Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-10-07

BRYAN SAYS THAT KIND OF DOLLAR
is GOOD ENOUGH.
Shameless Admission That Absolute Hon
esty Is Distasteful to Him-What "Hon.
est Money" Mcans-A Creditor Should
Not he Paid In Inferior Money.

tHiJ 80 "
est Money" Mcans-A Creditor Should
Not BE Paid In Inferior Money.
Bryan delivered an address ON bi-
metallism at New Haven a short time
ago. In his audience there were some
Yale students. They were sent to col
lege by their parents to study, among
other things, moral philosophy and the
theories of sound finance. From Bryan
they heard the exact reverse Of the doc
trines their %preceptors have been trying
to teach them.
These students have been instructed
that absolute honesty is right and expe-
dent. Bryan is Of a contrary opinion.
He stated to his audience;
''Some people tell IS they want hon
est money, and they speak as though
they have "a copyright ON it. Well, !
don't insist upon an absolutely honest
dollar. If | can get n tolerably hon
est, I'll be satisfied for a time, 1t will
be better than the gold dollar"
Before Bryan set III to that
d "tolerably honest dollar" would suit
him he should have explained to his
hearers what the people he sneered at
mean when they speak of honest mon
ey.' He should have stated that those
persons wish every kind Of dollar which
is in circulation to be as good as the
best kind, which is the gold dollar.
If there are silver dollars in c~ircula-
ton under "a bimetallic or any other
system, they wish each Of those dollars
to have the same purchasing power as
the gold dollar. II there are paper dol
lars, each Of them should have the pur-
chasing power Of the gold dollar.
One great reason why ''some people
tell as they want honest money" is that
there may not be constant opportunities
for dishonesty, If a man lends gold dol
lars or their equivalent in value or sells
land on goods for a sum which it is the
understanding Of the parties the seller
should receive in gold dollars or their
equivalent in value, he ought not to be
paid inferior money by his debtor.
The men who believe IN honest money
do not want the seller or the lender t0
be cheated by q depreciation Of the cur.
rency, which would enable the purchaser
or borrower to retain all the property
and pay for only a part of it, or to re-
turn only a portion Of the money and
yet be entitled TO a receipt III full.
The difference between these men
and Bryan Is that they believe i'll abso-
lutte honesty and he does not. He pre-
fers a 'tolerably honest dollar''-that
is, a dishonest dollar. How much The
dollar should be worth he will be salts
fed with he did not state. 1t may be
worth 70 cents on 50 cents, but it must
not be worth 100 cents and it must be
made a legal tender for the payment OF
existing debts.
A man who will avow sentiments like
these puts himself on record as an in
t~olCrably dishonest individual, unfit to
be an Instructor Of youth. Such "A man
cannot be trusted in any of the walks
Of life. It would not be safe to commit
to his care the money of the widow OF
the orphan.
Nobody could venture 10 have any
business dealings with such a man or tc
select him as Judge or arbitrator, and
who would vote to put in charge of the
nation q man who admitted shamelessly
thar absolute honesty was di>tasteful TO
him and that he preferred certain I'M
defined measure Of dishonesty?
1t j, true that Bryan, the man who
announces that I've is satisfied with a