The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-06-16
EPUBLIoAN PLEDGES TO BIMETAL-
LIsM.

OF the government should De steauuy
directed to secure and maintain the use
of silver as we'll as gold as standard
money"
As published in the Congressional
Record the following precedes the
speech:
NO SINGLE GOLD STANDARD, BI.
METALLIsM MUST BE PURSUED.
Il wANTTHE DOUBLE STANDARD"
-GWILLIAM MCKINLEY.
We extract from Mr.. Chandler's
speech:
These pledges are fresh In the minds
of all who listen to me. The first
pointed utterance is that Of the Repub
ican national convention of 1888, as
ollows:
"The Republican party is In favor of
the use of both gold and silver as money
and condemns the policy of the Demo
cratic administration in Its efforts to
demonetize silver"
In the national convention of 1892 the
declaration was as follows:
1.-THE American people from tradition
and interest favor bimetallism. The Re.
publican party demands the use of both
gold and silver as standard money"
In 1896 the pledge was less prominent,
but in six important words, which saved
the election to Mr.. Mckinley, the plat
form declared itself in favor Of the free
coinage of silver by international agree.
ment, (which we pledge ourselves to
promote"
1t was naturally to be expected that
President Mckinley would willingly
carry into effect these elk saving words
in the platform upon which he was
elected. On November 5, 1877, while a
member of the House OF Representatives
he voted in favor of motion to sus-
pend the rules and pass bill for the
free and unlimited coinage Of silver at
the ratio of l6 to /. The vote was-yeas
l6', nays "a (Record. volume 6, page
241); and the bill passed the House.
The Senate amended 1t by striking out
the free.coinsge clause and providing
for the purchase monthly OF not less
than two nor more than four million
dollars worth of silver bullion and for
coming it into dollars. Mr.. Mckinley
voted to concur in the Senate amend
ment. President Hayes vetoed the bill,
but on February 2s, 1878, MIR. Mckinley
voted to pass it over the veto of the
President--yeas 1876, nays 73 (Record,
volume Z, part 2, page 4i20); and it
passed the Senate also-yeas 46, nays
i9 (page 14l1), and became law.
On January 2S, 1878, Mr.. Mckinley
voted for the passage OF the Stanley
Matthews resolution, to which allusion
will hereafter be made. In 1890 he ad.
vocated the bullion.purchase bill, and
his speeches were all in favor of the re-
monetization of silver. On June "a, 1890
Congressional Record, volume 81, part
Z, page CAD, he said:
81 am for the largest use Of silver in
the currency of the country. | would
not dishonor it. l would give 1t equal
] credit and honor with gold. / would
make no discrimination. would utilize
both metals as money and discredit
neither. l want the double standard" !"
The result of this controversy was the
pas sage of the act of July IA, 1890, for
: the purchase of four and one half mil.
lions Of ounces Of silver bullion monthly.
q Mr.. Mckinley also in his speech to
!. the Ohio Republican League at Toledo
! on February IL, 1891, denounced Presi-
d dent Cleveland because he was hostile
silver, and used this most remarkable
anguage:
"DuriDg all of his years at the head
of the government he was dishonoring
/ one of our precious medals, one of our
, own great products, discrediting silver
and enhancing the price of gold. He
, endeavored even before his Inauguration
. to Office to stop the coinage OF silver
dollars, and afterwards, and to the end
of his administration, persistently used
his power to that end. He was deter
5 mined to contract the circulating
Q medium and demonetize one Of the
3 Ioo iy,o ~ limit tho unlIna Of
money among the people, make money
scarce and therefore dear. He would
have increased the value Of money and
diminished the value of everything else
. money the master, everything else its
g servant. He was not thinking OF the
poor then. He had left their side.
He was not standing forth in their de.
fense.' Cheap coats, cheap labor and
dear money: the sponsor and promoter
of these protesting to stand guard over
the welfare Of the poor and lowly! Was
there ever more glaring inconsistency
or reckless assumptions"
!. Senator Chandler, in continuation,
( gives the latest pledge of the Republican
party to bimetallism, in the act of
March 3, 1897, which authorized Presi.
dent Mckinley to seek to secure inter
national agreement as to gold and silver
as money with free mintage and COM
mon ratio. This act passed the Senate
by 46 to and the House by 2Sl for to 4
against. Mr.. Chandler also gives his
tory of the work of the American en-
voys, Messrs. Wolcott, Paine and
Stevenson and arraigns the administra.
: ton for not honestly sustaining the en-
! voys, especially Secretary Gage, who was
) the active tool of the gold msgnates.
Mr., Chandler says Director of the Mint,
Mr.. Preston, was also in the field with
) Mr.. Gage aiming to defeat the mission
Of the ENJOYS, that he "hastened to ask
the President to take steps to counter.
act these treacherous blows of his treas
ury subordinates, and he wrote a
lengthy letter to him under date of Sep
tember 81, 1897, to which the President
nauar ranliad