The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-06-29
HONEST DOLLARS.
BY WILLIAM ]. BRYAN.


Why, it was ON this theory that
the people were warned in 1896
warned against having system
that would lesson the purchasing
power of the dollar; and life insur-
ance companies felt it their duty
to notify their policy holders what
terrible calamity would come upon
them if the dollars fell in purchas-
ing power.
But the policy holders, as a rule,
knew enough to know that the in
surance company receives every
year more money than it pays out,
and therefore, just as long as it is
IA solvent company, it is more in
terested in having the dollars
which it receives rise than it is in
not having its policy holders lose
anything by cheap dollars.
But here are three classes desert
bed by Senator Sherman-the cap
italists out of debt, the salaried of
6cer and the annuitant [ have
sometimes thought that if we paid
our salaries in commodities instead
of dollars, salaried officers would
be more watchful about commodit-
les and less watchful about dollars.
IF, for instance, we paid the presi-
dent of the United States $4,000
in cotton, he would be trying to
find out why cotton is two cents
pound lower with confidence resto-
red, than it was before the elect
ion.
John g. Carlisle made speech
in 1878, and in the course of that
speech he said:
eff the enforcement of the law"
the Bland-Allison act with am
mendments, was then under dis
cussion-"if the enforcement of
the law could be intrusted to a
public officer who was in sympathy
with the struggling masses who
produce the wealth and pay the
taxes of the country, rather than
with the idle holders of the idle
capital, the provisions of the act al
luded to would be of little conse-
quence because we could coin the
maximum amount provided by law,
but we all have reason to believe
that not dollar beyond the mini
mum amount will be coined"
Why? Because the officer was
in sympathy with the idle holders
of idle capital, and if he had
been in sympathy with the
struggling masses he would have
coined the maximum provided by
law. Mr.. Carlisle divides society
just as Mr.. Blaine divided it, be-
cause Mr.. Carlisle puts on one side
the idle holders of idle capital and
on the other side he puts the strug-
Cling masses, and he said of the
struggling masses that they pro-
duce the wealth and pay the taxes
of the country.
I don't think that he paid them a
compliment any too high. The
struggling masses do produce the
wealth and they do pay the taxes
of the country in time of peace aud
in time of war; the struggling mas
ses are the only people who ever did
-,I,,,- - ,-;lI;,-r,,ae.e II, soor;Eoa Eor
their country in time of war
The struggling masses who pro-
duce the wealth and pay the taxes
of the country are, according to
Mr.. Carlisle, on one side, and
on the other are the idle holders of
idle capital. Here are three wit
nesses who point out by logic and
illustration. Am / wrong to call
attention to that division?
Is it worse for me to quote the
language of Mr. Sherman than for
him to have used it? Is it worse
for me to quote the language of
Mr.. Blaine than for him to have
used it? Is it worse for me to
quote the language of Mr.. Carlisle
than for him to have used it2
He brought against the idle hol-
ders of idle capital severe ar
raigument He charged that they
did not want the maximum amount
coined; that they insisted upon the