The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-17

views. Since then he has made another
! spoech. al Contraiia. H.. and In that
speech no said. speaking OF the platform
| OF 1892.
..rhus. you see that both parties de-
| clarcd in favor OF gold and silver as
the money OF the country. -Four years
| have passed since those platforms were
written. and those four years have been
years OF momentous events, ana as this
campaign approaches the two great par
ties line themselves up on this great
question. The Republican party at ST.
louis declared that the gold standard
should be maintained until 1t could be
| changed by international agreement
| Note the language. That platform does
not say that the gold standard Is
good thing, because that platform
pledges the party TO get rid OF the gold
standard and substitute for 1t something
better as soon as IL can be done. This
better substitute could not be received
until the world should help.
"The Democratic party met NJ Chi
cago and IT adopted platform which
IS in direct opposition 10 the platform
adopted at st. Louis. The ST. Louis
platform declared that the god stan
dard should be maintained until It coull
be- changed 10y international agreement;
until something else could be done. The
Democratic party declared Itself unalter-
ably opposed TO the single gold standard"
Now. when this language Is considered
in connection with Mr.. Bryans votes in
Congress it becomes perfectly clear that
what he wants Is silver monometallism.
and that ne will not stop short Of that
IL he can help 1t.
When the bill to repeal that part Of the
Sherman law which uiIects the monthly
purchase Of silver was before the House.
Mr.. Bryan made an elaborate speech.
which gave him great reputation with
silver men. 1t can be seen on pages
400 to All of the Congressional Record,
Volume %. part l. In this speech Le
took the most advanced ground for the
free coinage Of silver at the ratio Of
1s to l. His idea was thorcupon Pre-
scnted in concrete form 10y amendments
moved by Mr.. IHand. The first amend
mont proposed by him gave the privilege
of free coinage of silver at the ratio of
l6 to 1. TO all holders Of silver bIllion
Of the value Of $50 or more. This amend
mant was defeated by rs yeas 20 .26
nays. Mr.. Bryan voted yea.
Mr.. Bland then offered an amendment
fixing the ratio at Il TO l. On this the
vote was 1Ol yeas to 2n nays. Mir.
Bryan voted nay.
Subsequently Mr. Bland introduced
amendments providing successfully for
free coinage at the respective ratios Of
Is to !, 10 to ], and - 10 1. While these
amendments were supported by silver
men by votes ranging from lOl to l23.
Mr.. Bryan refused to accept any com
promise on the ratio, and voted steadily
i'm the negative. on the motion TO re-
enact the Bland-AllisCn silver-purchase
act he voted once more with his fellow
silvcrites. and the amendment WAS re-
jected by l36 yeas TO 2l3 nays.
These votes make the meaning Of Mr..
Bryan's language plain. He must have
free coinage of silver by this country
alone at the ratio of 10 to !. and he viii
have no modification whatever Of thatand
that, Of course is silver monometallism.
with a greatly deprecated dollar.
Nor is Mr. Bryan very candid when ne
deals with this subject. Celebrating at
Centralia the idea contained in the eX-
tract quoted. he said. further:
q want you TO ask the questions which
ought to be asked over and over again in
this campaign: each time with in
creased emphasis, and the two questions
are these:
III the gold standard is a good thing
why ought we TO try to get rid Of Il?
And if IT is bad thing. why should
we keep IL until some other nation helps
us to get rid of ito "
The idea he intends TO put forward
IS that there is an Inconsistency in the
Republican platform in its declaring that
the gold standard should bc preserved
until it is changed by international agree
ment for. says Mr.. Bryan, if it is changed
by international agreement It will then
be abandoned as a bad thing. But this
is a mere sophism. intended TO mslead
simple men. There is no Inconsistency
whatever in the case. The Republican
platform does not mean that when
10 abandoned. That is still to be left
as a standard 1t means. though that
another standard may be added to it,
If all the nations agree TO that second
standard. and therefore. that we should
have true Observation-Disclosures stand
ards-if we could get an international
agreement for it. We think the idea an
impossibility. but 1t is perfectly plain
what the idea is, and it is perfectly plain
that it is not what Mr.. Bryan would
represent il TO be.
Mr.. Bryan stands with Tilman. '16 TO
] or bust and he is not very careful in
stating what his adversarios demand
THAT'S THE WAY II WILLIE.
EN-Congressman c. X. Buckalew Of