Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-07-14
TWELVE PAGES
FRIDAY. JULY Il, 1899.
IMBECILITY, LYING AND CRED
Utility,

Why does the Washington Post emu
merate free coinage and gold
standard as too separate and distinct
things. when the fact is that the only
free coinage" Is the gold standard
and the "gold standard" the only free
coinage?
1t has been long apparent that the
Republicans and goldites have been la
boring assiduously in concert to create
a popular prejudice against free coin>
age" as something very costly. hereto
fore unknown among us and proposed
only by Democrats exclusively for sill
yer. This. Of course. is in accordance
with Republican tactics on all issues
with the Democracy in this protracted
struggle between the people and the
usurping monopolists: for anti-Dcmoc-
racy has no truth nor reason on it's
side, and is forced to falsehood and So
phistry to make any showing at ALL
but this pretence as to free coinage"
is so glaringly false that any self-re-
speeding journal should scorn to use
1t.
Yet when free silver coinage" is not
only mierepresented to the people in
every way, but as a Democratic inven-
ton, and a new and untried experiment
for this country, 1t raises the suspicion
that there must be no little passive is
norance involved in misrepresentation
so gross and utterly in conflict with
all the facts. Free and unlimited COIN
age for both gold and silver was es-
tablished by law in the United States,
with the Federal Mint. in 1892, and az
10 gold 1t continues uninterrupiedly and
in full force TO this day,-as it did To
both silver and gold until the passag.
of the silver demonetIZing act of Con-
gress on February II, 1873.
Relying on popular ignorance, If not
themselves ignorant. the Republican
and goldte conspirators brazcnly ar
firm that free coinage" is a dangerous
experiment" when we have had it
continuously g nee 1892 Qor over 107
years. and still have it exclusively and
as monopoly of the soldites. for gold;
as we had it for 81 years Crom 1892 to
1879 for silver and gold equally. Yet
knowing full we'll that though gold
monopoly and ney-monopoly are
bonanzas to them, they are blights on
the general welfare and a menace to
all the blessings of liberty, the con-
spirators readily and knowingly perjurc
their souls in swearing that these mo-
nopoliee utterly incompatible and inn
possible with the restoration of the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver
are the prolific and necessary sources
of popular prosperity; and when I'VE.
the people," know this. we also know
that they can stick at nothing in val
uble lying, nor in any trick or device
of immeasurable mendacity, that may
enable them TO blind or deceive the un-
informed.
But the confidence OF the monopolist.
in their limitless lying and in the IL
limitable ignorance OF the people, is not
wholly baseless, when it Is actually dis
closed that there are at least some
Democrats and Democratic journals, of
some respectable standing. too. that are
adopting the Republican, goldite views
about gold and silver. and especially
silver,-echoing their Ananiasatic cries
against Bryan and the Chicago plat
form Of 1896, or perambulating the pub
lie ways with boards before, behind and
on each side. bearing such Inscriptions
as these: "Silver Is dead!" Bryan Is
played outl"
OF course. 1t Is permitted FOR men to