The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-08-21

II United States without discuss on be-
tore the people. and . friends have never
the voters upon that issue Thee can be
no sympathy or no cooperation between
and the advocates of bimetallism Be
tween neutrality-suspicious. Independent
or international-and the sold standard
there is an impossible gulf.
are They sincereY
Is this quadrienniat agitation in favor of
International Dimetallism conducted I'm
good faith, or DO our our opponents really de-
manently? Are they willing to confess the
superiority. of double standard when
world. or do they still insist that gold is
the only metal suitable for standard money
among civilized nations? If they are. in
may expect them to point out the evils OF
a gold standard and defend bimetallism as
system. If, on the other hand. they are
bending their energies toward the per-
manent establishment of a gold stand
internat ional bimetallsm, / am justified
in suggesting that honest money cannot
dishonesty with the American people.
Test OF Honesty in Money.
The test OF honesty in money, he said,
must be plainly found in the purchasing
power power OF the Collar. An absolutely honest
dollar would not vary in its general --..chas-
ing power; 1t would be absolutely stable
when measured by average prices. A dollar
which increases in purchasing power is
just as dishonest as a dollar which de-
ereases in purchasing power. 1t cannot
be successfully claimed that monornetal-
ism or bimet2llism, or any other system,
gives an absolutely Just standard of value
Under both recommendation and bimetal-
ism the government fixes the weight and
fineness of the dollar invests IL with legal
tender qualities. and then opens the minis
to its unrestricted &C mage, leaving the pur-
chasing power of the dollar to be deter
mined by the number of dollars. Bimetal-
ism is better than monometallisn. not
because II gives us perfect dollar-that u.s.
a dollar absolutely unvarying in its gen
eral purchasing power-but because it
makes nearer approach to stability. to
honesty. to justice, than gold standard
possibly can. Prior to 1873, when there
the gold and silver available for coinage
to find entrance into the worlds volume
of standard money, the United States
with less injury to the people of this coun-
try, but now, when each step toward p
chasing power Of gold, depresses prices
and transfers to the pockets of the creditor
class an unearned increment. the influence
Of this great nation must be thrown upon
the side of gold unless we are prepared to
accept the natural and legitimate conse-
which lessons the worlds stock Of stand
ard money increases the exchanReable
against silver must inevitably raise the
purchasing power of money and lower the
money value of all other forms of prop
erty.
Our opponents sometimes admit that 1t
was mistake TO demonetize silver. but
insist that we should submit to present con-
dltions rather than return to the bimetallic
system. They err in supposing that we
have reached the end Of the evil results
Of gold standard; we have not reached
the end. The injury is a continuing one
and no person can say how long the world
is to suffer from the attempt TO make gold
the only standard money. The same IN
fuences which are now operating 70 de.
stroy silver in the United States viii, If
successful here, be turned against other
silver using countries and each new con-
vert to the gold standard will add to ire
general distress. So long as the scramble
Tor gold continues prices must fall, and a
general fall in prices is but another defini-
ton of hard times.
Our opponents, while claiming entire dis
interestedness for themselves have ap-
pealed to the selfshness of nearly every
class of society. Recognizing the DISPOSE
ton of the Individual voters to consider the
effect of any proposed legislation upon him
self, we present to the American people the
platform, believing that 1t will result in the
greatest good to the greatest number.
Why Farmers Oppose Gold standard.
The farmers are opposed to the gold
Since they sell at wholesale and buy at
tail. they have lost more than they have
gained by falling prices. and, besides this,
have not fallen at all. Taxes have not
been perceptibly decreased, although it
requires more of farm products now than
formerly to secure the money with which
to pay taxes axes Debts !; have hao not fallen The
to pay $1,000, although 1t may be twice as
difficult as formerly to obtain the dollars
with which to pay the debt Railroad
with falling prices. and, besides these
items, there are many more. The farmer
has thus fC and it more and more difficult
to live. Has he not just complaint against
the gold standard?
Bad for the wage-Earner.
The wage-earners have been injured by 81
s seges anoa b ana eb nave them
! phasis. In February. 1895, petition ask
Ing for the immediate restoration of the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and sill
yer at sixteen to one was signed by the
representatives OF all, or nearly all, Of the
leading labor organizations and presented
to congress. Wage-earners know that
while gold standard raised the purchas-
ing power OF the dollar. it also makes it
dollar; they know that employment is less
permanent, loss of work more probable
and unemployment less certain
A gold standard encourages the boarding
OF money because money Is rising: il also
disconrages enterprise and paralyzes in
of bimetallism will discourage boarding
because. when prices are steady or rising
money cannot afford to lie idle in the bank
vaults. The farmers and wage learners To-
gether constitute a considerable majority
Of the people Of the country: Why should
their interests he ignored in considering
financial legislation? A monetary system
WHICH Is pecuniarily advantageous to few
system which would give hope and en-
enlargement to those who create the ma
tons wealth
Ruinous to Merchants and Manufacturers.
Mr.. Bryan said 1t was only necessary to
note the increasing number of failures In
order TO show that gold standard is ruin
Gus to merchants and manufacturers. SAL
aries in business occupations, he said de
pend upon business conditions and the
gold standard both lessons the amount
and threatens a permanency of such sal
aries
Dangerous for Others.
Our opponents have made special mp