The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-04-27
AMERICAN BIMEIALLISM
Bv WIlnIAn j Bryan.

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deposition to it The results ol
the gold standard have proved SC
bad that no party viii father It o.
openly commend it in party CON
vention. H we would measure the
strength of the gold standard in
this country see how many people
voted for the gold standard ticket
in 1896.
The contest in 1896 was between
the democrats, populists and silver
republicans on the one side, and
1.-The republican party. which prom
ised to put forth every effort to Sc
cure by international agreement
Ithe establishment of the double
standard, ON the other.
So thirteen millions of voters
Icondemned the gold standard as
Ibad, and declared the double stand
lard as good, the only difference be-
ling as to the means of securing.
After the election, as soon as the
Republican party came into power,
a commission was sent abroad to
ask foreign countries to join us in
letting go of the gold standard. If
the gold standard is good thing,
the American people ought to have
it.
When commission is sent
abroad to try to get rid of the gold
standard, it must be bad thing,
and if it is bad enough to get rid
of with the help ofothernations, it
is bad enough to getrid Of, wheth-
er other nations unite with us or
not.
I am afraid we will. not see bi-
metallism by international agree
ment. There is considerable dif-
ference between their plan of get
ting international bimetallism and
our plan. Take the two plans and
compare them.
If we understand human nature,
we can generally tell what a man
will do under given circumstances.
Apply human nature to the plat
forms; read the platform. 1t says
the gold standard must be maitain-
ed until the leading commercial ma
tions of Europe join in the restora-
tion of bimetallism. Then follows
the pledge of the republican party
to do what it can to obtain this CO.
operation.
Suppose an ambassador goes over
to England to carry out this plan.
What would he say? He would
.assemble the money changers of
the old world and would address
them as follows: Gentlemen:
The American people have tried
the gold standard twenty four years,
and the results have not been satis-
factory. The gold standard has
been a failure. The American
people want bimetallism.
"They have suffered from the
rising dollar. and, realizing that
you, who hold the notes and mort
lgages of the world. have been. gain
ling by it, while they have been
suffering, they ask you to join in a
financial policy which will stop
4 your prosperity and our losses
"But before you give your de
cision, 1 am instructed to assure
you that while the American peo-
pie suffer much. yet if you like to
profit at our expense, the American
people will stand by you, no matter
how much they may suffer" !" Thai
is a literal Interpretation of the re-
publican platform.
The platform declares that bimet-
tallism is desirable and the coun-
try can afford to spend 500, 600 fol
the expenses of a commission to &c
abroad, and yet they say if the
financiers of the old world WOULD
rather grind us down we viii bend
our necks to the yoke ana oul
backs to the task
Our plan is different, We would
not have waited for other nations
to help or to consent. We woule
not send an ambassador abroae
with such plan.
Our ambassador would not tel
, them that we are suffering from
the gold standard and falling prices
and then, rising in the dignity o
one who speaks for seventy million
{ lpeople, with the right to protes
against the acheming of a handfu
of financiers, he would read th'
Republican platform of 1890 anc
1892, and say that from tradition
and interest the American people