The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-06
o. SUNDAY MORNING. SEPTEMBER PAGES

the Democracy, abando ming The tariff issue,
takes its stand on platform OF what it calls
free silver.
The Republican party takes its stand on the
platform OF sound money. 1t is not prepared
10 allow any owner or holder of silver bullion,
wherever mined, to deposit 1t at the mints of
the United States and have it coined without
expense to him into alleged silver dollars each
OF the weight of 41215 grains of standard sill
yer, and then give him the privilege of COM
pelling the United States and It's citizens and
one else in all the wide world, to accept
such dollars as full legal tender in payment of
all debts, public or private, and in effect to
suffer those who own silver and owe money in
great or small smountS to settle their obliga-
tions at so cents on the dollar, and to forbid
by law all specific contracts for the payment of
money in any other coin than silver dollars
and subsidiary currency.
The Republican party is not in favor of the
ratio OF 16 TO 1, which means simply that an
ounce OF silver shall be declared by law to be
worth 81 % when its real commercial value in
the worlds market is but 90 cents an ounce
1t is not In favor OF an alleged dollar worth
only 50 cents and the cost of manufacturing
1t. 1t is in favor OF maintaining the present
gold standard until by compact with the civil
ized and commercial nations of the world gold
and silver are put upon parity at some ratio
which all Will agree TO maintain, and thereby
enable both GOLD and silver to be legal tender
at such ratio all over the world for every spe-
cies and kind of commercial transaction
wherever undertaken. The one plan seems
plainly honest. the other seems as plainly dis
honest; the one is founded upon the experi-
ence OF ages, the other upon a recently de-
yeloped theory: the one is safe reality the
other Is a dangerous dream.
General Barnes spoke at much length con
corning silver and said that the Republican
party had always recognized the claims of
silver, and has time and again endeavored to
protect Ii and give IL value money, but does
not regard 1t as the panaeea for all the diff
culties and EN- mbarrassments of life and COM
merce, nor is the silver mine the only object
OF National Solic1tude. He also arraigned the
Democrats because "they are willing for the
cause of silver to imperil National unity and
nnFa a vas hon
tive tariff" Sectionalism ought long ago to
have disappeared from the United States. 1t
is revived and kept alive only BY such a crazy
combination as was made at Chicago between
the silver Democrats aud Populists OF the
South. The National party that appeals to
sectional prejudice is to-day. as it was thirty
five years ago, the enemy of the Union.
THERE ARE NO GLASSES"
There ought to be no classes in this Nation
because there is nothing in this country elther
of wealth or position, OF power or energy that
is not equally open to all. The poor OF to-day
may be the rich OF tomorrow. The rich can
not entail their accumulations and one genera
ton squsnders what another has amassed.
Our country is a wonderful equalizer of men
and fortunes. The humble homes and the
! palaces approach each other and exchange
| occupants oftener than we think. The poorly
! nourished and ragged prospector in the noun
tain may with blow OF pick or hammer lift
/ himself to OpuleLce. The mechanic may in
vent that which may make MIN and his
children prosperous. The results OF industry,
skill, temperance, order and economy are
denied TO no human being who seeks them.
A raj splitter may develop into 8 President
! and the son OF a tanner may become leader
OF armies.
! There is no distinction between the common
people of the United States and the creditor
class" which should make either the enemy of
the other. The creditor class exists every
! where. The poor we have always with US.
! The creditors are not only bankers, Capitalists
and financiers they are an innumerable num-
Der OF people OF small means and thrifty ha bits.
! Each of the millions of ,depositors in savings
hafN Is
| bers OF building associations ana depoSltors in
trust com panies, which together owe them be-
tween five and six bi lions of dollars, is cred
/ itor. Every o.d soldier who draws pension
! is d creditor, and together they form an aggre-
gate TO whom the United States owes and pays
| every year not les than $l30, 900 900. The
! debtor class is not made up of rascally insol-
4 vents who would repudiate their debts if they
could, but IN the main they are honest 10.
| striving 10 get on in this world under many
difficulties. The relations Of the two are SO
connected that, like the States themselves,
whatever injuries the creditor Injuries the
/ debtor, and whatever helps the debtor helps
| the creditor.
The tariff is of supreme Importance, for,
with protection to American Industries, we
are safe to emerge, sooner or later, from any
financial disas ter which weakness or folly or
/ error NAV bring upon the people. The major
/ ity OF our citizens were misled four years ago
| by men, themselves mistaken, into the belief
that the prosperity OF this country would be
advanced by near approach to actual free
trade as conditions then existing would per-
nit But that same ma jority has changed its
mind. 1t is no longer necessary TO argue the
question. 1t is necessary only to call attention
to the financial history of this country, to the
past development OF its resources, to the past
prosperity OF its people under a wisely ad-
juSted protective revenue system. A vast ma
iority OF the American people are not in favor
OF either free trade or African slavery. Both
have been determined by the American peo-
e, though doubtless there are living to-day
in some parts of the Union a considerable
number who still believe in both; yet if pro-
lection to American products and industries
on the one hand and free trade on the other
constituted the only issue between the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties there would
be henceforth but one dom minant party in
the United States, and that would be the Re-
publican party.
AN ESTIMATE OF BRYAN.
After paying a tribute to the Republi
can standard bearers, the speaker said:
The Hon. William Jennings Bryan is a silver