The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-14
CARTER HARRISON tPRESENT
ChicaSOs Young Mayor eSpOnded to
corruption in Politics. "
GRACEFUL TRIBUTE PAID BRYAN
Advised Young Democrats to Follow
the Leader With the Zeal of
Crusaders in the Pala-
dins of Old.

Milwaukee, Wis, April 13.-The Jefferson
club of Milwaukee observed the natal day
of the founder of democracy in a most
fitting manner by banquet at the Plankin-
ton house tonight, which was attended ty
over 400 guests. Colonel William J. Bryan,
OF Nebraska, was the guest of honor, and
delivered the principal address,
Colonel Bryan was escorted from Chicago
by an early tram by delegation from that
city, and Mayor Harrison came later also
with large number of escorts.
The banquet hall was beautifully dec
grated with the national colors. Colonel
Bryan Spoke on Democracy" He said
in part:
we are now near enough to the next
campaign to be able to form some idea of
the lines along which the contest will be
fought, and l am taking no risk when 1
say that those who in 1896 gave their
allegiance to the Chicago platform are as
united today in the determination that no
step taken in 1896 shall be retraced. The
platform applied to the conditions then
existing, the principles of which had been
democratic from the beginning of the gov
ernment. Suggestions that we abandon the
money question come from those who aban-
doned the platform in 1896.
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 1892 Mr.. Harrison was de-
feated largely on account of the Mckinley
bill. and four years later Mr.. Mckinley
was nominated upon a platform reafirm-
ING the belief In protection and was sue
cessful. Thus 1t Is seen that In two in
stances recently losing issue In one cam
paign became winning issue in the cam
paign following.
The One True Test
The test ought to be not whether the
Issue has been presented before. but
whether the position taken Is right If
the gold standard was unmerited in 1896,
1t Is unmerited now. If Its maintenance
was detriment to the interests of the peo-
pie of this country, then 1t is a detriment
now. II In 1895 it was so hurtful that the
republicans promised to put forth their
best efforts to substitute international oi-
metallism for 1t, and after the election was
still so hurtful that the present .adminis-
tratfon sent commission to Europe to
secure foreign aid in abandoning It. what
mar happened since then to make the
American people accept it as blessing? :?
II any increased discovery of gold in Ala ska
has been of any advantage to the United
States, 1t is but another evidence that the
quantitative theory of money is correct. If
a large balance of trade in favor of the
United States gives any relief because of
money thus brought into the country it Is
an additional argument in favor of The
quantitative theory of money.
"Bimetallists have contended that timos
will be made better by the return of the
double standard and by the increased sup
ply of standard money thus furnished for
the benefit of the country.
16 to the Natural Ratio
'Nhile 1t is unnecessary to discuss the
question of ratio until some other Is pro-
posed, it may not be out of place to suggest
that 16 to l, before the ratio at which the
present gold and coin silver circulate, is the
natural ratio at which the mints should
be reopened. To increase the ratio by in
creasng the size of the silver dollar would
necesstate the recoinage of our present
silver dollars into less number of silver
dollars, and the increase of the ratio made
throughout the world would result in a
large increase in the volume of standard
money, and since the value of dollar de-
pends on the number of dollars such a
change would necessarily increase the pur-
chasing power of a dollar and increase the
burden of debts. 1t would be equivalent
to a transfer by legislation of a vast
amount of wealth from the producing
classes to the money owning classes
1.-THE attempt of the republican party to
retire the greenbacks and substitute for
them national bank notes will give to that
question greater prominence than it en-
joyed In 1896 During the war the national
bank note never became more valuable
than the greenbacks because 1t was re-
deeniable in the greenback. The national
bank note is good only because the national
government stands as an endorser of the
bank.
Lesson in Bank Notes
'If the value of the bank note is depend
ent aipon the government how can it be
any better than the governments own
paper, and why should the government pay
national banks a bonus to induce them to
issue bank notes which are in no respects
superior and in some respects inferior to
the greenbacks issued by the government
and for which the people pay no bonus?
.aThe trusts are now absorbing in
creasing share of public attention, because
of their rapid growth during the last two
years. We had a sugar trust and an odl
trust some years ago. We now have bis
cult trust and a match trust and a meat
trust--in fact a trust in most every thing
that Is used The milk trust reaches the
infant as he enters the world, the ice trust
cools him in the summer, and the coal trust
keeps him warm in the winter, while coffin
trust waits to receive him when ltfe's fit
ful dream is DER. The people are begin
, ming to see Wnat the prihcipdl Oh mohopoiy
means. and yet the principle of monopoly.
40 plainly illustrated by the industrial
trusts does not differ at all from the prln-
oiples of monopoly which underlies bo h
the gold standard and the paper money
trusts.
.cThe democratic party is prepared 10
face the future and meet new issues with
out abandoning the old.
Increase In Standing Army
.sThe republican party has reckoned that
The standing army be increased TO 100000
men. If citizens born in the United States
are ignorant OF the burdens of a standing
"A. ix,ct