Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-16
TWELVE PAGES
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 1e. 1900.
GOLDlTE FOOL-TALK.

IL there is IL supreme degree IN 1901
talk it Is reached in great form by the
Republicans and Goldites in their raw
ings about silver. Their fear of that
metal in finance and politics keeps them
IN condition of panic and frenzy that
hardly leaves them II lucid interval for
rational speech on any subject, and
when one of them kisses his wife, he
groars and says: IF it were not for
silver, how happy we might BEL
II thought silver was dcad!' she re-
spends.
That's what's the mattcr!" he signs.
'It's ghost haunts me! 1t won't stay
buried!"
There is ny in the ointment, n
spider in the biscuit for every Cioldite,
because of silver; like Banquo's ghost,
1T will not down" ut the bidding of
any guilty conspirator; and when it
does not appear to him at noon as an
awful appartion, denouncing woe upon
him. lie sees Bryan in every shadow,
and hears the ringing voice of silver in
every zephyr. No wonder that the
whole goldite solidarity is so eager to
rid themselves of silver and its cham
plon that it would gladly sacrifice
Hanna, Mckinley ana the whole pot
and blin'" of Renubiicanism, for Il
Democracy aoostate 10 the man and
platform of 1886; as shown in 1884 ana
1892 by the election of Cleveland.
If Bryan and silver were mpossiblli-
ties in 1900, the Republicans and gold
ties would not be so troubled as they
are. even in their sleep. on The con
trary, they would be happy. and their
dreams would be all golden. undis-
turbed by narrowing visions of silver
AS matter of fact, the Republicans
and goldltcs in 1885, despite their lying
st Louis platform, forced the gold
issue to the front i'll that campaign. as
they are doing now, while falsely de-
nouncing Bryan and Democracy Of
making silver "the main issue" where
as then, as now, the issue was un-
lawful gold mono mctallism against The
gold and silver lcgal-tender OF the Con-
stitution. which declares: mo State
Shall make anything bu, gold ana sill
yer coin tender in payment of debts"
which. in effect. is as much as TO say:
THE United States shall not make gold
coin the sole tender in payment Of
debts" though that is exactly what
NIL the goldites are fighting for in de-
lnanding that Congress shall enact a
Jaw making gold the legal standard and
basis OF value. and silver only n sub
sidiary coin (even as standard dollars),
legal tendcr for nothing and redccmablc
in gold.
TO any senalble man. informed as to
the facts. oil this talk OF the Demo-
cratic party, or Mr.. Bryan. making sill
yer an opponent Of gold, or making its
restoration ''the main issue" is fool
talk. where II is not the talk of knaves.
The Democrats, in obedience 10 The con-
stitution. and in conformity 10 the
teachings of experience and reason, are
equally for silver and gold and their
free and unlimited coinage ana compc-
tition under the law; while the Rcpub-
1icans. in violation OF the Constitution
and in servilc subserviency TO the
money power. are for gold only. for
mono-metallism and monopoly even in
coinage and currency gold alone 10
have free and unlimited coinage (siIvcr
having been excluded from that privi-
lege by the act OF i673),--be the only
money and sole legai-tender: n scheme
= especially calculated to make the rich
1 richer and the poor poorer, ny giving
4sgnoney and It's monopoly the power and
81 position to dominate government. the
IS ,,aopIo md all things y,l,irh o,.a,, Ia,