The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-01
GEN. HARRISON on THE ISSUES,

The first ma ges of the Forum for October
are devoted to an article by General Har-
rison entitled Compulsory Dishonesty
The paper covers but six pages, but In that
brief space the ex-President, with his re-
lentless power of analysis, with his crush
ing logic lays bare several of the preten-
sions of the advocates of silver monometal-
Iisn Referring to the plank of the plat
form which affirms the right of persons to
discharge their debts in deprecated silver
dollars General Harrison says that it
would appear that creditors are not per-
mitted to pay the full dollars which they
have received, but ARE compelled to pay
in the debased dollar" He says that the
assumption of Mr.. Bryan that silver. under
free coinage, will rise to a parity with golo,
was not so well thought of as to appear
in the platform, either as the probable re-
suit of free coinage or even as a thing to
be desired. He says that Mr.. Bryan has
been sharply taken to task by his friends
for making this claim, and declares that
lit destroys the whole silver programme"
The greater part of the paper is devoted
| to a consideration of the utterances of MI.
| Bryan He shows that there is nothing in
| the claim of the Bryanites that the drop
| ping of silver from free coinage changed
| the money standard to the injury of the
| dollar because, at the time it was done,
/ the silver dollar was the dearer and none
| were in circulation. Considering the argu-
ment that wheat has fallen because gold
| has appreciated, he suggests that increased
/ production with 1.-The closed American
mills and enforced economy in the homes
| of American workmen-these things always
| have and always will affect the price of
wheat" In this connection General Harri-
| son says:
| Another thing to be taken into account
! In this connection is the production of gold
| for if large wheat crop means, common,
/ ly a lower price. so large crop of gold
| worlds production of gold in 1873 was S96,-
| 200 600 and only two years has it fallen be-
low that figure. All other years snow an
increase and the last five years a steady
| and enormous increase. In 1884, the pro
duction $3.50 100. and the product fol
ton of silver has increased from $S1 OO0, 00t
(coining value) in 1873 to $216. 8S2 200 in 1872
and is estimated at S226 600 600 IN 1872 ~, II
| figures as ~ production, who is wise enough
to say that siHld has gone up or silver
| down, or how much either metal has var
led? And yet it is assumed that the silver
| dollar has been the true and stable meas
IRE of value, that it has neither gone ~
| nor down since 1873, and that it would be
honest to return to that standard and set
| tie contracts by it. Now, how is this
| to be proved? Or do silver friends
| think it worth while to prove anything!
One of the stock arguments of Mr.. Bryan
is disposed of in ii few words, but so dis
posed of that even the followers of the
travelling statesman who have not bid adiel
to their good sense must see that it is {
most absurd assumption. 1t is as follows
This illustration. used by Mr.. Bryan, il
the only attempt at argument have seen
1f-he SayS-a man able to perform his con
tracts should offer to pay 81 per bushel fo
all the wheat brought to him, would no
the price of wheat go up to dollar? Blu
the United States is not to buy the silver
it only puts a stamp on it and returns /
to the owner. 1t is rather as If mile
should offer to take all the wheat brough
to him. to grind it into flour without
| charge, to put each one hundred pounds o
the flour into a barrel. to stamp on tn
head of it This is barrel of flour, am
to return it to the owner. How would tn
price of wheat. of flour, be affected b.
| hot f~ay, D0tin