Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-29
SOuND-MoNEy DEMOCRATS,


Jheir Patriotic stand commented by Gen.
stewart l.. woodford.
In spite of bad weather Gen. Stewart
L. Woodford of New York was greeted
by large audience at Regular Re.
publican meeting in The Auditorium
Friday night. Before the epeaking be-
gan Frederick E. Bach explained how 10
mark and fold the official ballot
Hyatt's Military Band played. The
Hon. z. @. Bradford presided and
others on the stage were ex Senator
Anthony Higgins, E. Tatnall Warner,
president of the Business Mems Nc
ninley and Hobart Club, and Gen.
Woodford. In the course of his open
ing speech Mr.. Bradford said;
The So called Sound. Money Demo
Gratis, who are the real Democrats are
no friends OF Mckinley. They do not
believe in the Republican policy of
protection. Why is.it then that they
are in favor OF Mckinley or are assist
ing him by voting for Palmer and
Buckner? The man who would question
the Democracy of Bayard, OF Gray, of
Carlisle or OF Whitney, would be fit
subject for lunatio asylum, aud yet
these men eagerly look forward to the
election of Mckinley. They desire the
defeat Of Bryan. because they know that
between the election OF Mckinley and
the election of Bryan the former is
preferable. They arc too patriotic and
rise above party lines too far to support
Bryan and the dishonest and dangerous
doctrines OF the Chicago platform. TIC
these Democrats who have made this
stand all honor is due. 1t is not hard
to understand why these Democrats
cut loose the ties Of life time sooner
than risk exposing this country to the
dangers OF governmental by Bryan and
his followers,
Gen. Woodford went into discussion
Of the money question and stated the
| position Of the two parties. The
Democratic marty proposes the free anc
unlimited coinage OF silver at the ratio
of is to / and the Republican party
says it is in favor of bimetallism by
international agreement and standi
pledged to support a movement to brine
about that agreement, but until that
tune to maintain the present gold
standard. In his speeches Bryan ha
claimed that the free and unlimited
coinage of silver would increase tn
price of silver to "a parity with gold
again, that it would make dollar
cheaper and third, that it would lif
silver and reduce gold until they ar
on parity. II the first were true th
silver dollar would 60 to one hundre'
cents; under the second, they woull
be 50.cent dollars and the third, 70
cent dollars.
The question simply is whether an
one nation which opens its minis I
the gold and silver of the world coui,
ever maintain alone by legislation tn
two metals at fixed ratio 1t nigh
be able to accomplish this by inter
national agreement, but no nation ca
do it alone.
The speaker then went into the sub
iect of coinage on its historical side
President Washington named Jetferso
and Hamilton a commission to ascel
tain the commercial ratio between gol
and silver and they found it to be
to l. This continued until 1901 or 1SC
when the ratio was found TO be 151a
/. Thus the coinage laws failed to kee
| the ratio the same. In 1906 Presider
Jefferson issued an order stopping th
| coinage of silver From that tim
until 1884 the government did not col
silver dollar. In 1916 Englan
/ demonetized silver, whereas the Unite
| states nhu zone IL III years peiore. we
this an English policy or an OLE
) fashioned Jeifersonian Democrati
policy? Andrew Jackson was PresideI
in 1884 and the ratio was put at 16
l because it was believed to be th
proper ratio From that time unit
1878 that ratio proved to be a con
mercial mistake. The silver in dolli
0 would sell for one gold dollar and fro
q to copper cents.
Gold was the real standard OF I'll
country from 1884 until 1878, whe
3 the improvements in silver minir
machinery was so perfected that sily
g fell and for the first time in years
: silver dollar was worth less than a go
q dollar. What Bryan calls the "crin
: of 1879 simply declared a commerci
Q fact. Both Republicans and Democra
i in the House with few exception
9 voted for it. Bryan says prices ha'
n fallen. 1t 10 true. Machinery h
+ done its work and capital has done
3 vo'k. Everything except wages b
/ fallen in price since 1873 Money IL
: too and did not earn as much in IS
8 as it did in 1873. Gen. Woodford r
\ ferred to the era of prosperity fro
!. 1879 until 1892. Every dollar then W
v the same kind as we have now. /
! al