Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-30
ivy ELVE PAGES
TUESDAY. JANUARY 30. 1900.
THE GOLDEN CALF.

The spectacle of Bryan in 1.-THE en-
: emy's country" surrounded by bitter
foes and false or lukewarm Democrats,
cool, erect. calm. confident and unfal-
tering. Is one for the admiration and
applause of gods and men, Honest,
true and brave he will not become the
Aaron of his people and build an altar
before the golden calf; but rather, like
Moses, he cries: "Oh, this people have
sinned a great sin, and have made them
gods of gold"
But the Baltimore Sun mocks at Mr..
Bryan, and says:
Simple Mr.. Bryan. one is rather
tempted to eXclaim, to suppose that
Americans ever believed in the
possibility of a double standard of
value-as one would say two yard
sticks OF UNEQUAL length, or two peck
measures Of unequal capacity, to buy
and sell by Mt abe same time in the
same market'
For a hundred years our best and
ablest men have believed in that So
called double standard, and during that
period 1t has actually existed and still
exists. whether 1t be really double or
not. And what difference does 1t make
whether II be, or not double stand
ard. so 1t be fixed ratio between sill
yer ana gold of 16 to ]. or between gold
and silver of to 16? IT'S the differ
ence 'twlxt tweedledum and tweedle-
dee, If the coins of the two metals he
equally legal-tender and receivable for
all dues, public and private. Just so
yard stick or a peck measure may be
of various metals, woods, or other ma
terfal. as paper.
The Sun also says:
The Chicago platform undoubtedly
declared ostensibly I'm favor of bimetal
aism, while 1t really meant. If IT meant
anything. silver monometallism. which
was the only possible result of the free
coinage OF silver at the ratio OF 16
to IL
Manifestly our Baltimore contcm-
porary mispronounces the shibboleth of
ITS new allies. 1t has not learned its
lesson we'll. or 1t forgets 1T! Have we
not had the gold standard-the single
gold standard-ever since 1884 practi-
cally. despite the law declaring the sill
yer dollar the standard and the fact
that everybody recognized the double
standard or measure, OF gold and sill
ver?And why is 1t said that we have
had the single gold standard OF value
an this country ever since 1884? FOR
THE VERY REASON, WHICH THE
SUN ALLEGES ESTABLISHES Sill
YER MONOMETALISM- free
coinage of silver" (and gold) Eat the
ratio of 16 to IL
It is said by the single gold men that
the act of 1894 by altering the ratio
from 15h to to 16 to made the silver
dollar so much more valuable in pro-
portion to gold coin that the latter, AS
THE CHEAPER MONEY, drove out
the silver and became the standard of
value In all our transactions;- and now
being reminded OF the truth. tho SIN
will not dare gainsay 1t. tits. however
confession thai the mere fact that
because a metal is six teen times more
valuable In weight than another. pro-
vided the difference in value Is made
up or compensated by weight or guam
fifty; and II a silver dollar at3the ratio
yoss 6stc zig more valuable than a gold
dollar at the ratio Of to 1e. why speak
sos as "the chcapcr money" or make
lying references to the commodity value
.ofs ailyer, caused by the decentralization
III 4hs nstaI, and not at all affecting