Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-11-21

To the Editor Of the New York Tribune:
SIR-In your editorial Of yester.
day, on the silver question, you say
"We make . broad distinction be-
tween them ana the bi-metallists
The latter think specie payments can
bc better sustained by the use of the
two precious metals than by one.n =
This is precisely what have earnest
ly urged in letters v hich You were
kind enough to publish, but which,
! regret to say, found no favor with
our leading journals. And this il
precisely what can be accomplished
with the consent and cooperation Of
such journals. In taking ground for
constitutional money standards, the
press would disarm the ainfiationists. !"
"repudiators,D ssdcmagogues," etc
whose malign influence is always to
be dreaded. Let the friends Of re-
sumption content themselves with
the money standards of the cOnstitu-
ti0n, and solution of that question
will soon be reached. Resumption
without prosperity will prove alike
temporary and disastrous. Our spe-
Gle basis should be as broad as possi-
BILE. Congressi is invested by the con-
stitution with full power. The silpey
and gold dollar can be made of eqMal
value Neither has any money value
without the "supcrscription" of the
Government. Silver was "degradcd''
by its decentralization, while gold
was appreciated by the passage Of the
law of 1873. Repeal that law, and
authorize the coinage of the silver
dollar equal in value to the gold dol
lar, and We shall soon realize that
truth of the proposition which you
deny, namely, that silver and gold
will "find a common level"
Resumption with one standard will
signally fail. The basis will be too
narrow. But, by availing ourselves
of the double standard, both equally
precious in the language and spirit
of the constitution, Resumption and
Prosperity, twin financial hand -maid-
ems, will scatter their blessings
bountifully amidst rejoicing peo-
pie. 1t Is urged against the double
standard that the single one has been
adopted by tho Latin Governments,
and that for this reason we should
voluntarily deprive ourselves of one
half OF tho money power of our
country in working out the resump-
ton Of specie payments. To this
reply, that our fret duty is to be just
and true to ourselves. Silver and
gold coin are the monetary standards
Of the constitution. We agreed to
pay the national creditors the interest
and principal of their debt in coin.--
We have for twelve years been pay.
ing interest, in gold, upon more than
81, ,OOO, 600, 600. Tho bondholders,
while gold is at premium, receive
largely more than tho 6 per cent.
"nominated in fhe bond.' And these
premiums, as has been truly said, were
"squeezed, drop by drop, from the
sweat of labor Now, labor has
borne, with exemplary patience,
quito enough of injustice and oppres.
sion, aud il behooves Congress and
the Administration to bring their best
Judgments and their paternal sympa-
thies to the consideration of this ques.
ton. When the insidious law OF
1873, demonetizing silver, shall have
been repealed, we shall be prepared
to confer with other Governments in
relation to the double or single stan.
dard. International congresses have
been convened for the consideration
of far less important subjects
Meantime let us hope that our Gov.
ernment will mature and establish q
financial system which will equally
protect the credit and honor Of the
nation with the prosperity and hsppi
ness of the people. T. w.
NEW YoRK, Noyember 8, 1877.