Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-01-14
THE SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
MR.. GAGE'S POSITION.

Mhs GaSE . POOlllON
At the celebration of Gen. Jackson's
birthday in Chicago, the Hon. VIM. j..
Bryan spoke as follows, to quote the
Washington Post:
sit is especially fitting that at this time
the American people should recall the
name of Andrew Jackson and gather in
spiration and encouragement from his
public career. We are engaged today in
a contest very similar to that in which he
played so conspicuous and honorable a
part. During his term of office the ma
tional bank attempted to overawe the
representatives of the people and control
the government. He grappled with it
and overthrow it. Arrayed against him
were the very classes which have forced
a continuance of the gold standard in the
United States in spite of the almost unan-
mous protest of the people-the same
classes which are now trying to coerce
the government into the surrender of the
sovereign right to control the money of
the country.
at seems that every generation pre-
sents combat between the producers of
wealth and the money changers. The
latter, conducting their campaign in Sc
crecy, fasten themselves upon the body
polite and prey upon industry until their
hold is broken by an awakened and in
dignant public.
The present secretary of the treasury,
Mr.. Gage, is eminently to be the instru-
ment of the fnanciers in their effort to
complete the scheme commenced twenty
four years ago, and continued without
interruption until the present day. lie
possesses a sublime faith in the superior
ity of money over men and a supreme
contempt for the rights, the interests.
and the opinions of the people at large.
"Mr. Gage knows that the gold stand
ard was adopted in the United States
without any party ever asking for it. He
knows that for twenty-three years after
its adoption, no party ever dared to com
mend it; he knows that in the campaign
of 1896 the party composed of boiling
Democrats was the only party which
dared to declare the gold standard a
blessing; he knows that at the polls 90
per cent of the voters registered their
opposition to a single gold standard,
differing only as to the means of securing
bimetallism; he knows that the presi-
dent, to whose partiality he owes his po-
stion, sent a commission to Europe to
beg other nations to help us get rid of
the gold standard; he knows that the
senate and house with scarcely dissent
ing voice, appropriated 100000 of the
peoples money to pay the expenses of
the commission while 1t was seeking re.
lief from the gold standard he knows
that France, by joining in the demand for
international bimetalism, condemns the
gold standard; he knows that the farm.
ers, the laborers, and, to large extent,
the manufacturers of England, desire in
ternational bimetallism; he knows that
the maintenance of the gold standard
means unmerited advantage to the mon
ey-Owning and the bOndhOlding classes
and undeserved punishment to the vast
majority of the people of this country
and of the civilized world; and yet, in
spite of his knowledge of all these facts,
he is deliberately planning to fasten the
gold standard permanently upon the peo-
pie of the United States.