The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-25
Chairman.
THOMAS MALONEY,
Secretary.
"A. ID. WARNER,
LEE b. HART,
John ID. KENT"
HE PREACHED GOLD.
Robert 3. Taylor of indianapolis Airs His
Peculiar Views Before the Mon
etary Convention.

etary Convention.
| indianapolis, Jan. 24.-Robert S. Taylor
| of Indianapolis, a member of the none
tary commission, delivered an address in
which he discussed the plan recommended
by the commission. He said in part:
''The duty imposed upon the commission
was to formulate the best monetary
scheme 1T could think of-one adaptable
to the habits and wants of the American
people. and capable of adoption without
Inconvenience in the process. 1t was the
belief of the commission that the most
serious evil of our present situation rs
the uncertainty existing in regard to tBe
standard. The last election was veraict
against the silver standard, but nothing
has been done to carry that verdict INTO
effect. The question Is still OPEN Ev ms
have shown that solution of the question
by international free coinage Is imposs.-
bic. No nation except France has .ndi-
Gated any Willingness to unite In such a
scheme. Moreover, the changes that have
taken place since 1886 have made ii i'm
possible. The whole world could not bring
gold and silver together in value at The
ratio of l6 to ], and the moment we il ave
the ratio we are all at sea. 1t Is time
to put that dream behind us and face the
situation 1t IL. With the present enor
nous gap between gold and silver-nearly
30 to 1.-The least uncertainty as to wheth-
er our future standard is to be gold or
silver creates an intolerable condition.
The first thing recommended by the com
mission is an explicit declaration by Jaw
that the government will maintain the
gold standard in the payment of its own
debts; that all of its obligations now X
listing or hereafter created shall he pal
in gold. Such declaration would in itself
go far To relieve the existing uncertainty
'rhe next recommendation is that there
shall be complete separation of the
purely fiscal functions of the treasury d.
partment, consisting In the collection of
revenue and the payment of expenses
and its monetary functions. The gold e.
serve should be transferred to division
of issue and redemption, and there main
tanned by surplus revenue when 1t exists
and by the sale of bonds when necessary
This would put at rest all anxiety in re-
gard to the payment of the government
notes, AS things now stand, the mainte-
nance of gold payments by the treasury
depends upon contingencies. conditions
of peace, war. crops and elections WI
liam Mckinley and Lyman J. Gage could
send the country to a silver basis with
four words simply by telegraphing to
Assistant Treasurer Jordan at New
York. Pay greenbacks in silver There is
no danger that they will do it, but their
successors might
After outlining the position Of the COM
mission In regard TO silver currency and
the substitution of national bank not
for greenbacks, Mr.. Taylor closed by
saying:
"The republican party Is called to face
a tremendous responsibility II espoused
the cause of sound money in 1896 sound
money now means the gold standard
We are bound TO have either the gold
standard or the silver standard. There
is no other alternative. and the silver
standard for us means all that is I'M
sound and dishonest i'm money. The pledge
of the st. Louis platform in reference
to international bmetallism has been pr
formed. We have tried and failed. Senator
Wocott admits the impossbility of the
undertaking at this time. The free si,-
Verists must go IL alone.
ITO sound money man IL is q conclu-
sive demonstration that we must not only
keep the gold standard. but strengthen
and fortlfy il against all possibility Of as
sault. In that great work the republican
party must lead, The gold democrats are
a remnant of Israel destined. perhaps. to
be the seed OF great party 10 come, but
they are too few to carry elections now,
There is great body of Independent
men who are friends of the cause. but
they can do nothing effectively except
through the instrumentality of the fe-
publican party. Once more the fate Of
the country is in its hands"