The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-05
IF Bryan Is Elected England
Will Declare Tt.
So Says a London Paper In
Plain Words.
THE POUND OF FLESH
Must Come If IrOnclads Are
Necessary to Get 1t.
The Silver Question as Under
stood In England
THE POUND OF FLESH

London, Aug. 5-Editorials and artic-
les in the London press reveal a deep
ening fear of Bryan's strength The
Times says: THE silver craze is not
confined to the west and south, and
there is always danger that policy of
sentiment and selfshness may spread
rapidly It is quite possible that the
next few weeks may seem to strengthen
the party of reputation, and that dis
trust of the result in November may
increase In New York city there are
evil signs. To say that there is no dan
ger of his election would be to say too
much
A Scotsman, resident in New York
writes to the Scotsman that the silver
craze is assuming such alarming pro-
portions that there is beginning to be
fear that 1t may control the election.
Banks everywhere are sending out ap-
peals to their customers to do what
they can to counterfeit the folly; but
what avails it?''
One correspondent cOntemplates com
pIacently, if not jOyfully, the prospect
of an early and acute financial panic in
the states as such a state of affairs
would help materially in defeating Bry-
an" Advices from America state,
however, that the bankers have de-
ferred for the present the playing of
this game. Perhaps they know better
the temper of the people.
SpeculatiOns are rife as to the effect
on England of Bryan's election The
Times and Echo. a radical paper, says
in its issue of July 10: If Bryan Is
elected and the Democratic platform
enacted into law there will be war be-
tween this country and the United
States before this time next year. The
great capitalists who forced Mr. Glad
Str r0
government in Office here to declare
war against America sooner than that
their holdings of American bonds shall
shrink to half values"
The same journal admits condition
justifying war when it says: IF the
single gold standard can be forced up
on South America and Asia, as it has
been since 1873 forced on North Ameri-
ca and Europe, gold must inevitably
appreciate to at least four times its
present absurd value; or to put it 9th
erwise, commodities must decline to
one-fOurth of the present price. and
labor, al the world over, be crucified
as it was never crucihed before-in days
OF medieval SerfdOm or even chattel
slavery. Such is the contest. If the
money lords can force gold monometal-
Hsm upon the whole world, they will
succeed in establishing the most gigan-
tic moneyed ar1stOcracy among the
rich. and the worst system of peOnage
SerfdOm among the masses that has
ever cursed the hapIess sons Of men.
But they will not succeed have long
leaned to the belief that the social rev
olution would come to US out OF the
dauntless bosom Of the far west, and
the present struggle is but the begin
ming of the end of the classes both in
the new world and the old"
The English press very generally pro-
fesses q belief in the sincerity and abil-
ity of Mr. Bryan and his followers. The
Speaker for July is had the fairness to
say: Mr. Bryan and his followers
really believe that the masses are be-
nTrTrfffaH = Of GOLD They
entertain no doubt as to the righteous
ness of their cause when they are at
lacking wealth and society and old
laws and principles in order to replace
them by the tenets of Jack Cade. This
is the terrible part of the business. If
they were as some English critics err
rOneously suppose, mere charlatans
and impostors. They are enthusiasts
which they knew to be Ubiquitous mere
" because they believe they can win
votes by so doing, then their great cru
sade against the public rights would
not be SO formidable a business. But
we cannot believe they are charlatanS
and imposters. They are enthusiasts
undoubtedly and crankS presume bly,.
And there are no more dangerous per
sons in the world than cranl1s and en-
thusiasts when they have allowed them
selves TO become the advocates Of a dis
honest cause
The Tablet, a British reform paper
thus states the silver question as It ex-
lists in America:
Let US suppose a grain shipper had
spoken in this fashion to a broker:
Twenty years ago 1 entered into q con-
tract with you to supply 50 tons of
grain or given quality Year after
year my harvests have been weighed
in your scales. and every year I have
found myself obliged to supply an ad-
ditiOnal number Of sacks to make up
the total, which you reckon to be 50
tons. The grain is the same in quality
as it was when the contract began 90
years ago. but now I have to supply
nearly fVVirn sacks Of ha-
fore your scales show the required so
tons. and want to know the reason
why
The banker could give only one re-
ply; The truth is, sir, that during all
this time my weights have been stead
lily approaching and now, according to
my scales, it requires just twice as
many sacks of wheat to make bon as
were needed when the original contract
was signed.
Would not the farmer have some
right on his side if he replied: Then
the fact that your weights have been
getting heavier every year, in other
words have been, as you say. apprecia-
ting, has put me at a grieVOuS disad-
vantage, and as it was no part of the
original bargain that your scales must
necessarily be used. now demand that
my grain should be reckoned with
weights that have not appreciated.
That. put in hOmely way, is the
case for the Silver party in America.
To treat the American move
ment in favor of the free coinage of sill
yer as simply immoral is absolutely
misleading and unjust All we
have tried to do is remind our readers
that the monopoly Of honesty and of
charges of injustice is not entirely on
one side. It must be borne in
mind that the Indian minis were closed
20 the unlimited coinage of silver only
in 1898, and those who remember the
words of Mr.. Balfour last March will
understand how probable IT is that free
coinage of silver in the United States
would be followed by the reopening of