Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-16

beg, because we read in history when
we were children that more than
hundrd years ago our people by their
blood bought the right of the people to
legislate for themselves. According to
our plan, when we send II man over
there it will not be to ask Il man to
help us. but to announce to them what
we are going to do. daughter and APP
piause)
1T will be to say to them that sew
enty millions of people have as much
right to protect their property from de-
probation as handful of foreign fl
nanciers have to legislate values into
their hands. And our ambassador
would have said to them:
THE PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED.
The people of the United states
have decided to restore independent b.:
metallism at the ratio of 16 to l. We
believe we can maintain the parity, but
you have good many investments over
there, and If you have any doubt about
it-about our doing it-you had better
join us, because If anybody suffers it
VIII be you-not us. Nong continued
laughter and applause.)
Now, my friends. an argument like
that would have some effect. But. ny
friends, why haven't we international
bimetallism? Is II because there Is no
sentiment in Europe? On the contrary,
there is sentiment there, and the SEN
government Joined with us in sending
an ambassador TO England. And in
england the sentiment was so strong
that petition was sent to the English
government, signed by the leading labor
organizations of England, asking for
International himetallism. so strong
that report was presented while our
commission was there: Il report signed
by ten out of fourteen members of the
commission appointed to investigate
the condition OF agriculture, and the
ten of the fourteen declared that the
gold standard was destructive to Eng
lish agriculture and pointed to bimet
allism as the only relief for the English
farmer. (Applause)
THE LONDON BANKERS
But why, my friends, did the Eng
lish government refuse to listen to the
laborers and to the farmers? Because
on the I'd day of September. 1897. the
bankers of London met at the Clear
ing House, behind closed doors. and
pledged to secrecy, and declared that
the gold standard was all right. The
English bankers. so few in number that
they can meet in the clearing house, de-
termined the policy OF Europeans and
Europe, will determine the policy of
the United States as long as the Re
publican party is in power. CHEERS and
aDDlause.)
I have been asked why am not will
ing to drop the money question. l re-
piled: Because the money question
won't drop US"
TWO METHODS.
Until some other party proposes some
other ratio than 16 to / and tries to
secure bimetallism at some other ra-
ito there is no reason why we should
discuss ratio with them. The ratio of
Is to ! is the ratio at which our gold
and silver coins now circulate.
We simply ask reinstatement OF the
law that was on the statute books
where it was before the act of demone-
tization was secretly passed. We sim
ply want to renew by law what was
done by law. They struck silver down
by law. We rails 1t UP by law: they
close the minis by law; we open them
by law. (Applause.)
My friends. you will hear people say
that they don't object to silver II we
will only open the minis at the bullion
ratio or the commercial ratio"
ANOTHER SPEECH.
Mr.. Bryan condemned the bill pend
ing in Congress providing for the re-
tirement OF the greenbacks by an issue
of bonds drawing 2k per cent. He said
If it became law and 2E per cent.
bonds are at par, "then n National
bank. with n capital of 500, 900, can in
vest the 100000 in bonds, deposit the
bonds with the Treasury and draw up
on the bonds 100000 in bank notes: so
that the amount the bank gets back is
just equal to the amount the bank paid
for the bonds. SO that it has not a
single dollar invested. and yet 1t goes
drawing 2la per cent interest year
on nothing. Applause)
1T is Il small proposition in mathc-
MATES, and yet these banks will tell
YOU they want This done for the pub
lie good. There is another object that
is not included in the Chicago platform
and is yet included in the principle il
sets forth. The President. i'm his mes
sage of 1898. asked for a standing army
OF 100000 men. We have had no ma
tional convention since that time But
Democrats do not have to have n ma
tional convention to learn that the
Democratic party is opposed TO mill
tarism III the United States. Gap
plauSe)
UNCLE SAM A BULLY.
Mr. Bryan referred to the United
States as bully for striking down the
Filipino natives. This created the