The state herald., 1899-12-22
DENOUNCE THE BILL.
SILVER REPUBLICANS HEARD
FROM.
Leaders Issue An Address Pointing Out
the Weak Spots In the New Currency
Measure.


age to-day by the House of the iinan-
cial bill, the Silver Republican leaders
In the city held meeting and adopted
an address setting forth their views as
to the effect The address is as fol
lows:
"To the Members OF the Republican
Party who still believe in bimetal-
lism:
1.-THE passage by the House of Rep
resentatives to-day of the gold stand
ard and bank currency bill exactly as
agreed upon by the Republican caucus
and without the opposition of single
Republican vote. marks the culminn-
tlon of policy long and carefully pur-
sued by certain Influences In control of
the leadership of the Republican party
and justiiies the action of the men who
in 1896 refused to remain in that organ
ization after the adoption of the st.
Louis platform.
"'rhe Republican national platforms
OF 1SSS and 1892 have been unequivo-
cally in favor of bimctallsm and the
use of both gold and silver as stand
ard money Nevertheless, 1t was apra-
rent several months before the assem-
bling of the national convention Of
1896 that the machinery OF the RepulN
lican party had passed wholly into the
hands of the banking and creditor In
terest. and that 1t was the purpose of
the latter to commit the party to the
advocacy and achievement of the gold
standard. Against this danger the un-
dersigned. and many other Republican
bimetallists, at that time vainly at
tempted to arouse the masses of the
party. The politicians and newspapers
privy to the scheme denounced our
fears ms unfoundcd or simulated and
by skillful use OF catch words and gen
eralities succeeded in forestalling any
widespread comprehension of their de-
signs. When the convention met sim
liar ingenuity governed the framing
of the declaration on the money ques-
ton. Its essential part was as follows:
I'VE are therefore opposed to the
free coinage of silver except by inter
national agreement with the leading
commercial nations of the world
which we pledge ourselves to promote,
and until such agreement can be OBJ
tanned the existing gold standard must
he preserved All our silver and paper
currency must be maintained at part
ty with gold. c.c.'
at is strange that SO manifest an in
sincerity should have decided anybody
Clearly, II the gold standard was de
sirablc the free coinage of silver was
undesirable, however secured. II the
gold standard was right. free coinaG"
must he wrong. Nobody could intclli-
gently and honestly demand the In
tcrnational free coinage of silver and
nj the same time express such en-
phatlc satisfaction with the gold
standard ns an alternative. As n mat
ter OF fact. this declaration was intend
cd as definite assurance 10 the spec
ulativc banks and their allies that the
Republican party, II successful in the
election. would proceed with all polite
speed to the establishment of the sin
gle gold standard in all its rigor. The
promise TO promote the International
free coinage of silver was never meant
10 be observed iT good faith. yet 1t
proved n good enough slogan until af-
ter the election Relying upon II. en-
forced as 1t was throughout the west
ern and central portions of the coun-
try by the editors and orators of the
Republican party. millions OF voters
w-rr held In line for the ticket. for. as
stated In the Republican campaign text
book for 1892, the Republican party
was n 'bimeialllc party No one whose
political Judgment hns the slightest
weight will deny that frank pro-
nounccment for the gold standard In
that platform. or n straightforward in
depreciation OF II by the Republican
candidate for president as meaning the
gold standard and nothing else, would
have elected Mr.. Bryan by an over
whelmlng majority. 10 construe the
election of ls.I as u mandate by the
American people for the establishment
of the gold standard Is to appropriate
political goods under false pretcnscs
AS soon Ms the election was over
and the fruits OF this chlcanery had
been gathered the great Republican
newspapers began 10 discard their con.
vcnlcnt antiquities about sound mon
cy and honest money and 10 claim
the result Ms n definite verdict In favor
of gold. These uttcranccs Increased in
volume aud precision as the advent OF
the new administration approached
The President. also. although not able
nt once TO form the hnbi, OF lrectncss
In speech, soon showed 10y his actions
that lie no longer considered the pre-
election construction of the platform to
bc binding. His appointment as secrc.
tnry OF the treasury perhaps the most
conspicuous gold standard advocate
among the great bankers OF the coun.
try was obviously not especially de.
signed TO promote amy kind OF blmct.
nlllsm. To b. sure there WIS sent
abroad the alleged International none
tnry commission. Unless the honx was
To he openly confessed. this wns the
least the President could do. Bnt for
fear that. after all. foreign govern.
mcnts might take the procedure scri.
.onsly. he scnt 10 Congress In July, 1897.
nt the very moment when his commits.
slon's proposals were before Ia. Eng.
llsh cabinet. special message recon.
m"niing the so,cnllel indianapolis
monetary convention plan with lis pro.
gram of the single gold standard. rr.
ilrcmcnt OF III" grecnbncks and rxicn.
siOns Of the powers. privileges and i'm.
munlilcs of the national banks. Mean.
time his secretary of the treasury was
declaring In Interview after Interview.
mos, of which were carefully rcproduc.
.d IN Europe Tint hlmcinllism ~ my
Kind. Interest or otherwise. was NOT
only impossible. but undesirable. OF
course No serious negotiations were
possible after all this. The interim.
ilonnl commission became mn interim,
ilonnl joke 1t folded It's tent like tho
Arab nnd silently stole away Its dis,
ilnEniNhci nnd ihcomiiiod chairman
sought early opportunity In the Senate
10 explain lis fnllur" In n speech which
neither his diplomatic nrtliicors ~ riiri
orlc nor his ,iehuncintlon of the sccre,
inry ~ he treasury could hide rcspon
hllliy ~ the official bend Of the nd
minlstrnilon.