The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-19


ciaI bill. the silver republican lsaies !,
the city held a meeting and adopted al
address setting forth their views as TO ~
effect. The address is as follows;
To Members OF the Republican Par,l
| Who still Believe In Bimetallism. Tn
passage by the house OF representatives.
today OF The gold standard and bank cur
rency bill exactly as agreed upon by tn,
republican caucus and without the oppo-
sition OF single republican vote marks
the elimination OF a policy long carefully
pursued by certain influences In contio
Of the leadership of the republican party
and juslifies the action OF the men who,
In 1896 refused to remain In that orgsniza-
ton after the adoption of the st. Louis
platform
Tho republican platforms OF 1855 and
1892 had been unequivocally in favor Of
bimetallism and the use Of both geld and
silver as standard money. Nevertheless
10 was apparent several months be.ore
the assemblagc OF the national ccnyen-
ton of 1896 that the machinery o. the O.
publican party had passed wholly into tho
hands OF the banking and creditor Inter
ests and that 1t was the purpose OF the
latter to commit the party to The adyo y
and achievement of the gold standard.
Against this danger the undersigned and
many other republican bimetalllsis at that
time vaiply attempted to arouse the
masses OF the party The politicians and
newspapers privy to the scheme denounced
our fears as unfounded or simulated. and
IA ell - A. a
aliiies. succeeded In forostalling any
widespread comprehension OF their de-
signs When the convention met the
same ingenuity governed the framing Of
the declarations on the money questions.
Its essential part was as follows:
We are, therefore. opposed TO the frea
coinage Of silver except by interCl :ional
agreement with the leading commercial
nations OF tho world. which We pledge
ourselves to promote. and until such
agreement can be obtained the eAist'n :
gold standard must be preserved All or
public silver and paper currency must be
mnintainci az parity with gold etc"
1t is strange that so manifest an in
sincerity should have deceived anybody.
Clearly II the gold standard was deslra Bile.
the frcc coinage Of silver was undesirable,
however secured. II the gold standard
was right, free coinage OF silver must he
wrong Nobody could intellgently and
honestly demand the international free
coinage Of silver and at the same time ex.
press such emphatic satisfaction with the
gold standard as an alternative. As a
matter Of fact this declaration was intend
ed as definite assurance TO the Speculn-
tive banks and their allies that the repub-
licnn party. II successful in the election,
would proceed with all political speed to
the establishment of the single gold stand
ard In all its rigor. The promise TO pro
mote tho international free coinage Of
silver was never meant TO be observed In
good faith yet 1t proved "a good enough
slogan until after the election" Relying
upon II, enforced MS 1t was throughout the
West and central portions OF tho country
by the editors and orators OF the repubii-
can party millions of voters wore held In
ling for tho ticket; for. as stated In the
reshblcan campaign text book for 1872,
the republican party WIS "A blmefallic
party" No one whose political judgment
has the slightest weishl VIII deny that n
frank pronouncemont Of the gold standard
IN that platform, or a straightforward In
depreciation OF 1t ny the republican cand-
date FOR president as meaning the gold
standard and nothing else would have
elected Mr.. Bryan by an overwhelming
majority.
TO cunstruc tho election al 1Snd
n. mandate by the American pco-
pie for The establishment OF the gold
standard is tn appropriate political
goods under fnlsc prctenSer.
as soon as the election was over and
the fruits of this chioanery had been gath =
cred. the great republican newspapers be-
gan to discard their convenient nmblgui-
tics about Sound money and "hnacsi
money and to claim the result ms IA
dennito verdict In favor OF soli Thee
utterancos increased in volume ana RE
cisou as the advent Of The now admins-
tration approached. The president also,
although not able to al once form the
habit OF directness In speech soon showed
by his actions that he no longer oonsiderei
the pre- election construction of the plat
form 70 be binding, His appointment as
secretary Of the treasury OF perhaps lie
most conspicuous gold standard advocate
among the great bankers uf The country
was obviously not especially lcsiSne5 10
promote" any kind of blmetalIisn 10 be