The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-22
GARDNER TALKS GOLD
Senator Daily Who Was to
Reply Prevented by a
Sore Throat.
KINGSTON FARMERS PICNIC.
Tie Greenback Craze Over Again
Bryan's Doubletacedness ex-
posed and Scored.
KINGSTON FARMERS PICNIC.
Special to the Jerscp Citu Neaes.

i>i1SIoION, Aug ~, lS96.-It was the
second day of the Kingston harvest
home here yesterday, and it was. expected
lnat Congressman John j. Gardner and
Senator William D. Daily would present
the opposite sides of the silver question to
the people. In anticipation of such a
discussion nearly thousand persons as
sembled at the Kingston Church.
senator DAILY reached Princeton. but
was Obliged to give up the idea of speak
ing because of the condition of his throat.
winch was weak from the effort made
at Belvidere the day before.
Congressman Gardner arrived on the
ground about five o'clock. He came from
Atlantic City contrary to the advice Of
ms physician, but notwithstanding his in
disposition he spoke forty y-five minutes
eloquently and foreefully upon the money
question It is his first campaign talk
this year.
lie said that there were a good many
men going through the country nova
days claiming that if the government
stamped coin a dollar it was a dollar.
That was what is called fiat money. II
IS a fact, however, that the fat of any
government was not able to cover more
than -one-fifteenth of the difference be-
tween the assumed and the commercial
value of coin
Striking facetious strain. the sneaker
said THE Legislature of this State
might enact measure declaring that q
donkey should hereafter be called bv the
people of the State giraffe. but that.
law would not add one inch to the neck.
of the donkey
He argued that the Government might
be authorized to stamp a silver twenty
hve cent coin dollar, but if man with
that sort Of money went to another TO
buy a horse that was worth IA he
would pc compelled to pay 500 for him
because the man who had the horse to
sen would know that he was getting.
seVenty-hye cents fat to twenty-five
cents OF metal in every dollar
II is argued" said Mr. Gardner ethat
IN the event of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver, the American farmer
WI Mili nave 1lenty Of money, and that he
cents on the dollar; but / don't believe
that the majority of farmers In this couu-
try want to do that. They are willing to
pay exactly what they agreed 10 pay.
They don't want to defraud their credi-
tors. The average American citizen isn't
built that way.
The speaker wanted to know how
many farmers IN Somerset and Aiddlesex
counties would profit by the free and
unlimited coinage of silver. He asked
how many of them had silver laid away
TO be coined into fifty-three cent dollars.
II, said he, you are willing to estab-
lish this monetary system you are de-
termined to do one OF two things either.
grant to the silver mine owners bonus
OF forty-seyen cents on every dollar coin.
ed by the government, or to cheat your
creditors of forty-seven cents on every
dollar of debt that you have contracted
A good deal is being said about there
not being enough gold produced in the
world to supply the demand, but it is a.
fact that there are but few things in this
world that have increased in product as
rapidly as gold. The increase in the pro-
duct of the yellow metal is outrunning
the demands of business; it is greater in
proportion than the increase in population
and the product is growing at an aston
iShing rate each year.
In every country where the free and
unlimited coinage of silver is in vogue
wages are low. When the dollar is
cheapest it is hardest to get. 1t is the
old greenback craze over again. This
new gospel of free and unlimited coinage
of silver at the ratio of is TO 1 means
ffty-three cents worth of silver to forty
seven cents worth of greenbaclxisIn. That
issue died a natural death and the pres
ent issue will. also die. If the govern
ment fiat will cover forty-seven cents
it will cover any other number of cents.
and the government may as well stamp
a dime dollar at once and give the peo-
pie cheaper and more plentiful cur
rency than the free silverites now pro-
pose.
"A few years ago we heard Mr. Bryan
talking from the public platform on the
national issues. Then he had nothing
to say about free silver. Mr. Bryan got
what he was after then, but the result
hasn't satisfied him. The commodities
were cheapened. but prosperity for the
people didn't follow and now he has
turned his attention to silver and his cry
is that commodities are too cheap, the
prices of them must be increased before
the people can prosper, and the free and
unlimited coinage of silver he says, will
accomplish that
Mr.. Gardner said that he had no fear
of victory by the free silver forces. He
thought that the fallacy of their argu-
ments would become so clear to the vot-
ers before election day that they would
be repudiated at the ballot-box but he
to warn his fellow citizens against piae-,
ing too much confidence in the fiat of the
government when applied to dollars.
The people listened with close atten-
ton to the words of the speaker and thus
manifested their interest in the question
before them.
Mr.. George Berdine of New Brunswick
followed Congressman Gardner with a
half hour address that was rich with
sound money argument
&
pATruT roc aYup Tnrur0 IT'D