The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-05-04
AMERICAN BNIEIALLISM.
By VIM ]. Bryan.

gument of the last campaign into
| a few words, it will read like this;
While we had political independ-
ence, we could not have financial
independence. We have got to
have such a financial policy as the
6nanciers of Europe demand.
We are no longer free to legis-
late for ourselves on this question.
IF that argument is true. we are no
longer a free people. IF it is true,
we have passed from democracy to
plutocracy, and to our ruler across
the ocean we must bow on Bonded
knee.
1t is better to meet this PROPOSE
ton now than to put it off. When
we are told that we are powerless
to legislate for ourselves, we should
say with Patrick Henry: 'When
shall we be strong?" If we are
not able to break these fetters now,
when shall we be able to break
them? They say we are bound
to the mother country because we
have borrowed money from her.
I say if we had a good financial
policy for twenty years we would
be loaning money to them instead
of being in bonds. When shall we
be stronger? The issue between
democracy and plutocracy can be
settled easiest when the issues are
made.
The success of their treats en-
encourages them to threaten more.
I don't want to leave this question
for our children to settle. Let us
settle it now. I don't know how
earnest you may be in this fight,
but there are those who are en-
listed for the war, no matter how
long. When we entered on the
last campaign I believed we would
be successful. But had 1 seen the
result in the beginning I would
have fought just as hard.
/ am ready to continue the fight
to-day, and I belive we will be
victorious in 1900. But whether
we are or not, we must fight as
long as this conspiracy against the
human race exists. I wish the
American people could every one
realize what this contest means.
If some foreign nation sent fleet
and demanded 10 per cent. of the
property of the United States,
there is not a person that would
pay the tribute.
We could raise an army com
posed every able-bodied man in
the country. There is not for
eign feet on our shores. nor is a
tribute openly demanded, but a
foreign financial policy has landed
on our shores. It seeks not a
tribute of 10 per cent, but it has
already collected more than that
duI 16 SIl1l uuSdI1Su6os
The raising of an army to free
us is unnecessary, but the people
must rise in their might and drive
this foreign policy from the shores
of the United States.
Then we will light the camp
fires from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, and these camp fires will
warn the world that never again
shall foreign financial policy set
foot in this land.
1t is sometimes said we are sell
fish; that we are just helping a
few mine owners. ALL people are
more or less selfish; I feel more at
home among selfish people. All
bimetallists believe that bimatall-
ism will be good for them.
Go to the laboring man and he
says he is bimetallist because he
believes it is good for himself and
others. It makes more money
with which to employ people.
With less money to pey in wages,
fewer men must be employed.
The man out of employment is a
menace to the man who has work.
Increase that number of idle men
and you increase the number of
destitute. Increase the number of
destitute men and you increase the
number of desperate men and
you increase the number of Grim
inals, and the laboring men do not
yet believe that they can benefit
themselves by the increase of crime.
The farmer believes in bimetall-
ism because he believes it is better
for himself and for others. He has
seen the prices of his products go
down while the taxes refuse to fall.