Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-06
THOMAS b. REED on sILvER.

In the October number of the North
American Review, under the title of "The
Safe Pathway of Experience" Hon. Thorn
as r. Reed discusses the present national
campaign calmly. dispassionately and with
his usual good sense. He briefly reviews
the history of the Democratic party and
the causes which have led up to its disrup-
tion. He shows what the United States
has done in the effort to aid silver: I'VE
have bought it at high prices and hold it
now at low prices to further its production.
We have bought and paid cash for silver to
the amount of 464 millions of dollars. and
what We paid 464 millions for will now, at
81 cents an ounce. bring us but 32s millions.
In other words, We have paid out 464 mill
ions to bring the silver dollar to par, and
it is now worth 50 cents and We have sunk
1876 millions and more in the attempt. j..
If We could lift silver to twice its height
and keep it there we would be glad to do
it, because the good of any part of the
country is the good of all. But all exper-
ience shows We cannot do it. If buying
nearly the whole American product seemed
but to stimulate the fall, will taking the
balance raise it?'
While on this subject Mr. Reed takes oc-
casion TO give Bryan and his ''beliefs" a
sharp rap thus: "It will not do to reply
that we believe SO and so. That may do
for theology but not for business. Things
in this world 60 on irrespective of our be-
iiefs. We believe was as freely uttered
about the purchase clause Of the Sherman
act as 1t is about free coinage: and yet
silver did not go to par. but on the con-
trary went steadily and ruthlessly down.
The laws Of nature have no mercy on the
ories- 1t is true Mr.. Bryan says we be-
lieve' that silver will go to par. But,
speaking without the slightest dsrespect,
who is this Mr.. Bryan that his we believe
should be substituted for the facts of the
universe. for the eternal verities? Have
these gentlemen who believe been success
ful prophets heretofore? Let the markets of
the world which were to make us so pros
perons answer. In word, with the safe
pathway of all experience. and especially of
our own experience, open before us shall
We try to blaze new path when we can
see the edges of many of the pitfalls and
morasses in which we will founder"
Mr.. Reeds advice to the sound money
Democrats is to vote for Mckinley as the
best and surest way of forever extermin-
ating the free silver heresy They ought to
do it. he says, because Mckinley represents
some important things which coincide with
their own wishes. "It may be true that he
represents some other notions to which
they are not friendev. but we know that
such is continually the case in politics.
+. Such Democrats are sure that no
greater misfortune can happen to the bus
mess interests of the nation than sinking
to the level of the silver standard-for-
saking the civilized nations and joining, so
far as currency goes, those not SO advanced
as We ourselves are. To man who thus
believes. the course must be very plain"
The sum and substance OF the. whole
question is thus tersely presented: .Ex-
perience shows the road to prosperity. We
have trodden 1t before. Some gentlemen
tell us there is another road as yet untrod-
den by man, but which leads to the nos.
Session of the earth. Which road will YOU
take-the one in sight or the one out of
sight2"