The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-25
The paramount" dreenback.

The paramount" Greenback.
| The speech OF acceptance made by
Mr.. Bryan upon his notification by the
| Peoples party committee has one mo-
table feature. 1t was observed that he
! avoided all discussion OF the financial
question when he accepted the Demo-
cratic nomination. in favor Of the scare
crow of imperialism. His reply to the
Peoples party at once rectifies and ex-
| plains the omission. II any believer in
sound money wants to find the para
mount issue in this campaign. and
wants also to know why Mr. Bryan Is
less insistent upon the claims of free
silver, let him read carefully the To-
peka speech.
the forefront. but it is no longer the
silver question. 1t Is the greenback
question. The real purpose of Mr.. Bryan
and his supporters is revealed. AS we
have always claimed, 16 to is but the
initial step In their programme. AL
ready 1t has lost interest to them in
view of the holder and more revolu-
tionary legislation that they contem-
plate. "Bimetallism" il discarded. The
'crime of 49, Is unmentioned. More
money is the slogan; and in Difference
to the Popullst theory which he has to
coneillate, Mr.. Bryan urges that this
consist Of government issues OF paper
Let us take his own statement Of the
case:
II ~ true that the Populists believe in
an irredeemable greenback, while the
Democrats believe in greenback re-
deemable in coin; but the vital question
at this time, far a. paper money f.
concerned. is whether the government or
the banks shall issue II There will be
time enough to discuss the redeemability
OF the greenback when the greenbaek IT.
self Is saved from the humiliation which
now threatens II.
IL there Is n sound money man in the
country, Democrat or Republican. who
thinks that anything could Justify the
casting OF his vote for Mr.. Bryan, let
him ponder these words, They set
aside all argument about ratios or val
ues. They give us glimpse into the
recesses OF Mr.. Bryan's mind They
show that he has already taken the
inevitable step from free coinage to I'M
limited paper; step that every man
must take sooner or later. because 10
is strictly logical. II dollar contain
ing 50 cents OK value Is better than one
containing one hundred cents. then A
dollar containing fraction OF mill
is better yet II more money Is
good thing. regardless OF quality. then
the more money the better; ara there
is no way 10 increase its volume so
quickly as TO set the printing presses at
work.
The fundamental unsounaness of Mr..
Bryan on this question Is shown Ia his
airy dismissal ~ the consideration Of
rcdsemability. That. TO him. is OF the
slightest possible consequence. As one
OF his political associates said. what
Ia the constitution between friends -
So Mr. Bryan echoes. what is the inn
poTtsnce Of redeemsbslity7 some peo-
pie believe that paper money should be
rcdeemabie IN gold These Mr.. Bryan
repudiases utterly Some believe that
s Should be redeemed IN any old coin.
With these he sympathfxes. some be-
heve that Il should not Dc redeemed az
all These. we believe. have hts silent
but earnest allegiance. Rut TO him II
IS secondary affair. lie brushes II
away as inccnseqnentiaL Let US have
the paper money. on any terms and
conditions. he cries. then we can sit
down somewhere and agree on this trine
u redemption over a cigar. II doesn't
matter which way tt Is settled.
or one thing this nation has been
convinced ~ experience and a demon
stration that cost US hundreds OF mill
lions II is that any proposal to change
the standard Of values. any mere threat
Of it Any remote possibility of eheap