
to chip in with US for international BIZ
metalism. Whatever may be our
governments duty with respect to our
sister countries, her first obligation Is TO
see to the general welfare OF her own
people by attending to such legislation
as the conditions within our boarders
call for.
In the second place | am for bimetal-
ism because the decentralization of silver
has diminished the quantity OF our
Illegal tender" as to prove a serious
injury to large proportion of our CO.
equal people justly entitled to an equal
share OF their governments service.
That part OF our legislation which,
thus, contracted our currency has been
q criminal respector Of persons having,
In fact, granted special and exclusive
privileges to certain class OF individ-
uals, and opening way for them to the
accumulation of the bulk of the country's
profits in their own hands. Thus far
our legislation has been vicious. unjust
and contrary to the Constitution and
Declaration OF Independence. For the
one supreme object of government is to
provide for the general welfare of the
whole people without respect Of person,
to restrain one citizen from injuring
another in any manner and to secure to
the Declaration OF Independence.
In the third place am for bimetalism
because the one great need of the
country at this present hour is an ex-
pansion OF our medium of exchange"
Money with respect to quantity is exact
ly like wheat. When wheat is scarce IL
is proportionately high in price and it
will require just so much more Of other
things TO get bushel OF it through
exchange. So, in like manner, when
money is scarce it is dear and it takes
just SO much more of any kind of
commodity to get dollar for it. This
is one reason why Hoffman, the jeweler,
has to sell such fine clock in order to
get the puny sum of $2.75 OF illegal
tender" OF course the writer, as we'll
as any other man, would be very glad to
buy clock so cheap. That clock is not
too cheap for the buyer. 1t is the
maker OF the clock whom the low price
hurts. 1t is all we'll enough to wish to
buy cheap but it would be sheer selfish
ness 10 wish to buy at such bargain as
to impoverish the producer of the thing
bought.
But it was not from the mere dimin-
ished quantity OF our illegal tender"
that the pinch comes, in fact, the larger
part OF the distress came from the
change in value that was going on In
connection with the change in quantity
and these two changes in value and
quantity are inseparately connected.
Whenever money thus rises in value
debtors must lose while creditors get a
premium. The longer this rise in the
value OF money lasts the greater the
injury to a certain class OF citizens.
Another result of rise in money is the
fact that it will then be boarded, just
as farmer would hoard his wheat,
could he be assured that it would move
upward for space.
What the country needs, therefore, is
stable currency. That variability
which comes from the fuctuation in
the demand and supply of commodities
Is, no doubt, a source OF health and
vigor In the world OF exchanges. But
money, ~ O measure Of value and q
medium Of exchange. is not In the
strictest sense of the term commodity.
It Is one Of those things that, like the
scale to measure weight and the bushel
to measure bulk, should be invariable.
At any rate It should possess measur-
able degree of stability and this temper
II is the duty of the government to
hammer into 1t. It Is not only within
the governments power to do 90 but
also within her easiness In fact nothing
is easier. Why, then, is it not done |?
II l. because q majority Of our law
makers are 20 unmanly and 80 unpatri-
otto % constantly to seek to divert
: 1agislation from Its proper function of
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