The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-08-25
lrr TIE GOLD MEN ExRLAlN.
A Conservative Friend OF Silver Asks Some
Worry Pertinent Onestlona.

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Democratic party an intelligent defense
of their position.
The evils Of gold monomotallism arC
positive, existent, already demonstrated
The evils which might attend free silver
roinago arc still purely supposititious
theoretical, predicted, perhaps logically,
by scientific rcasoners, but still to be
manifested. While we coined gold and
silver, as wo did until 1878, mono OF
these disasters which arc supposed tC
attend upon FREQ silver coinage befell
us. Since we stopped that coinage all
the evils which the closest students re-
gard as inseparablo from gold mono
metallism have fallen 70 the lot of the
nation.
1t is time for the advocates of the
single gold standard to check themselves
i'll the easy occupation of asking ques-
tions and answer few. The present,
for example, is good time for them to
explain why the only "honest" dollar
is u dollar which constantly appreciates
in value, to get which year after year
the debtor, if he be farmer, must give
more of his wheat, his corn or his cat
tie; if workingman, moro of his labor.
What is the sanotity which attaches to
the money lender that makes the essence
of honesty in dollar its capacity to
purchase twice as much when repaid as
when Lent?
There may be conscientious question
of the merit of the free silver 10 to 1
theory, but even from that extreme men
need lecoil to approval Of the wholly
unlawful system of gold monometalism
foistcd upon the nation by Grover Cleve-
land, nor to the support of the money
farming interest In its attempt to fasten
that system upon the government by
formal legislation with the aid of Will.
liam Mckinley and by permission Of
Mark Hanna
But for the fact that the term has
been brought into disrepute by men
who used it only as a snare The Jour
nal would avow itself with confidence
an international bimctallist But if we
look back over the past two years Of
storm and stress III currency debate, we
will find that the cry of international
bimetallism" has always been raised
just as an election was pending by emf
nent bankers, financiers, statesmen and
journalists who, when the election was
safely past, scoffed at the idea Of inter
national action, and even, as n rule,
discarded the bimetallic theory alto
gether. President Cleveland has not
failed to preach i'll sonorous phrase the
possibilities of international co-opera.
ton, but it does not appear that he ever
took effective or even vigorous action
under authority conferred upon him by
congress to hasten such an agreement.
1t seems pertinent TO ask now, in the
face of silver wave which bids fair to
sweep the country, why the very people
who bid their fellow countrymen today
wait for the cooperation of England,
France and Germany in the establish
ment of bimetallism We're only II few
weeks ago dcriding the very woid BIZ
metallism and applauding Mr.. Thomas
Collier Platt for having forced straight
declaration for the single golG standard
into tho st. Louis platform.
The political memory of men in this
United States is not very retentive, but
here arc few observers of politics who
10 not know that this battle of the mon
,tary standards has been in progress for
4 quarter Of u century, with the victory
on tho side of gold. Nobody
IAN forget that this sick man of ours
Inc commercial intcrosts-has been
given, almost without interruption, the
gold cure, and that year by year the
lose has been made stronger. From the
imo of the resumption Of specie pay
monts to the day Of the repeal Of tho
clause of the Sherman law the
only thing the advocates of gold mono.
metalism asked for was the piece of
legislation Immediately in sight That
they assured us, the patient
would thrive, the bright blcod Of trade
would again flow briskly through his
veins and new vigor and animation
possess his entire Lody. 1t seems per-
inent now to ask whether the state of |
he country after 20 years of legislation
constantly tending toward gold mono
is such as to justify belief |
hat attainment Of that goal is all neces-
ary to establish prosperity.
As yet no fixed limit has been set by
hose who pcrsistently press on toward !
,old monometallism, thrusting aside |
with the epithct |
crank" or anarchist" all who ask
hem to stop and reason. But from the
circumstances attending the repeal Of |
he purchase clause of the Sherman law
hrewd observers may judge how far the
Igencies now raising against Bryan tho
,itterest of cries are willing to go. That
epeal was wholly wise Neither mono
nor bimetallist can for mo-
nent defend the bastard system which
Ohm Sherman formulated. But we wero
by the banking interests that
epeal Of that law would cure all finan.
ial ills from which the country suffer
d. 1t was repealed. The evils still con-
inued. Suddenly it was discovered that
he treasury notes were the source of
ii our financial sorrows, and the iinan-
iers demanded their retirement.
Now it is pertinent to ask if tho re-
zeal of the purchase clause Of the Sher-
nan law must 10 followed ~ the re-
ircment of all the treasury notes aud
reenbacks9 And, if this be done, will
ho silver certificates, redoemable, of
curse, directly in silver only, but
through e. change for national bank
otes indirectly in gold, be next marked
Or the slaughter? Is the effort for con-
raction of the currency to bo continu-
us, persistent, unrelenting?
II seems fair to ask the members Of
ho faction which opposes Mr.. Bryan for
aying frankly stated his ultimate
Jews on the currency question what