Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1897-03-17
The CalnrziGn of EduCa ton.

1t Is difficult to cOmprcnellN now
W. }. Bryan ever secured or how
be retains !" reputation as & thinker
and an orato. i'll the light of his
reckless and illogical ut;cHanccs.
At Topeka. recently. the Nebraska
man delivered a free silver speech,
in the course of which he said that
the only reason that silver bullion is
now SO low in the market price is
because the American nation has
dcmonctizcd it. 10 ciincll this re-
markahlc statement, he added that
the only thing necessary to bring
every ounce Of silver back to 81. ~
was for the American nation to re
monc;izc it.
10 state this proposition in an
ether way, the remainder OF the
earth has nothing whatever to do
with fixing the value Of silver.
They might monctizc it or dcmonc-
tie it at their own good pleasure
without any effect whatever, for to
the United States is reserved the
power and the right to say what il
shall! be worth the w<>rid over.
'ihi, Is the logic cf Mr.. Br;an's pro
position. and we are taking no I'M
fair or Gui!'b!iny advantage of
what he said upon the subject.
1t i> very much aquc>tion whet,.-
or Ill! The nations Of the earth
acting III concert could add an ap-
prcciab!c value to silver a. Il com
modify by simply cnIarging its
money use, fer increased produc-
ton would be stimulated in q man
ncr likely to overcome all adyant-
ages which hi Sht be secured in
such enlarged Use, and certainly if
! the United States is sufficient to
raise the price Of each ounce to
| Sl.2? why did not dcmonctizing re-
ducc the value in Il like ratio
Commencing along in the carly
seventies, twenty-four countries be
sides the United States dcnonetized
| silver and adopted the gold stand
AID. They included nearly every
civilized nation of the globe and
all of commercial importance.
What was the result. Up to 1890
all these nations had by demonetiza-
ton succeeded in reducing the com
modify value only about - cents
per ounce, and yet Mr.. Bryan says
that the United States alone can
add 60 cts to its value by a simple
turn of the wrist.
But an argument is not needed
to convince those who heard Mr..
Bryan at Topeka, of the illogical
status OF his financial proposition.
! He gave his own case away in a
manner which could be penetrated
| by schoolboy. "Silver was
struck down" said he. land all that
is necessary to build it UP again is
to give it an even chance with geld.
They tell YOU that commerce rules
the price of silver: | tell you that
with free and unlimited coinage ii
will go to All equal price with gold
and stay there. Why, my friends,
before it was deprived of equal
rights with gold it was worth ;
cents on the dollar more than gold.
Think of that statement from a
man who was facing an intel!ig
audience aud arguing that Il free
coinage act would lift the value OF
silver from 80 odd cents to a dollar
Why didn't Il free coinage act lift
the value Of gold those missing ::
cents to the value of one commodity
how in the name of all that's reas
onablc, could the same law add sc
cents to the value of another similar
commodity.
Another proposition which bewild
cred that Topeka audience was the
claim by Bryan that free coinage
would make prices 60 up and prep
crty take on an enlianced value
If free coinage is to make silver
go up to the price Of gold. will it no
then become just rs valuable a dol
lar as the gold dollar: Can corr
aud town lots be advanced by put
ting more value into silver! Mos
assured!y not, Mr.. Bryan and al
to Of his free silver following ough
Get the simple proposition through