The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-10-20
THE EXPERIENCE OF A PRIEST
He Discovers Some of the Beauties OF
the Gold Standard Idea.
Rev. Father Kelley, of Chicago, Who De-
posted $500 in Gold with the Illinois
Trust and Savings Bank, Cannot
Get the Gold Again and Is
Paid in Silver.

IN the great counting room OIL the HI
nois Trust and Savings bank. Power
full pressure induced the Chicago pa
pers, with q single exception, to sup
press the story. The Chicago press is
absolutely under the domination of the
banks, and not a line damaging to the
success of the English gold standard
is given publication. Here is the story:
Rev. Father Edward Kelley is one
of the best-known clergymen n Chi
cago. He was until last week an ar
dent gold standard advocate and a sup
porter of Mckinley. Several months
ago an aged widow, one Of his parish
toner's, became alarmed over the safely
of a sum Of gold which was stored in
her house. The amount was $500, and
she intrusted it to Father Kelley and
asked him 10 deposit it in some bank.
He placed it on deposit in the Illinois
trust and savings bank. Recently the
widow became alarmed by the state
ment of the Chicago press that if Bryan
should win bank deposits would be
paid in 53-cent dollars, and asked her
pastor to withdraw the gold from the
bank and place it in a safety deposit
vault.
rhe following day Father Kelley
went to the bank, and, after explaining
the circumstances, presented the orig
nal deposit slip for the $500. The cash
Ter refused to pay in gold. Father Kel-
ley was astonished.
81 deposited this in gold, and I de
mand gold in return" said the IN
dignant churchman.
The cashier smiled blandly and said
it was against the rule Of the bank to
pay out gold. He handed out $3.50 in
silver certificates and $40 in currency.
He positively refused to give bank
notes or any money directly redeem
able in gold.
Father Kelley, holding the money Ia
his hand, went to the private office Of
John j. Mitchell, president of the bank,
and, being well known, was admitted.
He explained what had occurred, sup
posing, of course, that the wrong
would be rectified.
eve are not paying out gold and
can make no exception to the rule,
said President Mitchell, firmly.
''Do you mean to tell ne that this
woman cannot have back the gold she
Entrusted in your keeping?" demanded
Father Kelley.
''The money you have in your hand is
all right" was the evasive reply of the
now uneasy millionaire.
"That is not what you and people Of
your class are telling the country" said
Father Kelley, his voice trembling with
Indignation. ''You say that these silver
certificates represent coin which has an
intrinsic value of but SO cents to the dol
lar as compared with gold, and that if
Bryan is elected it will take two silver
dollars to equal the purchasing power
of one gold dollar. You have this
woman's gold. You pay her back what
you publicly proclaim to be 53-cent dol
lars. There can be but two possible
constructions placed upon your conduct.
You are either liar or thief"
Pale with excitement and anger Fa
Their Kelley turned his back on the bank
president and went away with his silver
certificates. He went to other banks
but was unable to secure the $500 in
gold Lodged in the vaults of the Iili-
nois trust and savings bank was not less
than $2,000,000 Of the yellow gold 1t is
being boarded to buy bonds with if Nc
Kinley is elected. 1t is too valuable and
scarce for widows and ordinary people.
President Mitchell is quoted by the
financial editor of one of the Chicago pa
pers as saying that 1.-The cashier sup
posed Father Kelley wanted the gold
for the purpose of boarding, and that
they did not pay out gold to such per-
sons"
What do you think of that, you gold
standard worshipers? If you want to
hoard anything hoard silver. The
banks will hoard gold. They will keep
on forcing down the price of silver and
enhancing the price OF gold, until gold
goes to premium. They will then buy
bonds with their gold and you Will pay
the interest on the same-you and your
children and grandchildren.
Do you think you can get gold at a
bank? Try it. You cannot get gold
dollar unless as personal favor. And
yet Mr.. Mckinley tells you that to-day
one American dollar is as good as an
other American dollar, and that if he is
elected president it always will be. If
Mr.. Mckinley is elected president
gold will go to premium
the next day. The banks and
trunsts and syndicates have boarded it
in greedy anticipation of such an event.
The Heidelbachs, the Ickleheimers, the
Lizards, the Pierpont Morgans, the
Kuhns. the Loebs. and all the other cold