People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1896 — A Republican For Silver. [ARTICLE]

A Republican For Silver.

I have been a republican from the election of President Grant to the nomination of Maj. Me* Kinley, and from the' first time that I understood tariff for protection I became an advocate of protective tariff, not because I was a republican, but because I believed that better prices made better w’ages, better wages made better meh and better men made better government. For years our party avoided the issue of the remonetization of silver, simply for fear- of disturbing business interests, until our losses could be counted by thousands. Ms. McKinley fought the gold standard no more earnestly than myself, or for protection with no less zeal. In his address to the Republican league in 1892 he used these words, speaking of Mr. Cleveland at the time: “During all his years at the head of the government he was dishonoring one of our precious metals, one of our great products, discrediting silver and enhancing the price of gold. He endeavored even before his inauguration to office to stop the coinage of silver dollars, and afterward and to the end of his administration persistently used his power to that end. He was determined to contract the circulating medium and demonetize one of the coins of commerce, limit the volume of money among the people, make money scarce, and therefore dear.- He would have increased the value of money and diminished the value of everything else—money the master, everything else its servant.” The principles of the G. O. P. were deeper imbedded in my heart than the success of any party. I advocated tariff and reciprocity because they elevated the condition s of labor and the result of labor. Topposed the gold standard then and do now just as he did then, and for the same reason—i. e,, it made money dearer and prices cheaper; it elevated our money and degraded the man who produced our money—-

rfor money is but a commodity, and must first be produced by labor. An appreciating dollar depreciates-prices. The republican party admits weakness in the face of the issue, thereby maintaining the single standard, and in doing so abandons its protection plank. Bryan stands upon the pledge* to adopt the double standard, gold and silver, which in itself is a protection that tariff legislation has failed to accomplish, except where leagues and unions have by or ganization forced capital to divide that profit which tariff laws have j?rought to them. Benefits from laws that must reach the producer through the employer make organization a necessity. In return this makes labor and capital enemies, when as friends 'they could wield a power that would civilize the world. C. T. Stone. ; Chicago, Sept. 12.