New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-10
FALsIFYING THE CONSTITUTION.

There Is no use in trying 10 pm down ana eA-
pose all the falsehoods that the Bryan managers
are circulating In this campaign. 1t would he "a
task more difficult than the labors OF Hercules
Besides. it would not do much good for the
Bryan papers show a disposition 10 repeat the
same old lies time and time again. utterly re-
gardless of exposure They evidently hold the
voters on whom they rely for support In utter
contempt, and think so long as they shout aloud
and in positive accents they can delude the
farmers and mechanics into believing anything.
The next step. after doctorlng the platform ana
falsfyIng the records of the Chicago Convcn-
ton is to distort the Constitution. as If every
intelligent American voter could not turn on the
instant 70 that instrument and detect the false
hood. Apparently the Bryan people care most
for the ignorant voter. who can be fooled ny
forgerles and false quotations. To expose them
all is hopeless. But now and then one can be
run down just to keep as specimen of Popo-
cratic campaigning.
The first number Of Bryan campaign paper
just started in this city, under the headline,
Supreme Law Of the Land. Constitution of the
United States Declares Cold and Silver, not
Gold Alone. nor Gold or Silver, but Gold and
"Silver Shall be Legal Tender in Payment for
"All Debts" reprints article from The
Omaha World Herald" which. AT the time OF us
publication. was advertising William j. Bryan as
its editor That article contains the statement
quoted in the headline
There is not one word In the Constitution
that can be twisted TO mean any such thing.
Just two sentences on the subject OF money
occur in the Constitution. One Is the statement
that among other things. Congress shall have
power TO coin money regulate the value there
''of and Of foreign coin. and fix the standard or
weights and measures The other is the sec
ton distorted by the Populists. 1t forbds any
State to ENTER into any treaty. alliance or con-
Federation; grant letters of marque and re-
"prlsal; coin money: emit bills Of credit; make
anything bur gold and silver coin tender in
payment Of debts; pass any bill of attander.
EEK post facto law or law impairing the obi
'gation Of contracts; or grant any title of no.
"bility" These prohibitions Rave no reference
10 the powers of the General Government. For
all the Constitution has to say the coinage of the
United States might be Of iron or lead. The
section quoted is simply restriction on the
States If II means what Mr. Bryan's paper
says 1t does namely. that because the States
are forbidden TO make anything but gold and
silver legal tender. therefore the Federal GCv-
eminent is also forbidden to do so-f 1t means
that Ii also means that the United States can
not coin money at all; because the States are
forbidden 10 coin money. Free coinage or any
coinage is therefore unconstitutional But the
States and likewise the United States accord
ing to Mr.. Bryans paper-may not emit bills OF
credit Therefore greenbacks are impossible,
and we can have no money at all NO State
shall enter into any treaty" Therefore, by the
same reasoning the United States cannot make
a treaty Its power to deal with foreign coun-
tries Is gone
The whole Populist argument thus comes 10
an ahsurdty. OF course those who make the
argument know how absurd II is Mr.. Bryan
knows how absurd it Is, yet he permitted paper
advertised as edited by him to make such at
tempts TO fool the creduous As "The Water
bury American says concerning his allowing
his name To he used AT the head Of that paper
n give currency TO another falsehood The
only Interpretation that can be put upon his
failure 10 withdraw it Is that he Is willing 10
have all sorts of campaign stories circulated
ION his authority among poorly Informed POpu
list readers in the West. counting on the intclli-
"gence Of people elsewhere 10 discriminate be
tween the probable and improbable statements
thus circulated This is certainly not a very
mobile position for man to occupy who has
received such high encomiums for honor and
character as man.