The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-04-08
A Young Man on Bimstallism

OIAWtOtusSiuC1 APAht - ASVSs
EDITOR DENocRAT.
It is consoling indeed to think that
:here was enough argumen. in my for
mer article that even an interpreter OF
of the law should reply to it.
He says "there is no argument IN the
abuse which prefaces the article" 1t
was not meant for argument, it was sim.
ply plain statement of facts.
After elaborately srraigRing me for
what he terms ''personal abuse" he pre-
cseds something like this, "whenever
you hear man abusing one for what b.
terms changing his principles' min
times out of ten the party complaining
is a populist who has himself changed
or Bryan democrat who has gone back
on time honored real democratic plinci- |
pies, or else it is come irresponsible per
son who pever paid dollar tax, has not
enough principle to pay his debts and
wants the government to give him some
thing for nothing" l lnTer from this
statement, Mr.. Editor that they who advo.
cate the free coinage of silveS are dishon-
est. The advocates of the gold standard
always did call those who advocate free
coinage, dishonest. | should like to ask
who indulges in abuse more than the
advocates of the gold standard? Ahuss
is, and always has been their chief ar
gument. Reputation, socialism, anar.
chy, etc., are all gold bug terms. fne
word "populist" is clincher with them.
that is the meanest name, they think,
that they can call person. and sir,
when Mr.. Wright attempts to arraign
me on the question of abuse, wish to
remind him of the old but true proverb,
that ''they who live in glass houses
should never throw stones
Now then. on what grounds does Mr..
Wright base his argument in ATTEMPT
ing to yindicate the single gold standard.
it is the: LIST, that the democratic par
ty prior to 1896 Was gold standard par
ty. End, That they who advocate the
free and unlimited coinage of silver at
he ratio of I6 to l''want something for
nothing" 3td, That the United State
cannot maintain the ratio Of l6 to l. 4th'
That money must have intrinsic values
and 9TH that the remedy for our present
financial and industrial iii. is q continu'
ance of the present gold standard.
Nov then, in regard to the FIRST state
ment. In my former article | stated
'that tie democratic party was meyer g
gold standard party" and | again make
that statement. Let Us see, in 1880 the
democratic party declared for "honesi
money" not the kind Of honest money
that we hear so much about at the pres
ent day, bat bonest money consisting
OF gold and silver and paper convertible
into coin on demand.
The platform OF 1884 declared: 1--WE
believe in honest money, the gold and
silver coinage OF the constitution, and q
circulating medium cenvertable into
such money without loss.''
The platform Of 1888 reaffirmed that
of 1884 and now we come to the platform
of 1892, Mr.. Wight has quoted from the
sides and ends of that platform and fixed
it mp to suit himself, he has tried Il
make it read in favor of the single gold
standard. But happily there are Others
who possess copy Of that platform, and
they can also read and understand it
"Ws hold to the use of both gold and
silver as the standard money ofths coun
try, and to the coinage of both gold and
oliver without discriminating against
either metal, or charge for mintage.
Mr.. Wright has qnoled the balance of it
30 it is not necessary for me TO do so
I'll admit. Mr.. Editor, that. OF late years
platforms have been drawn somewhat
evasiye. They have not been as plain
spoken and concise as they should be,
but if ~ one can see any iinge of the
gold standa d IN those platforms they
can see more than can. The
dem ociatic party in congress understood
them to be for free coinage and voted
accordingly. Why cir, this very same
platform, the platform of 1892, which
Mr.. Wright says was q gold standard
platform denounced the republican par.
ty for euacting the SHERMAN law" which
they declared was 'cowardly make
shift" What does that mean? It means
that the Sherman bill was maseshift OF
a scheme TO prevent bill passing for
the free coinage of silver. The congress-
ionai elections were then on, and for fear
Of dsfrat the republican party did not
want to go on record, for or against the
free coinage of silver, this Is fact with.
in the remembrance of every one. Lii.
is too short 10 waste time 10 denyins
such statements as SIR. Wright makei
viz; that gold is the best money and {
gold staEdared is Il @ only way to maintain
one dollar as good as every dollar" wa
q former democratic principle. Sncl
statements is the product of the selfish
the ignorant and the blind, but in tt,
majority of cases they are wiIlfuI mis-.
representations.
Al ICbnhA W Vic cCLoAA bthtSheubs III
reality who is it that wants "somethin,
for nothing" and who is it that Away
got something for nothing?" Histor,
records that it is this very class OF mel
who are today trying to fasten this gole
standard upon the people OF the United
States. In the DARKEST hours of this re
public, when it seemed the union wouIe
be rent asunder, we find this handfu. o
men securing the enactment of Law
through which they could purchase gov
ernment bonds worth 100 cents on tn,
dollar, with deprecated greenback
worth only 40 cents on the dollar, ant
which only cost them 40 cents in ex
change for gold, and then under tb,
baneful disguise Of an act TO Strengthen
the public credit, they scursd their psy
ment IN coin at 100 cents on the dollar
thus making clear profit of so cents OIL
the dollar.
The Gsgs currency scheme is anothe
plan by which they expect to get some
thing for nothing. The bankers ar
the only class recorded In history tina