The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-24

a Powerful Argument Against me iree
Coinage of silver faliacy'

GEN. BUCRNER's IBLE SPLLCH'
A Powerful Argument Against the iree
Coinage of silver faliacy'
General Buckner spoke as follows
Mr.. Chairman. Ladies and Gentleman'
/ learn from tle conflicting voices when
l hear from the audience that there Is
difference Of opinion amongst those VINO
are listening TO men, and / am glad OF IT,
Ii IS for discussion that we meet not LOT
riot and confusion. ] naye had mlAed
audiences before recently, ana tht.o -
not a town, a city, or "A county lh my
state OF Kentucky where an advocate
OF free silver cannot be heard without
any remonstrance or interruption But
unfortunately. Die passions of the people
have become aroused. l think very un-
necessarily. on matters affecting purely
the material interests of the people.
when we wish % discuss question. 10
does not advance the argument 10 can
each orle- names 1 do not propose 10
apply epithets 90 any who may diner WIN
me i'm sentiments or on Facts concerning
the subject discussed here Tonight anu
] say this 10 those Who differ Win me-
that in Ken.u,ky your views would 40
heard I'm any audience. for no man VINO
advocates true Democracy Is opposed u
free speech. Npplause)
But it seems shat 90 some localiues'
Nj Chairman. Size advocates or the fite
coinage Of silver. who ought 10 be for
free speech. arc against IT, and viii not
listen TO anything in contradiction 10 thelr
views. applause / wish. my Icllow
citizen, 10 discuss some OF n1e q-es-
tons Of This campaign. II YOU VIII Hsicn
10 me. i'm "a very amiaDle spirit, ana. ds
said, without applying any cpiihets 10
you. For 10 Is to che good of the wnoic
ro0r'e. 10 the mtcrcs, OF every citizen
i'm tlis broad country that the National
Democracy was fluned and Organized TO
carry out the true principles of govern
merit which oui party las advocated FOR
"a hundred years past justice 10 all and
exclusive Uriyile.s 20 none That is De-
n.ocracy. and on that platform we stand
to-uirli as Jene-sou stood hundred
THE SIXTEEN-TO-ONE PLAN.
Now. Mr.. Chairman. there is good
deal Of politics in the country az this
time. but an other questions seem TO be
secondary TO The question of the free coin
age of silver al the ratio Of sixteen TO
one; that IS. that we are to assert by
law. whatever may be the commercial
value Of these two metals, we are 10 as
sert boy law that one pound OF gold IS
worth sixteen pounds Of silver.
Now, let Us look AT that fellow-citizens.
There arc laws of trade as positive as
the laws Of erayitation, or any other
law Of nature. We cannot fix price by
law any more than we can change tho
force of gravity by enactment OF Con-
gross. 7 wish TO present 20 you some
Instances to show why this cannot Doc
dorc. Any farmers hero who hear me-
o. q
wheat and corn were equal In value
lss.D for huShel sll from 10Y
mace. at the same price. hofh corn
ana wheat Now. suppose tAat the
Cr,cfumtnt Mt shat time had 'stan-
-..nrl corn and wheat If flo money
Of tho country. That IS not unfeason-
able because many substances nave
HON usot ln the course OF history Tor
Money. In Kentucky. when my ancestors
vert there from Virginia, they u-d corn
Skins and buffalo robes FOR mon g; and
later ttov used tobacco ffr currency.
Tn. o.e always selected something that
lad absolute and positive value. some
ching flat could be used for othcr pur-
noses. SuppCFe. ] say that th' 'o"
,,re.s Of the United states year ago had
enacted this law. tiat corn an" wheat
should To the money Of the country,
and that n husha Of corn should equal
a bi,shel OF wheat ana that Dotn Oh tn-s'
commodities should Do lul l"-ai-l'hN-r
,n nsvmeut of an debts, public ana nrl-
waite Vow. what would be the result !
~, talking 20 men of sense. men, WHO
can anplv their own thought 10 inc I'D
,oot and solve n as well as any s.i.i-
lie, i'm the country FOR I am taking
common sense. IS long ~ wheat "'u
corn continued TO have the same coi''''''i
oiol value n would make no diHerehoe
~ Won. n Won had both of these common
ties ana owed debt OF a hundred Dua"-
~ wheat. nor would # make any dier-
80 10 Won n tho dolt was owed 10 YOU
,rbethor r. was naid in one or me "l','
,ocarse the value OF both would then ne
the same.
STRIKING lLLUSTRAllON'
Nov. suproso that in some part OF the
country there is q demand Tor wheat. '"
r.-ult Of il would be thar me price Oh
wheat would incrcase-it Woliu sio" .'
value. and sulrcse that in the aiN'''
of the world It would sell fer TWICE VIM
il did before. NOW. yon nave u.'
ray. You see from the law that pus"'i
OF corn will pay your debt just as wen -
a bushcl OF wheat. and yet a bushel or
wheat is worth two bushes OF corn Win
which would you naturally pay your
dehty Clearly every one would pay MS
debt with the bushel Of corn and send his
bu.hol of wheat where he could get dou-
bic the price 81 a bushol Of Germ. So ! say
that you can yourselves see that where
there are two sorts Of money or the same
lesal determination. but of Iifer'a- resi-
tive value the least valuable OF the two
w,ll ntt.s' arilt Dec used in the Payment
OF debts. and the more valuable Of the
two. instead or being used between man
and man for the payment OF debts. would
Doe sent 10 the markets Of the world
where the holder could get the NEST price
for IL.
Now, what is true OF these two COM
| mOdities IS true Of any other commodities
! that may be used for money, because sill
| yer and geld are Commodities. They de-
! pend for their commercial value upon
supply and demand just as the price OF
everything else depends n the supply
Of an article is small and the demand
/ for IL IS great its value ia enhiu, eI: fthe
| supply OF AN article is abundant ana the
demand is slight. the price goes down.
IL Is the same with any other commodity.
THE RATIO CHANGES.
IL is fact that in consulting che mar
kets Of the world. We ind that in those
! markets the ratio Of the value between
silver and gold is constantly changing.
! 10 changes with the demand and the SUD