The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-03

| OF SILVER 1T Ine present legal ration OF ~
to /. Then any person in the world
owning silver bullion could bring that
bullion to our minis and have it convert
ed into silver dollars just like the ones
you use today
Now, how could you be injured? Sup
pose some man made up his mind to in
| jure the American people under free
| coinage how could he do it? Why, he
would take his silver to tie minis; sup
| pose Il thousand dollars of it, and have it
| coined into dollars, then he would these
dollars out to hurt the American people
with them, and how would he do it! He
| could take the money home and he would
be required to pay the freight on il and
he would lose the coinage on it and lose
the freight both ways and we could sta I'd
it longer than he could. You say lee
could trade that silver for gold and take
gold away and leave silver. Where
would he get the gold? Would he get it
mt the treasury Of the United States?
Not under bimctallism, because under BIZ
mctalliSm the government does not agree
to swap, but under bimetallism the gov
eminent converts silver into silver money
and gold bullion into coin and make them
legal tender for all debts, public and
private. But it does not agree to redeem
II silver dollar in gold or II gold dollar
in silver. (Applausc.) So this foreigner
could not exchange his silver for gold
unless the government was disposed to
let him do it. Where would he get the
gold! He would have to find somebody
with gold. That would let most Of the
people out of danger. In Illinois last
year | had Il debate and my opponent
was very friendly and we called each
other brother. and in the course he said:
Brother Bryan. will you lend me Il silver
dollar to Illustrate my argument | have
not any" When it came my turn
thought | would try an experiment and !
said: Brother. | want to use Il gold
coin to illustrate my argument: | have
not any: will you let me have onc| He
got red in the face, He did not have
any. and when | called the attention of
the audience to the fact that | was de-
Tending silver and | had silver. but he
did not have the gold with which To it,
luStratc his argument and had just told
them that gold was the only good money.
But he did not have II dollar of it and |
did not have any of il. Well. now. he
would have to find somebody with gold
who was wilingg TO let the gold go
Well. there is another way he might do
He might. instead of taking the silver
home. instead of giving it To us. instead |
of trading il to use for gold. he might |
trade it to Use for property. Whenever |
we have anything to sell we are looking |
for some one one to buy. and if he will |
let lis know when he is coming with |
his silver to exchange for our products |
we will meet him ut the depot with |
brass band and escort him through the |
town and show him where the property |
it. Have you ever heard people say il |
did not make any difference how much |
money there is. you can not get any of |
it until You have something To sell! That |
is common argument. When man asks |
YOU this. You ask how YOU can get any |
money ut all until YOU find SOMEBODY with |
money with which To buy. OF course you
can not get your money unless you have
to sell. That is. ordinarily you
can not. If your are i'll syndicate and
have control of the finances of the gov
eminent you may sell credit and get
money.
I'VE believe that in opening the minis
to silver we will get more money and
that prices will remain more stable than
now.
I'VE want the ratio of Ii to | for two
reasons. In the first place. we believe
that the gap between silver and gold bull
lion has been caused by hostile legisa
ton and that it can be closed by friendly
legislation. (Rcnewcd applause.) We
believe that the law has undone what
the law has done and that it is not neces-
sary To make any change III the ratio;
there is another reason. Have you ever
tried To figure out what would be the eff
feet if we changed the ratio according
to the plan submitted by our onponents:
Suppose all the world comes to ratio
of - 10 | and suppose they made the
change by doubling the size of the silver
dollar. Do you know what that would
mean: 1t would mean the rccoinage of
1. OOO,0OO.O0O dollars into 2,OOO.OOO,OOO
silver dollars. 1t would mean, first. the
Shrinkagc of Onc-half the silver in the
world measured in dollars. and Il shrink
age of quarter of all the metal money
of the world. 1t would mean Il de-
crease in the purchasing power of every
dollar.
I'VE are opposed to the gold standard
because the gold standard means rising
dollar \ rising dollar means falling
prices: falling prices mean hard times
The party that tries To make by raising
the value of the dollar and lower prices
for the general products of human labor
IS the party that lcgislateS stagnation
upon people and drives men into bank
ruptcy.
Just word about one phase of this
subject. | want 10 caution You against
putting your affairs in the hands of for
aign nations. Let me read 10 you some
thing that am afraid may offend some
advocate OF the TOlu SluuudTN, tut am |
going IL read it. even at the risk of of
Tending him. Let me read you something
and see if YOU can guess who used the
language:
Against the iusiduouS wileS of foreign
influence. conjure you. my friends and
believe me. my fellow citizens. that the
jealousy of Il free people ought to he con-
stantly awake. since history proves that
foreign influence is one of the most hane-
ful foes of republican government.
What anarchist do you suppose wrote
that What man do You suppose. desir-
ng To excite prejudice against foreign
FRS. used that language. These We're the
words used 100 years ago on the lith of
his month by George Washington. When
we tell You 10 beware of placing the leg
slative control of our financial policy in
the hands of foreigners they accuse us
If trying To stir up hostility. They use
al sorts of abusive names.
BRYAN LEAVES CLEVELAND
In Charge of Reception Committee
From ColumhuS-Crowd NJ Depot.
Cleveland. Sept. There was another
paid To the Bryan party
whom they left this city for Columbus |