The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-26
Mr.. Bryan and the Currency.

The persistent declaration of men OF the
Hanna stripe that, if elected. MIR. Bryan
would at once proceed to ignore and defy
the gold standard law passed by the Fifty
sixth Congress and would by illegal and
impossible executive action place the
country at once upon a silver basis, have
seemed 100 silly for discussion. The
Times, thel sfore, has ignored them. There
is not an intelligent business man in the
United States who, if he stops to think,
will not admit that. as President, Mr..
Bryan would be utterly powerless to
change the financial system established I'M
der the present single standard law. 1t
is. of course, conceivable that man might
be elected to the Presidency who would be
false to his oath OF office and perhaps
willing to take the risk of impeachment
and removal in violating the law or the
Constitution, but no American in his right
senses believes. or ever has believed, that
Mr.. Bryan would do anything of the sort.
1t was quite unnecessary for him to offer
any assurance to the country on this score:
but continual heckling and bold assertion
by the trust spellbinders at length has
ELECTED from him perfectly clear defini-
ton of his position. At Wilmington. Del.
on Wednesday, he was asked whether. if
elected, he would pay Government o5liga-
tons in silver or gold. He answered that
he would obey and enforce the law exactly
as he found it in the statute books.
That reply ends all controversy on the
subject. The law distinctly establishes the
gold standard. 1t is highly improbable
that it will be altered in any essential par
ticular for a decade to come. Bimetallists
do not oppose it as they would have been
justified in doing, had not recent gold dis
coveries and greatly enlarged production
Of the yellow metal lessened the necessity
OF adding silver to gold, in order to pro-
vide a supply OF metallic money adequate
to the wants Of the country. So greatly
has this fresh gold resource affected the
public mind. that it may well be doubted
II a Democratic majority in both houses
status quo, unless it could be shown STA
tistically. beyond peradveIture. that the
volume of gold. REINFORCED by that of the
silver coinage as 1t is conducted under the
present Administration, was not sufficient
to maintain 2 fair level of srices, and
eauifr- ha..s>.--S-seors euu creuruurs.
Mr. Bryan is both an honest and a wise
man. Much as he may De. welded to the
principle underlying the bimetaIlic theory.
be thoroughly understands that the money
question is not one of morals, ethics, or
t.
OF economics. II gold will furnish US with
an ample store and per capita circulation
OF legal tender money then while that con-
dillon continues, there is no more reason
to agitate the currency question, than
there would be to make the remonetiZa-
ton of wampum. tobacco. OF coon skins
a political issue. The question at large
may come up one day in a now unexpected
form Thirty-five or forty years ago. the
Rothschilds, Bleichroder. Bischoffsheim,
and other great European financiers want
ed to demonetize gold, because they
thought it was getting too plenty, and to
endow silver exclusively with the money
function as being the scarcer and, hence.
the more easily "cornered" metal The
same financial influences at some future
time. and for the like reason, may desire
to dethrone gold. But, until that shall
happen, or some economic revolution &C.
cur. there is every reason for believing
that the present arrangement will stand
Mr.. Bryan knows this as well as We do.
Moreover, he knows that while the coun-
try is in the temper it is it would be both
useless and dangerous to make any at
tempt in the direction of disturbing ex-
listing conditions. He has no intention os
doing anything of the kind He will have
enough on his hands in his efforts to
crush the power OF the criminal trusts.
and break their death clutch on the
threats of the people.
In view of the foregoing considerations. |
II there be such thing as a business man |
who has entertained doubts concerning |
what might be the effects upon the cur |
rency and upon public and private credit
Of Mr.. Bryan's election. let him dismiss
them at once. The gold standard is fixed
and here to stay-certainly to stay be-
yond the end OF the ensuing Presidential
term. Mr.. Bryan is q law abiding citi-
zen. He will be found a law enforcing
Chief Magistrate.
Middle Age.
try in THE Degenerates" is worthy of