The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-04-26
DIR. c. F. TAYLOR'S POSITION.


We copy the following from The Re-
ferendum:
The press dispatchers reported and the
Referendum copied an account OF meet
ing in New York March 22, to form a
new party. Dr.. c. F. Taylor. editor OF
the Medical World and prominent
member of the Peoples Party in Philadel
phia was reported as attending it. The
not attend the meeting. in letter states
his position as follows:
while there is no harm in talking,
and meeting together in good fellowship.
vet while | am member OF the Peoples
Party, and one of the officers of its or
ganization, | must be true to organiza-
ton | do not think that the silver issue
can ever win l do not think it very
much of an issue anyway Seeing the
financial question in this way, l hope to
see the Peoples Party at its next conven
ton drop the silver issue and come out
boldly for government paper money. IS
sued on the multiple standard. and postal
savings banks. with view to ultimate
complete government banking. With this
financial plank. accompanied by approprl-
ate planks on other questions, and with
a ticket that will command respect and
confidence (the candidates should come
from some place between the Allegheny
and Rocky mountains) this party can
make a strong fight, and | hope COM
bine all the other reform elements.
We are glad to make this correction
and to know the doctor is all right in
the middle Of the road.
We notice that Mr. Wharton Berker
takes a somewhat similar position. We
quote from the Philadelphia American, OF
April 9Th, 1899:
What will be the issues in 1000? Will
the money question be the decisive issue
Upon which the presidential contest will
hinge as in 1906 and if SO. how will the
lines be drawn? Mr. Bryan hopes the
money question will be the deciding one,
the one upon which the contest will turn
and that party lines will be drawn as in
1906. He is bending all his efforts to
make such the issue and thus shape party
lines But he has fallen on unlucky times.
conditions are against him. In 1896 the
issue was simple, largely confined to adj
vocacy OF and opposition to tree silver
coinage Now it is much broader, more
complex not fight as between metals.
but over Our paper money. ana this IS
sue will be brought more prominently to
gress, for then will attacks be made on
our paper money. concerted effort be
made to destroy our greenbacks, our ma
tional credit money. Thus the fight will
be made against our paper money. thus
the fight against silver be overshadowed,
thus parties be forced to declare their at
titude on this, the paramount monetary
question. And so. even though the
money question be the decisive issue i'll
1900 the probabilities are that lines can
not be drawn as in 1906 The fighting
has been forced back behind the silver
line and yet nearer to the ground Tor a
true solution of the question, to basis
where lines OF contest must cease to be
drawn between silver and gold, and be
drawn between metals and paper, between
a happy lucky standard dependent for
its liability on the accidents affecting the
production of the precious metals and
scientific monetary system.
The Peoples Party has always taken
the position that it believed paper money
was the correct solution of the worlds
troubles. But it demanded that. as long
as either of the metals was used, both
should be used. We held that to have
metallic basis for Our money was bad
enough but to cut that basis in halt. was
still worse. And therefore we were
friends OF the reconciliation OF silver.
But it looks now as if the battle OF 1000
would be made largely on the issue of
paper money, as against metallic money.
P. S.-A friend at our elbow, suggests
that as soon as the Populists popularize
this issue, as they will, Bryan and the
Democrats will jump in and steal it from
us. and protest that they have advocated
exactly that idea since Adam was in short
clothes.
The metallic money idea is really kind
of superstition akin to witch-craft The
way that silver has fallen one-half in price
by being partially excluded from the
minis of the world, shows what would
happen to gold if it was subjected to the
same treatment II the minis of the whole
world were closed against both metals.
they would not be worth as much as iron;
for man cannot maintain civilization with
out iron, while silver and gold have very
little intrinsic value to mankind.
Il. D.