The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-09-17
AMERICAN BIMETALLISM.
Otto Arendt on the Situation-What
the Great German BimetalIist Thinks
of the Issue.

of the Issue.
The people OF the United States
have never been called upon to de-
eide a question so important as
that at the coming presidential cleo
ton.
Look al the two sides and mark
the striking contrast. Mckinley and
his votaries representing "honest
money" and dishonest profits, the
party that brought the pillagc
of national resources for the benefit
of capital to fine point into method
on the one side.
Their opponents we find under the
proud banner Of Bryan. Those are
the productive Observation-Disclosures
and farmers who refuse to permit
themselves to be bled in future for the
cause Of the gold standard.
With respect to the possible candl-
dates, bmetallists, taking Mckinley
to be a thorough silver man, regarded
him with much favor.
What sad disappointment, however,
came with the St. Louis convention,
was inspired by Wall street, while Nc
Kinley himself deserted The peoples
causes and closed an alliance, often
sive and defensive, With all srasplng
capital.
Heaven high above him, unfettered
and unmeICenary, rose Bryan, who
at once gained the respect and
sympathies of binetalists the world
over.
III were an American citizen |
would unhesiratingly vote for the peo-
PIES champion free coinage pres
ldent, who would walk in Cleveland's
footsteps.
Should Bryan be elected, we, the
bImetallists, would gain formidable
allies, while American bankers would
certainly do all in their power to fore
stall the depreciation of American
values by backing our cause Of inter
nat ional bimettallism.
Balfour waits and hopes patiently
for bimetallic conversion Of London.
That famous debate Of March 18th has
clearly shown what IS thought of the
question in the city. The shylock
standpoint was never presented with
more brutal effrontery than by Har-
court.
The American silver party will find
Harcourt's speech the best campaign
documents. y producer who reads
this speech and does not vote for
Bryan, cuts his own throat. In order
to prevent some Of this moral suicide
quote 4 few characteristics phrases.
Sad the leader of the English Liber-
ais:
"England has been called the land
of Shylocks. Nobody who was pres
ent will forget the memorable speech,
delivered by Mr.. Gladstone in this
House on this same question, when he
submitted to the worlds ridicule the
proposition that this land of money
lenders should go from country to
country, hat in hand, begging that
we should be paid ten shillings for a
pound"
With this speech Shylock Harcourt
has laid bare the kernel of the whole
matter. Shall producers pay double
value in goods or not? The English
creditor grows rich, while his Ameri-
can victim goes to ruin.
1t is self-evident that the American
people desire to be as independent of
manipulators of the bourses of New
York and Chicago they must be abso-
utely free of the conditions that govern
| speculation in Berlin and London.
Socalled silver fanaticism Of which we
hear SO much, is really but protest
against shady bourse manipulatons
| that threatened the small man year in
and year out.
The American silver party, if it
means to do its full duty, must be
content to break the monopoly, but
must also put an end to the fiuctua-
tons of the value Of silver. This
should be accomplished as follows:
Immediately after Bryan assumes his
office the government of the United
States should ask the powers OF Eu-
rope whether they desire mutual un-
Outstanding withreference to free coin
age. The powers will not be long in
formulating requests and submitting
propositions by whose adoption all
contracting parties will gain. Thus it
may come about that iniS. national BIZ
metalllsm and the best possible solu-
ton Of financial and economical prob
lens of the day will be ultimate re-
suits of Bryan's and the peoples VIC
tory.
But how will it be should Mckin-
ley be elected? Nothing could act
more disastrously on the American
standard. Only Bryan can save the
American standard by an internation-
| al understanding.
1t is true that the banks are Just now
heaplng up the coin Of the treasury,
and contrary to their usual ways, with
out compensation.
This may proceed for some time,
but should Mckinley be well installed,
they will remember the nice little
profits OF the Cleveland bond issues,
and "get even"
Does any one believe that Wall
street gives its gold SO unselishly? The
aim is to keep the single stand, tor
should November pronounce its doom,
silver would, as money, be decidedly
''sounder" than paper with a gold
premium.