The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-10
RIDICULE WON'T WORK.
In This Campaign Says Senator Vest
Of Missouri.

OI A46BOuI1s
Kansas CITY. Aug. Ex-senator George
G. Vest said in an interview published
IN a Kansas City paper;
What do think of Bryan's chances?
I believe he is certain of election. This
is not a partisan fight and the gold men
will realize it before the canvass is half
over. They can't buy the election, for
the tidal wave will continue to rise IN
til it would bankrupt Aladdin'S lamp
much more Marc Hanna, to buy enough
votes to change the result. The people
are desperately in earnest, and deter
mined to overthrow the single gold
standard. They have tried it since 1873
and now find all their products falling
in price with business paralyZed and
money cOngeSted in the banks and safe
ty vaults of the cities. Matters can't
be worse. With oats at 8 cents a bush
Ell, corn Is and wheat 55 cents, while
horses are worth comparatively moth
ing and the Chicago packers are fixing
the price of beef cattle to suit them
selves, it will require a vast amount of
education to teach the voters that our
present standard helps the farmer.
Nor can I understand why the mon
ey lenders do not see that they are kill
ing the goose that lays even the golden
egg by the existing system. Unless
there is a change the debtor will be I'M
able to pay either principal or interest,
and the banks will be loaded with real
estate which is constantly depreciating.
Mr.. CieVeland'S administration has
been a most unfortunate one. It has
caused the settled conviction among
conservative men, many of them life
long Democrats, that the government
is managed in the interest of wealth,
and not of the great masses of the peO-
pie.
THE surrender of the governments
option to pay silver to the spectators
who were bringing greenbacks and
treasury notes to obtain gold; the sale
of 1852, 10000 bonds to sustain the gold
standard; the approval by the presi-
ND h Of 17e OLE kstov,
of their charter by the New York ma
tiOnaI banks in refusing to pay the
checks of depositors and rendering
clearing house certificates. and the in
come tax decision, which Justice Brown
declared to be the establishment of the
SOrdid despOtism of wealth, these things
have satisfied the people that they must
look to themselves for relief and not to
those who are talking about sound
money, meaning thereby falling prices
for products, and more purchasing
power for gold.
"Epithets and ridicule won't settle
this question. 1t is too serious a mat
ter. have no quarrel with any man
who differs with me, and gives his rea-
sons frankly, but 1 lose my patience
when the arguments of the greatest
political economists in the world for
free coinage and the double standard
are answered by charges of Iunacy and
reputation If we are lunatics then
Cleveland has been in lunatic
asylum for four years. A majority of
his cabinet have taught this Iunacy.
Carlisle, Herbert, and Wilson support
ed free coinage when in congress, and
Hoke Smith advocated also the ware
house scheme IF the Populists in a pub
lished letter.
Besides this, David B. Hill. the pres
ident's chief defender, voted for free
coinage in the senate, and declared
that the troubles of this country had
come from the act of 1873, denometiz-
ing silver. I heard him boast in the
tariff debate of 1894, that he had voted
for free coinage, and had thereby taken
his political life in his hands
L could go on naming reformed 1un-
aticS for an hour