Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-14
BRYAN At MILWAUKEE
Democratic Leader Addresses The
Jefferson Club,
THE CAMPAIGN NEXT YEAR.
Party Prepared 10 Meet New Issues With
out Abandoning Old Ones.
NO 1896 STEP TO DE RETRACED.
The 10 to 1 Coinage RatiO-Retire-
mcnt of the Grecnbncks-Incrcns
of the Standing Army-Imperial-
ism-Tbc Trust Evil.
NO 1896 STEP TO DE RETRACED.

the natal day of the founder of Democ-
racy i'm a banquet at the Plankinton
House tonight, attended by over four
hundred guests.
Colonel William J. Bryan, of Nebraska,
was the guest Of honor, and delivered the
principal address. Delegations Of Demo
Gratis were in attendance from many
towns throughout the State and nearly
all the Democrats from the State Legis
lature were present.
The banquet hall was beautifully deco
rated with the national colors. and back
Of the guests OF honor was hung a large
portrait in oil Of the third President
Mr. Bryan said in part:
MIR. BRYAN'S SPEECH.
eve 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 | am taking no risk when
/ say that those who i'm 1896 gave their
allegiance TO the Chicago platform are
united to-day in the determination that
no step taken in 1896 shall be retraced.
That platform applied TO the conditions
then eXistng-principles which had been
! Democratic from the beginning Of the
! government. Suggestions that we aban
don the money question sometimes come
| from those who deserted the party in
| 1896 but these suggestions are not sup
ported by evidence tending TO show that
/ the position i'm 1896 was wrong. but are
predicated 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 past
In 1883 Mr.. Cleveland was defeated on
the tariff issue. and yet the tariff was
| made The main issue in 1892 and Mr..
| Cleveland was elected. In 1Sg2 Mr.. Harri-
son was defeated largely on account of
| the Mckinley bill, and four years later
The author of that bill was nominated
upon a platform reafiirming the belief in
protection. and was successful Thus II
is seen that IN two instances recently
| losing issue in one campaign became
winning issue in the campaign following.
THE PROPER TEST.
"The test ought TO be, not whether the
issue has been presented but whether the
position taken is right. IF the gold-stand-
ard was unmeritorious i'm 1886. it is un-
mcritOrous now. If ii WAS detrimental
to the people of this country then. II Is
detrimental now If in 1896 II was so hurt
full that the Republicans promised TO put
forth their best efforts 10 substitute BIZ
was still 50 hurtful that the President
sent a commission 10 Europe TO secure
foreign aid in abandoning H. what has
happened since then 10 make the Ameri-
can people accept IL as blessing II an
increased discovery Of gold in Alaska has
been Of any great Interest 10 the United
states. IL is but another evidence that the
quanttative theory Of money IS correct.
II large balance Of trade in favor OF
the United States gives any relief be-
cause of money thus brought into the
country. il is an additional argument I'm
favor Of the quanttatiVe theory Of money
"Bimetallists have contcnded that times
would be made better by the retention
Of the double standard and by the in
creased supply of standard money thus
furnished for the business of the coun-
try.
QUESTION OF MONEY RATIO.
"While il is unnecessary to discuss the
question of ratio now, IL may not be-
out of place To suggest that l6 TO !, being
the ratio at which the present gold and
silver coins circulate Is the natural ra-
tho at which the mints should be reOpened.
70 increase the ratio by increasing the
size Of the silver dollar would necessi-
tate the recoinage Of our present silver
dollars into a less number of dollars. ana |
the increase of the ratio made through
out the world would result i'm large ue-
crease i'm the volume of standard money;
and since the value OF dollar depends
upon the number Of dollars, such a
fAdUEt NUulu necessarily increase Niir |
purchasing power Of dollar. and in !
crease the burden Of debts. Ii would be
equivalent TO a. transfer by legislation Of |
a vast amount Of wealth from the pro- |
ducing classes 10 the money-owuing |
classes
RETIREMENT OF GREENBACKS.
"The attempt of the Republican party |
10 retire the greenbacks and substitute |
for them natiOnal-bank notes will give !
10 that question greater prominence |
a I'm fa..
the national-bank note never became |
more valuable than the grcenback. The |
natiOnal-bank note II good only because |
the national government stands as an en- |
dOrser of the banks. If the value Of /
the bank note is dependent upon the gov
ernment. how can II be any better than |
the governments own paper. and why !
should the government pay national |
banks a bonus 10 induce them To issue
bank notes. which are i'm no respect supe-
rior, and are in some Respects inferior.
TO the lreenbacks issued by the govern
ment. and for which the people pay no
bonus?
THE TRUSTS.
"The trusts are coming i'm for thoir
share of public attention because Of their
rapid growth during the last two years.
We had Sugar Trust and an oil Trust
some years ago. We now have Il Biscuit |
Trust and "a Match Trust. and Meat
Trust-in fact. trust in almost every
thing that is used. The Milk Trust
Tpac cheS the luldht as ne enters the world |
the lee Trust ccOls him in the summer:
the Coal Trust keeps him warm in the
winter while the Coffin Trust waits TO
receive him when lifeS fitful dream Is
over. The people are beginning 10 soc
what the principle of monoDoly really !
means and vet the principle OF monopoly /
SO plainly introduced by the industrial |
trusts does not differ at all from the
of monopoly which underlies
both the gold standard and the paper
money trusts.
THE ARMY INCREASE.
"The Democratic party is prepared 10
face the future and meet new issues
without abandoning the old ones. The
Republican party has demanded that the
standing army he increased 10 10000 men.
II any born In the United States are
ignorant of the burden Of a standing !
army. they can receive instructions from
those born in European countries Many
Europeans who are now worthy citizens
Of this great republic left their Euro
pean homes because Of the burdens i'm
posed by the enormous military establish
ments. great army may be good
thing for the railroad companies which
carry IL from place To place and for the
large contractors. who will furnish food
and raiment for the soldiers but II Is a
distressing burden upon the plain people
If the country, especially upon the labor