The St. Johns herald., 1896-06-27
Must be One or the Other.
JUDGE BARNES ON THE NATIONAL RE-
 PUBLICAN PLATFORM.

JUDGE BARNES ON THE NATIONAL RE PUBLICAN PLATFORM.
 A Star reporter called on Judge Bar nes yesterday to inquire his views as to the probable action of the republicans in formulating a national platform.
 Said Mir. Barnes: The Mckinley men who eeem to have control of the con- vention evidently want 10 fall both ways. They wlli want money as good as civilized nations to be fixed by in- ternationaI agreement. Sound money with a large use of silver. But they cant straddle. There is no half way between a single gold standard which they really mean, and gold and silver with no discrimination for or against either. This talk about cheap dollar and new ratio of coinage they know to be all humbug.
 "As practical business proposition, there will be, can be. no change in ratio in the gold and silver coinage of the United States. No international agree ment can accomplish 1t. The reasons are obvious. To reduce the amount of gold in the gold coins would be resisted by the money power. They would say, to do so is repudi ation.
 "To add silver to the dollar is equally out of the question. Without going into the history of that coin. the silver dollar containing 371,25 of pure silver, it IS enough to say that It had been more generally in use m the colonies for generations before our independence was established than any other coin. It was the we'll known, and universally used standard of value in commercial and business transactions; it was the specific payment provided for in the contracts. In Mexico, the Central American States, in all South America and the West Indies 1t was the only unit and standard of value. It was the outgrowth Of the discovery of Amer ica and was disseminated and establish ed i'll the wonderful renaissance of the centuries following.
 "That dollar wherever coined was by one of the first congresses made legal tender for all debts and continued to be in most general use always. The use of that com crossed the Pacific ocean and has'become general in Japan, China and all of Eastern AsIa. It has taken centuries to accomplish this result. To offer a new coin is tO offer something unknown to the vast multitudes who use money, and who will look with suspic- ion on, and reject what they do not know. In all those portions of the world to offer a silver dollar, no matter where coined, is satisfactory, and no explanation is needed, no matter what language the parties may know or not know. This use of centuries among so many people so far apart, and using so many Languages and dialects has be. come deeply rooted in tradition and custom. It cannot be changed; to at tempt it is folly.
 "The United States is said now to have coined between four and five hun dred millions of these dollars. To call them in and re-coin them in larger coin dollar is out of the question. No "gold bug" advocate has ever urged so absurd a thing. No international agreement will ever consider if. That is mere talk, to tide over until after election. It is the lawyers motion for continuance in bad case. The issue is squarely made between gold stand ard and gold and silver standard, the latter, based on the old and we'll known silver dollar, and the haIf-eagle, eagle and double eagle. We need not spend any time on Is to 1 or any other ratio. The ratio will not be changed because it cannot be changed.
 Again, what has the money of the civilized world got to do with it. Eng land coins pounds, shillings and pence. France, Germany and the others have their coinage. live buy of either we must pay in their cons; that IS, we buy 1OISJSu SACIdHSSs AAls HO CSiA UuE III wheat. cotton, gold or copper. Each nation must establish it's own coinage. We should do so and insist on dis tinctlyely American policy, net an European policy. Feudal land owners have made wooden shod peasantry in l Europe; we don't want feudal bond- holders to make such peasant here.
 ''The truth about the matter is, the 1 people understand the question better than the politicians. The Mckinley boom is evidence of universal discon- tent. It is over. It will nominate him and then it will stop. The people know you can't make good times by raising taxes. They want to raise prices, pay their debts and then buy and sell things. Here is prosperity and plenty oft. Gold and silver wilt do this."
 "But," tue judge added, ''I can't make speech now. Watch the silver craze. Everybody has got it."
 Planning Their Downfall.