The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-03
INCOMPATIBLE BRYAN.
The Political History of BimetaI-
liSm.


no party ever condemned bimetallism in
n national convention.
Has any other financial policy been so
universally CONNIE nded?
g. The United States adopted the golu
standard in 1878. without any national
party asking to have the change made.
- Has Congress ever made any other
change approaching this in Importance
without the people demanding it through
some party!
3. The gold standard was maintained
in the United States from 1873 to 1886,
during which time no party commended
it in national conventions,
Hos the United States ever endured
any other policy for so long II time with
out some pr rty defending the policy2
4. The law repeating the purchasing
clause Of the Sherman law declared it to
be the policy of the United States to con-
tinue the Use Of both gold and silver as
standard money, and further declared
that the efforts of the government should
be steadily directed to the establishment
of IL safe system of bimetalltsu
Why should the government directs it's
efforts toward the establishment of any
kind of bimetallism if the gold standard
is satisfactory to the people of the United
States?
5. When, in 1896, the boiling Demo.
polled less than per cent. of the votes
of the United States and carried only one
precinct in the union III precinct in
which there were ouly six votes-and The
boiting Democrats only polled three out
of the six.
Was any financial policy ever more
completely repudiateds
q. The boltiDS Democrats, when MEN,
bers of the Chicago convention of 1896,
joined in minority report declaring in
favor OF interpatioual bimetallism
Were the. boiling Democrats bimetal.
lists ut Chicago, or din they try to prac.
tice II fraud upon The rest of the conyen-
tim.
Z. The Republican party has never,de-
clared the gold standard to tie blessing
to the United States In 1892 the Repuh
!icans ut Minneapolis declared that the
American people from tradition and in
terest favored bimetdllism
Have the traditions or the interests of
the American people changed since 1892?
In 1896 the Republican party prom.
ised to promote international bimetallism
and Mr.. Mcl<inley,in his letter of ACCEPT
ance, pledged himself To carry out that
promise.
IL the gold standard has been II benefit
to the United States, why should the Re-
publican party try to abandon it and
substitute the double standard by inter
national agreement?
.. AS soon as Mr. Mckinley was elected
he asked Congress for authority &c an.
point II commission to visit Europe and
secure the aid of the leading commercial
nations of Europe in abandoning the uoll
standard.
If the gold standard is blessing why
dld Mr.. Mckinley send II commission TO
Europe tc get rid of it?
10. y Republican Congress. ny an al
most unanimous vote, appropriated
500, 600 to pay the expenses OF the mune-
tary commission.
civilization. why did the Republican
party sps nd 100000 in Crying to get rid
or it?
II. The French govcrnmenG expressed
Willingness to restore binetaliism by
international agreement and joiaed our
commissioners in asking Englapd's Co
operation.
If the gold standard has been lessing
to France why is France willing TO aban-
don it's gold standard and substitute in.
ternational bimetallism?
10. Within three years the German
Reichstag has adopted resolution de-
clarnS in favor of international bimetal-
ism
If the gold standard has :een IL bless.
ing to Germany why WAS the popular
branch of the German assembly willing
to abandon the gold standard and substi-
tute international bietal ism?
IL. The gold standard has been in
"crsed by bankers, fnanciers and cham.
bers OF con ,ne'cc, but il had never been
Endorsed by the producers of wealth in
any nation in the world.
VIII the Republicans say that the pro
ducers of wealth do not know what is
good for them or should only linanciers
be Consulted in monetary legislation?
IL. The monetary commission re-
manned i'll England for three months, and
the press dispatches reported that the
commissioners were confident Of obtain
ing some concession from England On
the 22d day Of last September the bankers
OF London joined in unanimous protest
against bimetallis"r, and the English CIV
ernment has now refused to make the
concession for which our commissioners
asked.
Does this not support our contention
that the gold standard is advocated l,y
the capitalistic classes CT he world.
10. The Republican party, in its plat
form of 1896, after pledgng itself to inter
national himetallism, declared that the
gold standard must he maintained until
the leading commercial nations Joined in
international Dimetallis SIN.
Is it well to thus allow the leading
commercial nations of Europe 10 dictate
The financial policy Of the United States
1G. 1t is evident that the other Euro.
pean nations will not join in hin.etal lism
so long AS England uses her great innn-
cnce against the double standard, and it
is also evident that England will not
abandon the gold standard without the
consent of her fnanciers.