The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-03-30
THE ISSUE
Dsysn says the Money Question VIII
Not he Dropped During the
Coming Campaign.

R ~ - ehAAA I'll ic6uSs
said William j. Bryan, in his address
at Holyoke. Mass. II is often suggest
by by gold democrats, by republicans
who oppose the trusts, or by republic
n who oppose Imperialism. that the
democratic party should drop the
money question and make fight in
1900 upon a new Issue. That the money
question will not be dropped is now APP
parent TO every careful observer. The
republican party now seeks 10 make
the gold standard permanent by legis-
latiye act. The advocates of the
gold standard have no plan for
securing the necessary increase in the
volume of standard money. Their ulti-
mate purpose is 10 withdraw from sill
YER its legal tender qualities and make
gold the only legal tender.
Then every dollar OF debt viii be paid
In gold alone, and every debtor will he
compelled 10 find the gold, no matter
how scarce il will be. or how difficult TO
secure. Every disturbance in gold
standard countries will shake our
financial system and the debtors will
be the first ones upon whom every dis
aster will fall. Since 1896. we have
secured large amounts of unpromised
and unprotected gold from the discov-
cries in Klondike. and also because of
the famine in Europe. which created a
demand for our breadstuffs at in
creased prices.
The secretary of the treasury ex-
cuses the loaning OF government
money without interest to national
banks on the ground that this is neces-
sary to prevent an injurious c~ontrac-
ton Of the currency. If. with the in
crease. the secretary is afraid TO keep
the revenues in the treasury for fear
of disturbing business conditions.
what would have been the condition
but for the unpromised addition TO the
money supply. and what would be III
condition if any European disturbance
caused an outflow Of gold?
How can the democratic party avoid
the issue without co~nfessing the gold
standard to be desirable?
The republican party not only seeks
10 make the gold standard permanent.
but in the same bill il seeks to take
from the federal government the right
70 issue paper money and TO surrender
that right TO national banks. The peo-
pie never voted for such a proposition
at an election.
The power 10 control and expand the
currency at will enables the financial
magnates to control the markets and
secure for themselves fabulous for
tunes at the expense of their vic
Tins.
The democratic party cannot drop
the money question without turning
the people over to the tender mercies
Of the bank presidents. who control
business conditions by controlling the
money supply.
There is nc party. there is no group
Of men. working earnestly and dill
gently for the restoration Of bimetal-
lism at any other ratio than sixteen
10 one. II the opponents Of industrial
trusts think that such trusts can be
destroyed by making peace with the
money trust. they deceive themselves.
Behind the industrial trusts stand
the money magnates. who defend the
gold standard. To make terms with
the advocates of the gold standard in
order TO center the fight against in
dustrial trusts would ALLEVIATE n ma
jority of the sincere opponents of all
private ~monopolies without q CORE
spending gain from the ranks of advo-
Gates of the gold standard.
During Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
ton the gold democrats were in con
troll. but the trusts were not Interfered
with. Under the present administra.
ton the gold republicans are in con
troll. but the trusts are not interfered
with. The trusts can only be destroyed
by those who oppose the principle OF
monopoly wherever applied.
Advocates Of the gold standard use
the same cpithcts against the oppo-
nents Of trusts that they used against
the opponents of the gold standard.
II a man opposed the gold standard
In 1896 he was q demagogue; so. IL
seems, is the man who opposes trusts
now. The opponent of the gold stand
ard was accused of being deficient in
brains: so is the man who opposes the
trusts now.
IL is suggested that some gold dem
ocrats will return 10 the party IL the
party will give up silver and fight i'm
pcrialism. Who are the supporters OF
imperialism? The same people. as n
rule. who support the gold stando d,
national bank currency and Industrial
monopoly. | do not mean to say that
all the advocates OF the gold standard
favor either Imperialism or the trusts,
hut I do say that both Imperialism and
the trusts find the majority of their
supporters among the gold standard.
The republican party opposes the in
come tax because II il not willing 10
make the rich bear their share Of the
cxpcnses Of the government. IL ia
vprs the gold standard because IL gives
to the fnancicrs an advantage over
wcal,h-producers. II favors national
bank currency. because u gives 10 ma
tionnl banks n valuable privilege de-
rici fo the rest Of the peOple. II favOrS