The herald., 1897-07-06

ing to secure bimetallism; and they
would explain that while they were in
favor of free coinage, they were not
in favor of unlimited coinage; and it
became necessary to add, unlimited
coinage" Then people would be elected
on platform of that kind and refuse
to vote with those who favored BIZ
metallism, and explained that while, if
they had free and unlimited coinage
they were not in favor of 16 to j. and
II became necessary to add the ratio.
And then people would be elected on
platform declaring for free and un-
limited coinage at 16 to l. and refuse to
vote with those who favored bimetal.
llsin, ana explain that while they fa-
vored free coinage and unlimited COIN
age ana coinage of 16 to 1, they were
not in favor of it until other nations
helped to do 1T. tLaughter] And so it
became necessary to add to the plat
form until at last a declaration was
secured. which is water tight. When
those who favored bimetallism Joined in
aplatform which declared in favor of the
immediate restoration of free and un-
limited coinage at the ratio of 16 to 1,
without waiting for the aid or consent
of any other nation they declared some-
thing which meant something, and no
body has ever misunderstood the dec
laration. [Applause.] Now, remember,
that it is the restoration of that which
up the old landmarks which have been
torn down. 1t is going back to the law
which was. There is not thing in
that declaration which is new; nothing
which is untried. We ask free coinage
We have had the free coinage of both
gold and silver, and now have the free
coinage of gold. We ask unlimited
coinage. We have had the unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver, and
now have the unlimited coinage of gold.
We ask for that coinage at the ratio
of 16 to l. We have had free and un-
limited coinage at the ratio of 16 to l.
and that is the ratio between the gold
and silver now in circulation in the
country. We ask for this coinage
without waiting for the aid or consent
of any other nation. There was time
when the American people did not ask
the consent of any other nation to
legislate. [Applause.l
THE SAME PRIVILEGES.
My friends, we are simply asking for
silver those privileges which are now
accorded to gold. l know there are
people who say that we never had BIZ
metallism in this country; that tell you
that Jefferson suspended the coinage
of the silver dollar. Yes, that is true.
but when Jefferson suspended the COIN
age of the silver dollar, the silver half
dollar. quarter and dime were still
coined-coined without limit, coined on
private account; and they were a full
legal-tender, equal with gold, for all
debts, public and private. Suppose we
should stop coming the gold dollar as
we have. Would that mean the de-
monetizng of gold? Not at all, be-
cause gold can be coined into fives or
tens or twenties; and so when the sill
Yer dollar was not coined, the silver
half-dollar, quarter and dime were
coined and were legal tender So that
while the silver dollar was suspended
as to its coinage, the men who held
silver bullion were permitted to convert
it into legal-tender money at the mint.
But they tell us that in 1858, the
silver half dollar, quarter and dime
were made token money. That is true.
In 1858, they reduced the weight of the
lsiver half dollar, quarter and dime
made them a limited legal tender re-
deemable in standard money, but when
these were made token money, the
free and unlimited coinage of silver
into the standard silver dollar was
still continued; and what 1 say is true:
From 1892 to 1873, there never was
a day when the United States discrimi-
mated between gold and silver at the
mint. Bimetallism was the doctrine of
the fathers, and if you will pardon an
illustration, the worst thing I ever had
said against my Democracy, was that
llIe IidIIIiOIly VI LIE party
by talking for the free and unlimited
coinage of silver, when some Demo-
Gratis were opposed to free coinage.
When they told me discouraged har-
mony among the party, was reminded
of something l saw in a paper about
that time
The mother said to her boy Johnny
"stop pulling that cats tail" And
he said, II am not pulling the cats
tail; ] am just holding the tail. The
cats doing the pulling" GLaughter.1
HOLDING TO PRINCIPLE.
I was simply holding to a principle
a principle as old as our nations his
tory, a principle that has been the
principle of the party to which I belong
I was holding to a principle and the
others were doing the pulling. And,
my. friends, these Democrats who held
to the principle, continued to hold and
they were not frightened either by
the pulling or by the noise made by
those who were pulling. We were SIM
ply standing by this old SYSTEM and
l want you to remember also that no
party has ever declared against BIZ
metallism in the United States and
polled any considerable number Of
votes. In fact, never until 1896 did any
party in the history of this country,
ever declare for the gold standard.
In 1885, three parties declared for in
dependent bimetallism at 16 to l, and
the Republican party declared that the
gold standard must be maintained until
the leading commercial nations would
join in bimetallism; and pledged the
party to put forth every effort to Sc
cure bimetallism.
What does this mean? Why 1t
means that three parties were for in
dependent bimetallism and one party
for international bimetallism, and to
voting Democrats the only party that
declared outright for the gold standard;
and that party only polled 1872, 900 votes
in the nation, only carried one pre-
cinct in the United States, and that
precinct only had six votes and they
only had three out of the six. [Great
applause.1
If you want to find the strength Of
the gold-standard sentiment, there Is
a. chance to see how widespread it is.
If that means anything, thirteen mill
lions and a half of people voted for
the double standard as against the
single gold standard, and to show you
that the Republican party did not
mean to declare that the gold standard
should be preserved on it's merits, the
administration Immediately sent a
commission to Europe to carry out
the platform, and to secure the CO.
operation of other nations. For what
purpose? To maintain the gold stand
ard? No; to get rid of the gold stand