The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-04-27
AAERIGAH RINETTALLISN.
b. WILLIAM ]. BRYAN.

I rejoice that IN the last year
the people have begun to study
thegreatest economic question ever
presented for the solution of the.
American people.
In the last national campaign,
three parties agreed in declaring
the money question to be of great
er Importance than any other ques-
ton. For years the people have
disputed and wrangled about other
questions, while the 6nanciers took
care of the money question.
Last year the people decided
themselves to take charge of the
question of the finances of the
country, and if they did not sue
ceeed they are consoled by the fact
that the gold standard is now on
trial and the adversely or prosper
ity which follows will be attached
to the right cause, and will never
be attached to such trivial causes
as we have been in the habit of
attrlDuung them 10.
Locking back over the field now.
we realize more clearly the forces
arrayed against us and the work
we had to do. When the Ameri-
can people were presented with
such a proposition, / supposed
there would be an overwhelming
majority in favor of the American
financial policy.
But as look back we have rea-
son to congratulate ourselves on
the progress that has been made,
and to rejoice that six and one
half millions of people rose from
defeat with as much courage as
ever and with abiding confidence
in the triumph of their cause.
Elections do not settle questions.
Elections merely determine which
theory shall be tried. When a
man is sick he sends for physi-
clan. But he must be convinced
that he is sick before he will send
for the physician, and then he
may send for the wrong physician
or take the worng medicine. In
1896 all the parties agreed that the
country was sick and that some
thing was wrong. But they differ
ed in the remedies which they adj
vocated.
The Democrats proposed to in
crease the number of dollars and
thus stop the raise in the dollars
value. The Republicans said that
the people were not paying taxes.
enough, and that they should be
loaded down with more taxes SO
that they could raise up and carry
the burden moro easily.
Other Republicans said the agi-
tors of the money question had
: made the trouble and that it must
stop, and that we must decide to
do whatever England wanted, and
then England might have mercy
and loan us all the money we need.
Some Democrats said we should
have England's financial policy,
but that we must also retire the
greenbacks, SO the money changers
could control the primary money
and the banks the credit money of
the world So each party had it's
remedy, and the question came to
be studied as never before in this
country.
The fnanciers and politicians
have been lodging this question.
and things grew worse all the time.
But the people will solve this
money question, they will settle it
right when they settle it.
For twenty years we have been
trying to undo the wrong which
was done in the dark without the
knowledge or consent of the Amer
lean people. We have been trying
to secure to cooperation of the
three branches of the government
in opening the minis to silver.
We are not asking for something
new, but for something old. We
only ask for what has been the law
of the United States. We want
what we once had, the free coin
age of silver. We want it unlimi-
ted, of course. We once had the
free and unlimited coinage of silver.
We want it at the ratio of Is to 1.
forswe once had that
We want it without the aid Or
consent of any other nation, for we
think there was a time when we
didn't,ask other nations what we
should do. There is nothing new
in that platform. BimetallisIn has
been the doctrine of the people.