The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-14
SILVER ISSUE WILL NOT DOWN.
BRYAN SAYS PARTY MUST STAND
ON CHICAGO PLATFORM.

Natural RatiO-DenOunces Trusts
coin ON imperialism.
Milwaukee, Wis, April 1S.-The Jeffer-
son Club of Milwaukee observed the natal
day of the founder of democracy by
banquet at the Plankington House to-
| night, attended by over 400 guests.
Col William J. Bryan of Nebraska was
the guest of honor and delivered the prln-
were in attendance from many towns
| throughout the state, and nearly all the
| Democrats from the state legislature were
present.
The banquet hail was beautifully dec
grated with the national colors and back
of the guests above a mantel was hung
large portrait in oil of the third Presi-
dent. Col. Bryan spoke on Democracy"
He said, in part:
I'VE are now near enough to the next
| campaign 10 be able to form some idea
| OF the lines along which the contest will
! be fought, and l am taking no risk when
l say that those, who, in 1895, gave their
| allegiance to the Chicago platform are as
| united to-day in the determination that
| no step taken in 1896 shall be retraced.
| That platform applied to the conditions
then existing. the principles which had
! been Democratic from the beginning of
| the government.
| Suggestions that we abandon the money
| question sometimes come from those who
| deserted the party in 1896, but those sug-
| gestions are not supported by evidence
| tending to show that the position in 1896
was wrong, but were pTedlcatcd upon the
| theory that the issue upon which the party
| once lost can never be revived, and what
seems most strange, this argument is made
| by those who have followed a different
course in the @ast.
I'm 1888 Mr. Cleveland was defeated on
the tariff issue. and yet the tariff was
made the main issue in 1892 and Mr. Cleve-
land was elected In 1892 Mr.. Harrison
\ was defeated largely on account of the
| Mckinley bill, aud four years later the
author of the bill was nominated upon
Platform reaffirming the belief in pro-
| lection, and was successful Thus il is
| seen that in two Instances recently a los
| ing issue in one campaign became a win
ming issue in the campaign following
Right the Test of the Issue.
1.-THE test ought to be not whether the
issue has been presented Before, bur
whether the position taken is right. If
the gold standard was unmerited in 1896,
| 1t is unmerited now. If its maintenance
was detriment to the interests of the
| people of this country, then it is a detr-
ment now If, in 1896, it was so hurt
| ful that the Republicans promised to put
| forth their best effort to substitute inter-
national bmetallsm for IL, and after the
| election was still so hurtful that the Pres
| ident sent a commission to Europe to Sc
| cure foreign aid in abandoning it, what
| has happened since then to make the
American people accept it as blessing?
! IF an increased discovery of god in
| Alaska mas been of any advantage to the
| United States, it is but another evidence
| that the quantitative theory Of money is
| correct. If a large balance of trade in
| favor of the United States gives any relief
because of the money thus brought into
/ the country, il Is additional argument In
| favor Of the quantitatve theory of money
| "Bimetallists have contended that times
| will he made better by the return of the
| double standard and by Its increased sup
| ply of standard money thus furnished for
the business of the country.
The Natural Ratio.
"While 1t is unnecessary TO discuss the
| question of ratio now, it may not be out
| Of place to suggest that 16 70 I being the
! ratio at which the present gold and .gil-
yer coin circulate is the natural ratio at
| which the mints should be reopened. 10
| increase the ratio by increasing the size
| Of the silver dollar would necessitate the
| recoinage of our present silver dollars into
| a less number of dollars and the increase
of the ratio made throughout the world
| would result in a large decrease in the
volume Of standard money, and since the
| value of dollar depends upon the num-
| Der of dollars, such a change would nee
| essarily increase the purchasing power of n
dollar and Increase the burden of debts. II
! would be equivalent to a transfer bv leg
islation to vast amount of wealth from
| the producing classes to the money-own-
| ing classes.
THE attempt of the Republican partv
| to retire the greenbacks and substitute for
| them national bank notes, will give TO that
! question a greater prominence than it en-
| joyed in 1896 During the war the national
! bank note never became more valuable
| than the greenback, because it was re-
deemable in the greenback. The national
| bank note is good only because the ma
| tional government stands as an indorser
Of the bank. If the value of the bank note
| is dependent upon the government. how
| can il be any better than the governments
| own paper, and why should the govern
meut pay national banks bonus
! to induce them 10 issue national bank
notes which are in no respect superior and
| in some respects inferior to the green
which the people pay no bonus.
Trusts From Cradle to Grave,
'eThe trusts are now absorbing an in
| creasing share of public attention because
| of their rapid growth during the last two
| years We had a sugar trust and an oil
| trust some years ago. We now have a
biscuit trust and a match trust, and a
| meat trust-in fact, trust in almost
everything that is used The milk trust
reaches the infant as he enters the world.
the ice trust cools him in the summer. the
coal trust keeps him warm in the winter
while the coffin trust waits TO receive him
| when Hfe's fitful dream is over The peo-
| pie are beginning to see what the Drin-
| ciple Of monopoly really means. and vet
the principle of monopoly, so plainly illus-
trated by the Industrial trusts does not
differ at all from the principle Of monopoly
which underlies both the gold standard ana
the paper money trusts.
No Large Army Wanted.
'The Democratic party Is prepared "a
eo,a thr gtsf4trg and fo4rf pataf fbos,e..