The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-14
PopuLIsM--NoT DEMOCRACY.


In the way OF collecting contributions
from people that are much talked about
for its issue last Sunday. which it
named its Christmas issue, and amongst
others II had a short letter from Mr..
William ]. Bryan. and Mr.. Bryan nat
nrally wrote about finance.
Ills letter 20 the World is not long, but
tf we should take It up item by item to
point out the erroneous suggestions that
nre contained in each line, we might fill
more than one column OF this mornings
Times in doing it. We pass by all the
rest and select the following passage as
q specimen OF all. He says:
"Not TO be overlooked is the persistent
effort now being made by the national
banks 20 bulldoze the government into
q surrender Of tho sovereign right TO is
sue and control the paper money of the
country. No recent year has witnessed
such an exhibition Of selfish disregard of
the public veal as that manifested I'm the
demand of the fnanciers that they be per-
mitted TO regulate the volume of paper
money"
Now how could a greater amount Of
error DO compacted into the same number
OF words than this passage contains.
ybat does Mr.. Bryan refer 10 as the
persistent effort now being made by the
national banks" Does he refer 20 the
general agitation OF the subject by papers
like The Times and by enlightened citi-
zens everywhere with view to having
l.. IL,
with common sense and the constitution?
or does he refer 10 the work Of the None
tary Commission now sitting in Washing
ton city? IL he refers to the first, the
reference is without the least 5ustihca-
ton. This journal and those that agree
with II think our national bank system
the greatest misfortune that has befallen
tho country since the war;. We are aim
ing 20 have that done which Mr.. Bryan
does not want done. but we have no more
in common with the national banks than
we have with the King of Dahomey's ap-
petite for human flesh.
Or does he refer to the Monetary COM
mission? The national banks had no more
10 do with the appointment of that COM
EMISSION than this paper had. 1t is well
f-nown that that commission was the out
come Of the Indianapolis Monetary Con-
vention, which was called by and COM
posed of men who desired 90 see our cur
rency laws reformed, but who were work
fng upon lines that nowhere touched
those upon which the national banks rest.
Some Of the members Of that convention
thought the national bank system good
system. perhaps. but very many OF them
were, to our certain knowledge. bitterly
opposed TO it and. II IL had been stated in
that convention that 1t was a movement
20 perpctuate the national bank system.
the announcement would have broken up
she convention.
Mr.. Bryans statement Is therefore sim
ply an empty utterance that represented
no thought Of any sort.
But this passage does disclose one side
OF Mr.. Bryan's mind and that is side
20 which all real Democrats should pay
very close attention. II furnishes one
IUVT8 tNlucitt lieAt MI W ~ - U.s.
ahinks the government Of the United
states can manufacture money with a
printing press. while the Democratic faith
from the beginning OF our government
nae been the common sense one. that
sbere can be no money but coin and that
che people Of this country should
ne left by the government perfectly
free 20 issue their promises to pay that
money as they pleased The true Demo-
crat has never tolerated the idea that the
government OF the United States corsd
manufacture money out OF paper and ink
The GreenDacker and Populist have al
ways believed that. however. and Mr.
Bryan shows in the extract quoted that
IN finance he IS Greenbacker and a
xopuiist and not Democrat.
we are glad 20 know that Senator Dam
Eel is a state bank man and we hope he
mil not be sworyod from his right line OF
conduct in this respect by Mr.. Bryan or
anybody else. The restoration 10 the peo-
pie OF their natural and constitutional
Rights wild practically settle the. money
pestson