Pike County Democrat, Volume 28, Number 49, Petersburg, Pike County, 15 April 1898 — Page 5

Free Silver Champion Addresses Vest Audiences In Indianapolis. AT BIMETALLIC CONVENTION. The Cuban Question is Touched Upon at Lonyth. INDEPENDENCE FOR CUBA,

even if war must result to ACCOMPLISH IT. 1 VrillLm JtnBlBfi BrjrBB Is UtisdasH Amid Dtsbalsi Applaua* sod tsllw st UH(tk-A U*tlB| OtbiIbb «l • > Ik* UistlpcaUlMd Orstor—Ths Mltllousir* Hsakan and Motopalta* AH«ck*d tad Shown Up I* Tholr Tpb* Ufkt- I Problems of the Money Question Ctenriy K* ptelned-Some Proportions i of Veins Submitted. When William Jennings Bryan stepped to the platform Thursday evening at ths dose of the convention of the i League of Bunetallio Clubs of the Ohio Valley in Tomlinson halt, he was J greeted with an ovation which it is .doubtful whether it has ever been sur- j passed by auv audience, even during the campaign of W Mr. Bryan was looking well and appeared in perfect health. His broad smile was as prominent as e ver, and he carried considerable more averdupois; than in his last campaign. His voice was clear and he spoke for an hour with ■ his usual ease. He wore, with his con- J vention badges, a badge bearing ‘ Free America. Jft.ee Silver and Free Cuba.” , When Mr. Bryan arrived in the city he was greeted at the train by several thousand people, lie was met by a committee composed of Mayor Taggart, j Allen W. Clark aud Parks M. Martin, j They were* driven to the home of S. E. i Jduras, where dinner was sorvotL HR VAN'S RIGHT 8PK KCH. Tk* NrbnukB Orator Talk* KmertaluIttgly of I'lmturr* and Cuba. Mr. lhyun spoke as follow*: ». Hr. C'tuurtuan. Ladies and tirntlrmen: J I have not been unselfish in my desire j to have you listen to those who have pre edsd me tonight. Wheu the strife was on aud the fight was hot. these gentlemen who have preceded me, were doing their full duty and they were fighting, uot only in the immediate presence of the enemy, but they were leadiug j the charge of their respective divisions. The common people win) were good enough to die for their country are good enough to have a voice in their country’s affairs. As we meet tonight we recogutsc that we are in the throes of a j*w»*ible war. I have refrained from ^dikcusauigi this great question now ab

. I WILLIAM JKNMINOS BBVAN. oorHng the thoughts ef the people, because I recognize the tespousibiliry resting upon those who are entrusted with the government that I would not cay one word to make the i burden heavier than it is, nor would I say oue word that might be considered a condemnation when we are not fully possessed of the knowledge of those entrusted with the government j nor having the knowledge that they possess of the condition of present negotiations. My friends, in this hour of danger I do find one tamg about which we can congratulate ourselves; 1 have lived my ttf* since the war; my memory does not go back far enough to re-, call the phases of civil strife: a few days sinoe 1 heard it suggested by Republicans that Democrats were not patriotic that many who are Democrats -today were arrayed against the Union during 1 oar civil war. 1 tuid, them that those who fought against the Union would fight for the stars and stripes today. When the president asked for an ap- . propriation in anticipation of putable trouble. there% was tot a dissenting voice—north, south, east or weal—and no one can doubt., today, that the Democrats of this natron, aid the Populists of this nation, and the Silver Republic-, an* of this nation stand ready to assert the dignity of the American flag. As if to make certainty doubly sore, we And. as the representative of America in Cuba, a man who wore the confederate uniform during the war. and yet, my frieuda, in this crisis, the ex-confederate has well discharged his duty; has so firmly, courageously represented his nation, there anil be no Republican who trill ever suggest that aay other naan oould have done better than that man, Whose arms were once lireeted against the stars and stripes. [Applause*. A# W is over, snd Us is

«dm raised by It haw bwn decided forever and there will be so contests between ear people when there is any fighting to be done. The people are hi a mood for study now, and our work is much easier than it would have been two years ago, because two years ago when we tried to call the att ention of the people are found oar opponents using all sorts of -deceptions and, when these were of no avail, employing all methods of misrepresentation. There are business men uow who are propared to listen, who are wondering how much longer they can hold out. .Suppose this nation should .engage in a war with a foreign nation, what would be the first result* A decrease in our exports, whioh would result 4n a decrease in our revenues and fall in our income just in the time when we need an increase -of income.

Aoraiuin uucoiird In 1860 Abraham Lincoln wrote a lot* ter expressing regret that he coaid not attend a banquet given by the Republicana of Maswchasette on Jefferson’s birthday. That year the Republicans of Massachusetts were celebrating Jefferson’s birthday and had invited Abraham Lincoln to it, and in his letter he eulogised Thomas Jefferson and said: “The Republican party believes in both the man and the dollar, but in the case of conflict £he man before the dollar." That was the Republican way in the days of Abraham Lincoln, bat the Republicanism of Marcas Hanna is the dollar before the man. But just think of inviting Abraham Lincoln to a Jefferson’s birthday celebration. The bankers met in a clearinghouse on Sept. S3, 1897. closed the doors, pledged themselves to secrecy, agreed that the gold standard was all right; and these men behind closed doors determined the policy of England, aud the policy of England determined the policy of Europe, aud the policy of Europe determined the policy of the United States acoordiu g to the Republican platform. People who Would not believe iu 1898 are not permitted to donbt iu 1898 what this policy means. And the very ones who were most hostile in 1896 will be entirely different in 1898 and 1900 when they see clearly into it. They have a proverb of their own something like this: “A man does not like to have his nose on the grindstone,” aud wheuever a man finds he is turuiug the griudstoue himself be will stop it. All you have to do is to point it Out to him and he will do the rest. I want to show you touight how you can point it out to him. Much of the ground has been covered by those who have preoeded me; not ouly have you listened yesterday to Mr. Bartiue and to those who have immediately preceded me this evening, but if 1 were to attempt a thorough discussion of this subject they have so well covered. you would grow weary and be sorry that you came out tins evening, and that 1 came out. The people seem to be finding fault with McKinley, and then they give it to Cleveland, but I am not so much blinded Uy prejudice that 1 cannot commend him for the good work he has done While 1 did not get on to Mr. Cleveland's policy as soon as Mr. McKiuley, I have this advantage: I did not forget it as soon as Mr. McKiuley did. An II turn ration. I have an illustration which I have used many times, and will continue to use it to make this subject so clear that any child can understand it. I have taken the teeterboard or see saw as the illnstration. It does not matter how young the child is, it kuows enough to know that when oue end of the board goes up the other end goes dowu. Money is oue eud aud property is the other. When money goes up property goes dowu. A dollar cannot increase iu purchasing power nuloss property falls iu price. How old must a person be before he can understand the money question? Ot • is old i n ugh to understand the money question as 1 have illustrated it w eu his intellectual development has advanced to such a stage to understand that oue end of tiie teeterboard goes up and the ott er goes down. He is old enough to understand the money question. qpd unless a person reaches that

period wuiv at compreueuamg woeu the end goes up, he cun be a gold bug. In this city of Indianapolis the people have the least excuse of any people of the United Stale* for not understanding the arguments of the hnaucial classes, because this is the city whicn witnessed the birth and death o^the Gold Democratic party, combined against the interest of the people of the United States. | Mr. Bryau reminded the audience! that when the iuv-ome tax law yas de-1 clared unconstitutional there was a dis- ' seating opinion by a Republican judge ' who pointed out that in the hour of peril the American people would realize that there was great need of such a taw. It was just such a crisis as the present that he had in mind. “If the country goes to war.” said he, “imports cf goods from foreign countries will be cut off. With imports cu^ off the revenue will bo cut The goreruweut cannot go jgb the rioh and require them to pay their just share of currying on the war. The gore.nmeut can go to the homes of the poor, impress the mother's sou and send him to war, bat cannot go to the rich and demand tae mouev to supoort the poor mother’s non who is lighting on the awful field of battle. L1KK A OOOO STOUT. ts— rr^Mtthu by th» Emlmuit Blmettalliai. Mr. Bryan then said that be had a number of propositions on the direr isms which he wished to submit. ”1 hare need them before,” he said, “bat like a good story they will hear telling twice.” The purchasing power of a dollar is regulated by the law of supply and demand, Other things being equal, a dapreset in the supply of money, or an increase in the demand for it, will raise ^purchasing power eC a dollar, while I

an increase in the supply, or a decrease In the demand, will lower the porehte lap Bower of a dollar. Gold monometallism, hr limiting the coinage of money to gold alone, inmeases the demand for gold, and this raises the purchasing power of an ounce of gold throughout the world- The increase in the purchasing power of gold is manifested by a fall in the general level of prices. I The gold standard, by increasing the purchasing power of a dollar and lowering prices, transfers to creditors, money owners, money changers and holders of .fixed investments the property and earnings of the wealthproducing classes and thus not only retards production, encourages hoarding and discourages enterprise, but is, in effect, grand lar- . oeiiy under the guise of law.

xne gtua sranaara is supported iu me United States aud elsewhere by the classes which derive a profit from it, ! namely, by the creditors, money own* nrs, money changers and holders of : fixed investments, while it is opposed ; in the United States and elsewhere by | the classes injured by it, namely.: the debtors and producers of wealth. The injury to the debtor and wealth producing classes is permanent because it is not offset by any advantage to them or to their posterity; the capitalistic classes, ou the other hand, cannot afford to advocate the gold standard even though it does increase the value of their dollars and investments, because an injustice wrought by law is as iudeI feasible as a wrong inflicted in violation of law, and ns one cau afford to bequeath to posterity a vicious policy of government or an .uujust law. The advocates of hi metallism, by pointing out their .own participation iu the advantages of bimetallists give evidence of their sincerity, os weU us their knowledge of the subject, while the ■ beneficiaries of the gold standard prove either their insincerity or their ignorance of the subject by disclaiming any personal interest in gold monometallism. The advantages of the double standard are so obvious aud the evils of the single gold standard so apparent that bimetallism has beeu more universally indorsed by the American people than any other fiuauehd policy this nation has ever had; while gold monometallism has been more universally condemned than any other financial policy. The free aud unlimited coinage of gold and silver at a fixed ratio (first, at the ratio of 15 to 1, aud afterward at Id to 1) into full legil tender money began in the United States iu 1793 aud continued until 1873. 81 years, and duriug that entire period no political party ever condemned the system iu a uatiouaj convention. ’ The gold standard was established in 1873 without any party asking for it, without tue people discussing it aud without the members of congress understanding the purpose .and eff ect of the law. During the 23 years extending from J873 to 1896* no political party of any ! time ever defended the act of 1873 demonetizing silver or Adopted a uatioual platiorm declaring the gold standard to be a blearing to the people of the United States. In 1883, after 19 rears’ experience under the gold standard, the Democrats, Republicans aud Populists uU declared for bimetallism, differing only as to the means of securing it, Xu 18.the Democrats, Populists and members of the National Silver party uuifced in demanding the immediate restoration of the free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1 without waiting for the aid or consent of any ether nation, aud the Republican party pledged itself to promote international bimetallism, while the lioltiug Democrats, after advocating inter uatioual bimetallism in the Chicago convention, adopted a gold platform at the Iudiauapoiis convention. If platforms can be accepted as indicating the wishes of those who support them, then in 1896 six aud a half millio i voters expressed a desire for independent bimetallism, seven millions declared for international bimetallism and only oue hundred and tmrty-twu thousand supported the platform adopted by the bolting Democrats-, the only gold platform ever adopted by a national convention in the entire history of tne country.

NaKIoIvt1! Admiulos. President McKinley, by sending a commission to Europe, and a Republican congress, by appropriating 00.000 to pay ths expenses of the commission, hare admitted that the gold standard is j unsatisfactory to the people of the Unit' ed States. International bimetallism is only defensible npou the theory that the gold standard is a failure. France has had the gold standard for more than 29 years, aud yet by joining oar eommi«4ou iu its effort to secure the cooperation of England in the restoration of bimetallism. France, declared th« gold standard to be unsatisfactory. On March 17, 1896, the English house of commons, by unanimous vole, adopted the following resolution: “That this house is of the opinion that the instability of the relative value of gold and silver since the action of the Latin union in 1873 has proved injorions to the bees interests of this country, and urges »pon the government the ad risibility of doing all in their power to secure by international agreement, a stable monetary par of exchange between gold and silver.*' By adopting the above reeolntiou the boose of commons protested against a universal sold standard. On Sept. 22, 1897, the London bankers met at the clearinghouse aud unanimously resolved against bimetallism jmd pledged . themselves to secrecy. Soon afterward the English govern' : meat dismissed our ooBamissioa and put an end to the hope of securing bimetallism through an international agreeBetween March 17, 1896. and Noe. 1, 1897.. many English manafacturers and merchants petiriourd the government to carry out the j*l* > * given by the hwaa j

f if commons and aid in 1»e restoration of bimetallism; daring Ai n same period 550 labor organizations joined in a aim* Uar petition and an Eugliih agricultural commission by more Aha 1 a two-thirds rote pointed to the gold st mdard as the prime cause of agricultu ral depression in England and recommended the restoration of bimetallism as the only relief for the English farmer. : The Republican platfor m haring declared that the gold standard mast* be maintained in the United States as long as the leading commercial nations of the world maintain it, and haring declared that this country cannot , hare bimetallism until the leading commercial nations cooperate with ns, the ' secretary of the treasury is now engaged i in an effort to commit theUnited States 1 more thoroughly to the guild standard, ; not because it is desired by the American people, bnt because a few English financiers, by controlling the policy of Europe, are able iu prevent foreign cooperation in the overthrow of the gold

The Republican policy of promising the maintenance of the gold standard until aid comes from abroad, prevents foreign cooperation, because it offers the European financiers an ever increasing dollar as a reward for their opposition to bimetallism while independent bimetallism at the ratio of .16 to 1 will give the European financiers a pecuniary interest in maintaining the parity between gold and silver at our ratio, because they will be paid in silver if they conspire to decrease the value of silver. Who will deny that the Arneri- ! can people have as much right to use bimetallism to protect their property I from depreciation as foreign financiers j have to use the gold standard to raise the value of money, bonds and mortgages? HinietallUsn Must tte Restored. Bimetallism most not only be restored by independent action, but it must be restored at the ratio of 16 to 1. If bimetallism is restored it must be restored by those who believe iu bimetallism, and the large majority of independent bimetallists who believe iu the ratio of 16 to 1 have more right to dictate the ratio than the small minority, who not ouly oppose the ratio of 16 to 1, cut have made no effort to secure bimetallism at any other ratio. Some suggest .cliangiug the ratio from 16 to 1 to 33 to 1, the chauge to be made by doubling the size of the silver dollar. Such a change would not only affect all existing coin obligation-!, but would require the recoinage of $500,000,000 into $350,000,000, resulting in a large "texpeuse to the government and a great

i \\\ V \\ = AllXX W. CLARK. [Socrwinry of the League.] shrinkage in the volume of standard raoo^y. If tiro entire world agreed to shrinkage of oue-half of the silver the change in rut*o would result in a money of the world, which would be ' equal to a shrinkage of oue-fourth of ! the total volume of metallic money of the world—a change so vast in its consequences as to transfer most of the property of the world from its present owners to the holders of the world’s in*! debtedness. The restoration of bimetallism will ; increase the demand for silver and thus raise the value of silver, as measured by , gold, while an iucrease in the volume of standard money will lessen the par- j chasiug power of an ouuee of gold. ' Gold and silver have been driven apart by legislation and legislation can bring j them together. Bimetallists contend that the people of the-United States can furnish a demand sufficient to utilize all the silver presented at our mints, and thus maintain the parity between gold aud silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 and make the stiver dollar equal to the gold dollar, whether melted or coined, here or anywhere else in the world. The restoration of bimetallism, while it will make the silver dollar equal to the gold dollar, will reduce the purchasing po\ver of all dollars, whetner silver or gold, and thus raise prices to the bimetallic level. We must either return to the- bimetallic level of prices and thenceforth do business upon a stable bates, or suffer an indefinite extention of the era of falling prices with consequent rain to the few and lom to the, many# Til* Vain* «*f Dollar. The value of a dollar,' said Mr. Bryan, depends on the number of dollars iu circulation. If you make money scarce, you make it dear. He mid that when President McKinley was in cougrees he realized the truth of this theory .aud opposed the course Cleveland was pursuing. as be saw the danger. Mr. Bryan confessed that it was with humiliation that McKinley recognized before he did ju£ what Mr. Cleveland was driving at. Bur, explained Bryan, with an air of triumph, when I did find him out 1 did not forget it a* soon as Mr. McKinley, If the value of the dollar depends on the number of dollars tn circulation, and the number in circulation depends on the laws made, aad the making of the laws depends on iknee iu office, you can see hoar import? it is to have thoAe in office who do uot want to make money dear. Tha f-'d standard, mid Mr. Bryan,)*

larceny by law. By this legalised 1st* oeny the masse* of the people have lost mots money than was ever stoles f tom them since this country of onra was founded. Mr. Bryan said that it would be as dangerous a thing to permit the money power to revise the money of the coon* try as to permit them to revise the con* stitution. Instead of saying '‘All men are born free and equal” they would make it read “All men are equal except the financiers, and they are finer than

anybody. I am glad that there are so many copies of the bible. If there were only a few the money power would form a bible trust and revise the hible and sell it at their own price. It would not be safe to trust them to revise it, there me some things they would leave out. For Instance, the chapter that tells how Christ went into the temple and drove out the money changers, saying: “It is written that my house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.” The saying, “how, hardly shall the rich enter heaven” would also be left out. There is a story they would not put in their revision. The story of Lazarus and the rich man, it is written, that when Lazarus died he went to heaveu aud rested in the bosom of Abraham, the rich mau called him across the gulf for a drop of water. If they were telling the story they would say that Lazarus had suffered so much iu this world that it would make no difference if he had to suffer in the next, while it would be a terrible thing for the rich man who had so much of this world’s good things to become accustomed to suffering. If the act of 1373 demonetized silver, as they claim, said Mr. Bryan in discussing the monetary legislation of the country the last 80 years, Why did all parties demand a return to the double standard after having the gold standard 23 years? If did not demonetize silver. The Republican party at St. Louis in 1896 pledged its support to bimetallism | and one of the first things Mr. McKm-1 ley did was to appoint a commission to! go to Europe. France testified against' the gold standard. In England 300j labor organizations, agriculturists, j manufacturers aud business men wanted bimetallism. I was surprised in the last campaign so see ministers arrayed against us. £ sometimes thiuk that I would like to be a preacher for a day. I would like to preach from First John, I think it is. I do not remember the words, but 1 think it is something like this: “If a man says he loves God and hates his brother, he is a liar.” If I understand the gold standard, If a man wants to show he hates his brother, let him say j he loves the gold staudard. The gold standard, white bringing temporary advantage to those who advocate it, it brings tliat»advantage to them through the misery and sorrow of others. rro*n»>rnr Fellul to Arrive. To illustrate the failure of the arrival of the promised prosperity, Mr. Bryan said: Mauy are wondering how they will be able to hold oat against the res- • toration of confidence, they are like the mau who hud some sort of an eruption on his hand. He went to a doctor who gave him an ointment and iastrn•* ed him to report its effect. After a time the man wrote the doctor that although he had followtd directions closely he could see no change from day to day. At the end of a month he said it was possible there had been some slight ai.d that eventually the sore might get weu, j but I am afraiddt won’t be iu my day.” Our opponents two years ago used methods of misrepresentation and intimidation. but utter the election people began to investigate and, my friends,; there are thousands of business men today ready to listen who would have turned deaf ears to any talk of bimetallism. People are open to conviction, and I beg the league to go forth recognizing that we must first obtain the attention of the people and then win them by showing them how their cause is our cause. I believe we can inte; >st the people in bimetallism. When any great question is once placed clearly before the public it is able to see the principle involved in it. You will find willing ears to hear when you go out to preach the gospel of bimetallism. For 81 years we had a double staudard. Down to 1873 not a party deuouuood bimetallism. They say it was not bimetallism. Well, we will let them call it what they will. We want it back. There are two classes of gold advocates; those who talk fiction and those who are humorous. When they talk history they talk fiction; aud when they attempt to talk seriously they are humorous. Secretary Gage has been saying that the act of ’34 demonetized silver. That is fiction, because the act was for the free coinage of silver and gold at 16 to 1 without waitiug on anybody. The act of ’73 reduced the weight of the fractional currency—did not demonetize it” THE AFTERNOON SPEECH. Mr. Bryan Mad* a Brief Addrra Thu*day Afi*rao*a. f Thursday afternoon Mr. Bryan said in part: I want to congratulate thedelegates and others here in attendance upon the success of the committee in charge, in twinging to your city a representative Silver Republican of the northwest, a representative Democrat of the east, and a representative Populist of the middle states. [Applause]. They have thus brought together those who are fighting side by vide for the accomplishment of a great reform. I want to point your attention to one great troth that has been making itself manifest before the American people daring die last two years, and that is that an idea is greater than may person. that an idea is the controlling hing in man and in society. You have saen in the last two years an idea take possession of man. and that idea has turned them about and led them whither soever itwouid- You have seen the idea

revolution' e a party. Tom have wmm an idea t parade friend from friend, father fro! son. neighbor from neighbor; you h re seen men dominated by an idea g ing out to face opposition, yes, even ; ifcsacisia, and yon have before you tli jsnfter noon, and had yesterday, an evUence of what an idea can ■da Yesteidry you listened to George Jj'red Williams, of Massachusetts. [ Applause. [ Yon mutt hear him again. I knew him in -congress. 1 knew that if he tried to he a bimetallist and still keep in fellows ; ip with the Republic; ui party, he had a hard and rocky rood before him [Loti* fitter]; but as {^talked with him I became convinced uf his honesty and his eeuestnesa. Then, as the months rolled by. I would occasionally see that <Congressman Towne of Duluth was saying something on the silver question, and every time I read an ntverance it was a little stronger toward independent bimetallism. Ae I read what he said I could see the growth of an idea, and 1 was not surprised tha t; when the time came for the holding of the national convention ha had reached a point where his convictions were stronger than hi$ party ties. I saw him at St. Louis standing by the side of Teller, Cannon, Boise and Pettigrew when they walked out of the Bo

^'' j} m OONURKSSMAX TOWS* OF MINXKSOTA. [Chairman of N«tit>nal Silver Kepublicaa Committee.] publican convention [Applause] rather than bow down to the golden image y which the Republican party had set up. And 1 have kept an eye upon him 'all along till his appearance here today. I’m glad you've heard him. Towne made a argument and a paper said it was too silly to answer. That’s always the way they answer. Mr. Towne has heard the argument which all of you have heard, something like this; ‘Axe you for silver?’ *‘Yes,’ ‘Whitt, you?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What, a man like you?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, I declare!’ [Laughter and applause.] When I began to take an interest in politics I just supposed that if the Democratic party once had an opportunity it would reform every abuse, redress every grievance and give a government as perfect as good iutent and human wisdom could devise, but when this money question began to open up, and opinions began to be expressed, and positions taken, T found so many had Democrats and so many good Republicans, that 1 got to be quite liberal aboa the matter. [ Applause. ] Then, when the great contest came, when the financial powers of this nation, acting in concert with the financial influences of Europe, dominated the Republican convention and wrote its platform, and then attempted to dominate the Chicago convention and to write its platform—but didn’t do it. [Langhter and applause]. Then, my friends, I began to find out what an idea meant. I found oat that when this question of bimetallism had taken possession of the Democratic party, it

OEORGE FRED WIIXISUB, MASSACHUSETTS had so taken possession of it that the party would rather so down and bo risht, than to wobble on the question, in pursuit of possible success. {Applause}. I atu glad that you have had a chance to listen to this Silver Republican, who stands as the representative of the sentiments, the hopes, and the determinations of the Silver Republicans of this country. 1 am also glad that you had a chance to listen to * representative of the Populist party. My friends, 1 cannot feel unkindly toward the Popolistn I ooold not if I wanted to. and 1 don’t want to, when 1 remember that many of them saw what the gold standard meant before 1 saw it. and I :* te off ay hatjto those pioneers who pointed it out when 1 did not see if. [Applause.} Ton who have listened to these three representatives of these three branches of this great army, am able to go back to your homes knowing what is going to be done by those assembled here to rescue this nation from the bands of a foreign financial syndicate, that prill first control oar financial; policy and then control every policy upon every subject, whether it la domestic or foreign, whether it conoeiaff ns or any other nation. (Applanaa^ '