, 1899-12-26
MONDELL'S VIEWES
Continued from page -

and deplorable conditions then exist
ing.
| reason now, | believe, more fully,
comprehending all the lights and les
sons of the past, including the immedi-
ate past, and in the clear and steady
radiance of present conditions, with
their bright illumination of a glorious
future. The gentlemen on the other
side with whom some Of us have par
tally agreed on this question in the
past assume to be surprised at the
change which has taken place in the
opinions of many. l confess to an IN
bounded establishment, in face of the
demonstrated fallacity of all of the
fundamental propositions laid down in
the past by the champions Of unlim-
tied silver coinage, that they still con-
and can only account for it on the
ground of political e~xpediency. With
you some of us followed with sinking
hearts and straining eyes the deepen
ing twilight that marked the fading of
the last day of the double standard
aud mourned its passage, for, though
oft obscured and uncertain had been
its light, it was the best that we had
known. But, my friends, our eyes have
seen the bright-.obed heralds of the
ruddy dawn precede the glowing char
lot of the golden sun of a better,
brighter, and more glorious day, while
you still linger weeping at the empty
tomb of a defunct theory whose spirit
and essence has risen in a newer and
more perfect form.
Mr.. Chairman, this bill proposes to
express, in the form of a statute, what
has been practically the momentary
conditions for 6O-odd years, and I'M
questionably and beyond all contro-
versy our practice and policy during
the entire life of one generation of
men. 1t rises above the vague and I'M
defined terrors inspired by mysterious
and meaningless catch phrases and
with the splendid courage which has
always characterized the republican
the irrevocable decree of the eternal
law of evolution. I have never under
stood what determined the choosing
Of the metal for the construction of the
image of the infantile bovine before
which the children of Israel worship
ped while Moses fingered among the
thunders Of Sinai, but l have often
thought how surprised those hard
hearted idolaters would have been
could they have foreseen that their
act vas to be used by the ~silverites as
a figure of speech to c~onjure with in
the discussion of the currency question
thirty-five hundred years after their
sinful souls had been called to reward
Truly the evil which men do lives long
after them.
No man has ever claimed, to my
knowledge, that a double standard was
the ideal condition, and no man who
values his word will deny the state
ment that the two metals have never
for any length of time circulated at 6
parity where there was free coinage fol
both. The only excuse for the effori
to maintain a double standard has beer
the fear that there was not a sufficient
amount of one metal in the world tc
answer all the purposes of a monetary
| ctanJ,rl To thn,o Il. - 81 a o;oot
of gold in the world and shall continue
to be in the future, then nc man can
deny the wisdom of maintaining a sin.
gle standard or defend the stupendous
folly Of inviting the dangers and the
disasters incident to the fluctuatine
relative values Of a double standard
How are we able to decide whether
there be gold enough to serve, all pur.
poses of a standard? If you believe in
the quantitive theory of money, you
find your answer in the trebled pro.
duction of gold since 1878, while If the
trend of the prices of products be YOU
test, you have a practical answer ant
demonstration in the fact that in the
face of cheapened methods of produc'
ton under the gold standard the prices
Of commodities have risen and now
stand at a figure which will yield the
producer good returns for his labor.
In my opinion there is one test o.
the sufficiency of a monetary standard
which transcends and outweighs al
others; it is the test Of its effect on thu
rewards Of human toll and effort, ant
since men began to establish govern
ments, since history's scroll first un
rolled, there has never been a TIM
when it has been recorded hat human
labor was so well rewarded as 1t is to
day in these United States and undeI
this standard. 1t is astonishing will
what assurance and alacrity the free
silver men have assumed in the pas
the mantle of prophecy and equally as
tonishing the composure with which
they essay to continue the prophetic
role in view of the utter failure Of theil
past predictions. The consuming fire!
have persistently refused to descend II
answer to their commands and appeals
while at the word of the republican
Elijah there arises the sweet savor o.
the sacrificial thank-offering Of a hap
Ply, prosperous, and contented people
Need l remind the gentlemen on the
other side of the just fate OF falsf
prophets and warn them to turn to the