The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-08

question now before US Ii the silver QueS-
ton. This discussion We are now hav-
condition OF public and private affairs
IL has come upon US like the greenback
agitation of 1873. II had the sam,
causes. and In my judgment Will have
the same fate. s.rt
With the rising tide of business In 1879.
which followed specie resumption,
gIeenbackism disappeared from the face
Of the earth perhaps never again TO re-
appear. In like manner, when this elec-
tion Is over and business reviyes. this
question OF free coinage OF silver by tho
United States, single handed and alone.
will disappear from public and private
discussion.
1t was never any wonder to me that
the notions OF nat money took so deep
hold as they actually did upon the
people OF this country. There was just
enough OF truth In them TO mislead in
the worst possible way. Nothing can
lie like half truth. Those OF us who
went through the conflict OF 1878 must
admit that there was more I'm fiat money
than in this idea OF free and unlimited
coinage OF silver, 16 to /, by the United
States alone. In force and power OF the
argument before the people, The peo-
pie of the United States were sensible
enough TO take no steps In the dark, and
on the action of the people OF this coun-
try Is years ago found my belief in the
victory OF the Republican party.
Nor is the question today half as diff.
fcult as the question OF 1878. II is GER
tainly not bimetallism. Bimetallisn
means the use of both metals. and not
one. IL means the use OF both metals by
all the civilized world. at least At this
bimetallism Mr.. Bryan sneers He says
that is establishing System in America
with the consent of Europe, as If we
Iu InA l..e cat 80
ment," as does the Republican platform
he would have recognized both the in
dividuality OF other nations and theif
equality. When this same gentleman
talks about foreign monetary
system" one wonders how long IL takes
for such system 10 get used 10 our
climate Since 1884 we have had the
same standard and that standard has
been gold. True IL Is that nominally sill
yer was decreed to be at an eQuivalency
to l6 to I, but as the silver In a dollar,was
worth $l.03, the only use OF the right of
mintage was 10 get silver stamped by the
government, and then IL went its way.
Bimetallism is not the Issue. i put
aside all this talk about the rise OF the
value of silver under free coinage, &c
meet the value OF gold, and all the har-
mony that would come or the marriage,
III seems very clear. II we are TO credit
history and experience. that, II we coin
silver 10 10 1. when It's market value Is
80 TO 1, we should certainly go to silver
standard, and that standard will be be-
low our present one.
10 is not necessary TO pose as friend
OF the wage-earner in order TO point out
TO him what this means for him. II
means lower wages: nothing less than
that Now. i contend that the whole
world suffers when the wage-earners
and salary-earners suffer. The reason is
a simple one. The great motive power,
the engine. which moves the whole pro-
ductive power OF the world, Is I'm the
wages and salaries of the men who are
hired. These wages and salaries make
very near 20 per cent OF the total pur-
chasing power of the country. Lower
ing OF that fund. either by non-employ-
ment or by lessening OF wages. Is
check TO progress. and a continuance "
hard times Hence, do not want TO see
depreciating currency, for that means
a depreciation OF salary and. of wages,
and, consequently. a depreciation Of that
fund which, in the form of purchasing
power. sets mills in motion, pays wages
and salaries and makes business.
Mr. Bryan was nominated in July.
In the month of August the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, which runs half across
the continent, and is a fair index Of the
business of the whole country. for II
helps furnish that vast mass Of coal
mills and employs the workmen, lost
more than 81, $50 900. One million and a
quarter of dollars in one month by one
railroad. That means much TO a think
ing man. If the shadow has done this
what. 1 repeat, will the substance do?
When all this has happened where are
We? What are we doing IL all for?
Simply and solely to get upon another
basis TO have our operations measured
by another standard. Even IL II were a
better one, what terrible price should
we pay. A furry, a panic, a scaling
down Of debts due TO worthy men and
worthy institutions. and all TO get a
standard less stable, more fluctuating,
than we have now.
But we shall not do this thing. The
American people have shown too much
sense during 100 years Of life to leave
any chance for doubt. We shall raise
revenue. which will pay our expenses.
We shall revive our Industries. and have
another period of prosperity and peace.
1t is true that underneath the faith we
have there Is heavy sense OF anxiety.
When l contrast these last four years
with the years that preceded them, IL
seems as II we lived In another land, and
were almost another people. Think of
those glorious years between 1860 and
1892. We fought a great war, unhap-
PLY among ourselves, but with honor
race. We passed through years Of trou-
bic and OF pain. We had our period of
depression, and long. hard climb out of
the evils of a disordered currency. and Of
reckless expenditure. We lifted our
selves to great heights Of national credit.
When i think of those great achieve
ments and those glorious years, what
ever doubts may come, whatever sor-
rows we are enduring, | know, beyond
all denying, that the United States OF
America, under the same control. will
take not the old place, high as II was,
but a loftier one, among the nations OF
the earth.
-Four Demonstrations ne Canton.
Canton. o.. Oct. s.-The rains OF Tues
day, which drove the Mckinley crowds
indoors, were dried up by bleak, cold
wind yesterday, which made II neces-
sary to carry out the days program,
save one early meeting on the lawn, az
the Tabernacle. There were four dem
onstrations, by as many delegations.