The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-12
IEArrLR, TUESDAY, DEOENBER II.
THE CHALLENGE IS ACCEPTED.

The Bryanites anect to be deiignteu
1t the prospect Of having the Republi-
cans take a decided attitude with refer
ence to the gold standard. They real
ixe that free silver Is a dead issue and
they would have stood no chance to
arouse public interest in the subject
during the next campaign. The Repub-
iicans have. 1t 10 true, afforded them an
object of attack; but 1t is equally true
that the Republican party Is not afraid
to meet the issue.
J. G. johnson. Of the Democratic ex-
ccutive committee, says that the intro
duction of the Republican monetary bill
"shifts the issue before the country;
the discussion will be for or against
the single gold standard, instead of for
or against silver. as 1t was in 1885,"
1.-THE Democratic party" he says,
xviii maintain its stand In favor Of free
and unlimited coinage OF gold and sill
yer 1t the ratio of 16 to /, independent
Of the consent Of any foreign nation
in short. independent Of bimetallism.
The discussion in congress over the Re-
publican caucus gold standard meas
ures win be the beginning Of the dis
cussion which will be carried through
the campaign" The Republican party
could desire nothing better. During the
last campaign the country was in a
fearful condition. 1t had not yet
emerged from a period of depression
unparalleled in our history. The people
were not only suffering the immediate
consequences of the abnormal state Of
affairs. but were in. despair as to the
future. In spite of the most favorable
conditions for the success of such
plausible specific as free silver, the
common sense Of the country prevailed
and free silver was rejected.
In vain the sound money advocates
argued to free silver Republicans. The
latter saw q shocking condition and
they hoped for remedy by the "16
Bryan and his kind that all would be
well If free silver We're adopted. They
were warned in the most earnest tones
that IL Mckinley were elected and free
silver defeated this country would en-
ter upon panic followed by the most
awful industrial calamity the world had
ever seen. Mckinley was elected; free
silver was defeated. and the country
Immediately entered upon period of
unexampled prosperity prosperity
which shows no signs Of diminishing.
The Republican party invites re-
newal OF the discussions on the money
question. Six or seven years ago very
few people had given the subject any
thought. When hard times came men
looked around for an avenue of escape,
and they were suddenly presented with
free silver as the safest. They seized
1t eagerly; they seized it with the same
thoughtless credulity that induced
thousands of people to confide their
money with the Franklin syndicate in
Brooklyn. 1t was a plausible theory.
1t was not quite SO logical as green
backism, but there were allur;ns feat
ures about It, There is many a man
In this country who would be ashamed
now to admit that he ever gave seri-
GUS thought to free silver who was
sufficiently deluded by 1t to say that it
might be worth the trial.
These men could no longer be shaken
in their present faith. The warnings Of
the Bryanites have proved deceptive. All
that was to be gained by free silver has
been gained under the gold standard.
There are two influences which must be
won over in order to carry any great
measure in this country. One of these
Influences is popular conference.-the