The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-14
How Bryan Views the Question
of Silver and Money.
ISSUES STILL APPLICABLE
He Also Believes That Too Much Stand
ing Army Is a Menacs and He
Has Other Ideas Which
Hs Expresses.

ocfacy IN most fitting manner by a
banquet at the Plankington hotel to-
night which was attended by over 400
guests. Col. William J. Bryan of Ne
praska was the guest of honor and de-
hVered the principal address Delega-
tons of democrats were in attendance
from many towns throughout the state,
and nearly all the democrats from the
state legislature were present. Colonel
Bryan was escorted by a large delega-
ton from Chicago, and Mayor Harrison
came later also with a large number of
escorts. The banquet hall was beauti-
fully decorated with the national colors
Colonel Bryan spoke on "Democ-
racy." 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 | am taking no risk
when L say that those who in 1896 gave
their allegiance to the Chicago plat
form are united to-day in the determi-
nation that no step taken in 1896 shall
be retraced. The platform applied to
the conditions then existing, the prin-
clpies which had been democratic in
the beginning Of the government Sug-
gestlonS that we abandon the money
question sometimes come from those
who deserted the party in 1896, but
ssestioiis are not supported Dy
~ .ehu!a6 ~ sho" that the Or
s,naain4, 40 io'' was stlohs' pul was
UPON Inc theory tnat the
UPON "Hicli the party once lost
-. We ie,iVeu' anu WHAT seems
ills 81 anse' inns arg uiheht is maze
~ .liose VINO nave iolio"ed a dl1terent
~ ne past
~ 1000 MI SleVelahd was deteated
VI 'ne tariIL issue, ana yet the taflif
Va G IiauS tiie main issue IN 1917, ana
~ &c elailu was electeo' IN 1882 MI.
Mas ueIea.eu iaISeiy on ac-
,,o ~, % .ne h.hthiey pth ana -FOUR
!e"ls iatel 'he autnoi OF the Dill was
oh pid'iofhl leaHlrmlng
aae usiiel al ptotec'lon ana was sue
;t a. nus ~ Is seei 'Lat III TWO
lils ieoeiitis iosiiis issue IN one
iipoish pecaliie d WHINING Issue IN
ne aan'paisn loiio"ihs'
ne TEST ought 10 DE not Whether the
iasut iias oeen presented before, but
,s ''le position taken IS right; II
,ooc sly atailuaiu was unnle1lleu III
ia'o, It 10 ., uiiliellteu now. II lts mantle
o4a VII We ue'tiliellt 10 the inter-
VI 'ie people VI inns country, theh
=. - ue',l.i.eil' now. IL IN 1880 1t was
~ ~ -. 'iiat ,"e rep uplicahs prom
~ pul III 'l their pest EFFORT 10
~ ana f+ t, pii',etallls Tor
~ anu at'ei ,ie erection was sun SO
NJ III ma the piesloeiil sent q COM
~ iiiisa,oil ~ EUROPE 10 secure lorelgn alu
- aoa iiuoiihls H. WHAT mas happened
a,,t .iieii ~ iiiahe tlie american people
a.N op' !. a. oie:sihS IL Increased
usssoleis 81 solo III Alasha mas peen
~ ahy au'ai'ldse " me oHlleu S'a,es'
~ - ~. allotler evidence that the
itlsiNe tiieolS os money IS correct
- ~, q a. "a &c ualaiiee ol ,iaae IN the t,hit-
eu STATES slNes any Ienet because OF the
~ .'ones tnuH oloushl iito me country .
:, 10 an auuilioilai arg uifiellt III favor OF
the quail'l,lVe theory OF money. 81
liie,all'sls nave contelueu uhat tlmes
VIII Ne hldae better ny the return OF the
oouoie STANDARD ana by the increased
supply OF standard money thus fur
n1shed Tor the business OF the country.
Wh1te 1t is unnecessary to discuss
the question OF ratio until some other
ratio is proposed it may not be out
of place to suggest that Is to l, being
the ratio at which the present gold
and silver coin circulate. it is the natu-
raj ratio at which the minis should be
reopened. To increase the ratio by in
creasing the size of the dollar would
necesstate the recoinage of our present
silver dollars into q less number of dol
lars, and the increase of tthe ratio made
throughout the world would result in
a large decrease in the volume of stand
ard money and since the value of dol
lar depends on the number of dollars
such exchange would necessarily in
crease the purchasing power of a dol
lar 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 rebublican marty
to retire the sreenba cks and substitute
for them national bank notes will give 70
the question a greater prominencn than
it epioved in 1896. During the war the
national bank note never became more
valuable than the greenback. because
it was redeemable in the ereenback
The national bank note is good only be-
cause the national government stands
as an indorspr of the bank, If the
value of the bank note is dependent up-
on the government, how can it be anv
better than the governments own Da-
nor and ,yby should thu onvar,,,a,+