The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-22

feet contracts already made, Mr.. Bryan,
in the speech tba made him his party's
candidate. answered, 81 want to ask The
gentleman from New York where, in
law or in morals, he can find authority
for not protecting the debtor when the
act of 1873 was passed, but now insists
that we must protect the creditor"
Senator Hills amendment was remorse-
lessly voted down.
If candidate Bryan is elected and the
democratic policy is embodied in legis-
lation-and the one event insures the
other--wbat are these 10000, 900 saw
ings deposits in Vermont worth? The
standard silver dollar, which Mr.. Bryan
and his party propose to make full le-
gal tender for all debts, public and pri-
vate, is worth to-day about fifty-three
cents. The democratic party says, if
II is continued in power, it will make
laws that will scale down to about
S15, 100000 the $50, 100000 the savings
institutions of Vermont owe their de.
positors. The value of deposit of
800 will be reduced TO $50; of $500 to
$3.50, and so on. The total of the de-
posts in the savings banks of the
United States is about 81 100000, 900.
The democratic party proposes to pay
the depositors to whom this vast sum is
due, ftty-three cents on dollar.
The aggregate value of the principal
farm products of Vermont is about
SIC 100000; of the nation, 81 600, 000,-
600. The aggregate wages paid in Yer
mont is about S1O,000000; in the ma
ton, So 300, 100000. The democratic
proposition is to pay for these products
and wages in currency worth, in the
money market of the world, only fifty
three cents on dollar. The PROPOSE
ton does not end here. 1t contem-
plates paying every life insurance pol
icy, every debt due, and measuring the
value of every species of property, by
the same debased standard.
Thus do these populists and commu
nists and anarchists, in the guise of
democrats, propose to exterminate the
plutocrats.
The republicans of the nation have
set their faces like flint against this
policy of reputation and dishonor.
The honest democrats of the country
have joined hands with their historic
opponents for the maintenance of the
national credit, for the salvation of the
nations material interests. Every other
issue is subordinated to this one. The
great leaders of the democracy among
the newspapers, in all parts of the coun-
try, have announced their determine
ton to advocate the election of the one
candidate that stands unequivocally for
sound money, William Mckinley. In
dividual democrats, leaders and lay
men, formidable in numbers and pow
erful in influence, announce their de-
termination to disown the Chicago
platform and candidate. Many of these
will vote for Mckinley and employ
their powers to persuade others to vote
for him.
How will the democrats of Vermont
line up in this emergency? One of
their newspaper organs has abandoned
its pre-convention position and bowed
the knee to the strange gods of popu-
lism and anarchy. Another is loyal to
its professions, but is proposing to ex-
tend aid and comfort to the common
enemy by counseling independent
action. "Unite, or de-" was the
legend the patriots of the thirteen colo
MES needed. "In union there is
strength " is the later embodiment of
this great political truth. If the honest
money democrats of Vermont earnestly
desire great and final victory over the
supporters of silver monometalism,
they will disregard the latter counsel as
swiftly as the former, follow the ex-
ample of their brethren elsewhere and
join their forces to those of the republi-
cans. Thus may every risk of defeat
be avoided and the triumph of sound
finance and national honor made more
impressive and more effective by be-
coming more of national and less of a
partisan victory.