Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-07-23

tilaC anu DclleNc tIldI DllllctatllSil
must be restored.
"First, what is bimetallism? Som
people don't understand it. 1t woul,
seem that the difference between mon
ometallism and bimetallism was s.
great and so clear that everybod,
should understand it; and yet ther
are some who do not. A man said t.
me once, Pm in favor of bimetallism
/ think the government ought to bu,
whatever metal it needs That wa
his idea of bimetallism. He spelled
'b-u-y'-metallism; he thought tn
government ought to buy whateve
metal it needed. have heard peopl
say they were in favor of bimctallisn
as far as it was consistent with tin
gold standard. l have heard SOM
talk about bimetallism on gold basis
which, of course, is an absurdity. An,
yet it is not so absurd but that emf
nent people are talking of it in tina
way. One man named Hendricks
who is president of National bank il
New York, and at one time q membe
OF Congress from that State, said il
the House of Representatives tina
bimetallism would come, but it woult
be bimetallism with gold for tn,
standard. Yes, that was from mar
who is a national banker (who ar,
presumed to know everything on the
money question:. Then you heal
people say that the only way to make
bimetallism is to make gold the stand
ard, coin silver in limited quantities
and make it redeemable in gold. That
is not bimetallism, at all. If that i.
bimetallism, then, if you 60 a steI
further and have copper coins re
deemable in gold, you have trimetal
lism.
"No, my friends, bimetallism does
not mean one metal, used as stand
ard, and the other used as an adjunct
to it. Bimetallism means two-metal
lism; recommendation means one
metallism. Is there any difference be
tween one.metallism and two-metal.
lism? Is there any difference between
one and two? If there is, then BIZ
metallism is distinct from monometal
lism. Bimetallism means the linking
Of two metals together ut fixed ratio
and the giving of these two metal.
equal legal tender qualities. Mono
metallism gives that and more to
only one of the metals; bimetallisnl
means giving it to two. Bimetallism
does not mean the use of the silver
dollar as part of the gold; and i,
does not mean that the gold dollar
shall be part of the silver. 1t does
not mean that silver shall rest upon
gold. Bimetallism means that silver
shall stand by gold-stand side by
side, and work with it in the com.
merce and business of the nation
That is what bimetallism means; thai
is what it has meant; that is what i,
must mean; and when people make
other differences, they are seeking to
bring to the support of monometal.
lism the strength of bimetallism, and
are seeking to bring down half oul
coin by deception.
"And yet, right here, my friends, il
the greatest difficulty in fighting those
who have advocated the gold standard
The gold standard never won an oper
victory in the United States, it never
fought but it fought behind cover.
say to you that the gold standard
never fought an open fight in this ma
ton. When the gold standard wa,
adopted in 1873, it was adopted with
out discussion before the American
people. No party in its platform had
ever declared for it. There was M
discussion before the people so that
their voice could be taken. But they
went forth and demonetized silver
gave gold monopoly of mint privil
eyes, and did so without the express
sanction of the American people
Member after member of Congress ant
Senator after Senator declared that i
was not deliberated; that the bill
making gold the single standard ant
demonetizing silver was almost un
known. Afterward, when the people
found it out, they began to clamor fol
a restoration of bimetallism, and il
was not long before a bill was passed
through the lower house opening VI
the mints to the free and unlimited
coinage of silver ON equal terms will
gold, at the ratio of 16 to l, and with
out waiting for the aid and consent o
any other nation.
Sometimes people say that thos'
who advocate bimetallism advocate I
new doctrine. 1t is not true. Thos'
who advocate bimetallism are advo
eating that which was, and to restor'
the ancient landmark which TIN
fathers set up, and which was de
stroyed in the night and without no
tice. This bill WAS passed in tn
House, but when it got to the Senat'
it was so modified as to make it no
a free. coinage bill, but a Bland-Alli
son act, and even then it was vetoet
by the President. President Haye
vetoed the Bland-Allison act. He wa
bcsieged by financiers, and told wha