The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-08-30
GRITTY GARFIELD.
The Republicans Of Ohio Can't
SwallOw Him.
The Reason,why Given,in an Exposi'
ton of his Janus-Faced Position
on tho Silver Question.
Some Important Secrets Of the Republi
can State. COnventiOnland Its Com.
mittee on Resolutions. .Dlyulged.
From the Akron Argus.l

ltTOm lne AkrOn AIBusI
Editor Argus The New York Tribune
in it's issue of August llth, contains an
interview with General Garfield in which
the following appears as commentary
and explanatory of the blind and confus'
ing resolution of the Republican platform
on the silver question. The General
said:
"The Convention refused to assail the
resumption bill. On the silver question,
its resolution does not, like that of the
Democratic platform, propose imitation,
The Republicans OF Ohio are strongly in
favor OF a bi-metallic currency, but a large
majority of them do not believe in inha-
ton. Our silver resolution tavors keep
ing both metals in circulation together,
which can only be done when the gold
and silver dollars are of equal value"
In commenting on the above the editor
of Jay Gould's organ says;
"The friends of honest National finan'
ces will be gratifed to learn that the Re-
pubicans of Ohio appear to be accepting
with good deal of enthusiasm, the lead
ership of Gen. Garfield. His views upon
the silver resolution of the State Conven-
ton are especially noticeable from the
fact that he is supposed to have drawn
it. He wants no deprecated silver iLfa'
ton, but is willing to try the experiment
of a bi,metallic currency, if both metals
can be made to circulate on an equali-
ty."
There is now no question whatever
that Gen. Garfield did write or dictate
this clause of the silver resolution with
coinage and valuation so regulated that
our people shall not be placed at a disad-
vantage in our trade with foreign nations
and that 10th metals shall be kept in cir
culation as the money of the nation, as
contemplated b. the Constitution )" and
it is also known that he supported it on
the following line of argument, 1t is i'm
possible to follow his exact language, but
the substance of it was as follows:
"That by the first coinage act, the act
of 1892, the proportion between gold and
silver was fixed at TO l5 so that ounce
of gold would purChasel5ounces of silver.
The proportion that had been fixed by
the bi-metalliC nations of the old world
was to l53, and it was soon discovered
that gold was one.half an ounce of silver
more valuable in Europe than it ws here,
and that the gold coin of the country rap.
idly left it, and silver flowed in, and that
for period Of AZ years the United States
was monometallic nation in fact, while
its laws provided for the coinage and cir
Culation of both gold and silver. In or.
der to remedy this evil Congress in 1884
resolved to change the proportion fixed
by the act of 1892, and did fix the proper
ton at to l54. The result of this act
was that gold was one.half an ounce of
silver more valuable in the United States
than it was there, and gold flowed in and
silver out to such an extent that even the
small change would not remain in the
country, and neeessitated the act of
1858, debasing the subsidiary coin of the
nation per cent 1t now has become
necessary in order to keep the two metals
in circulation side by side to adopt the
same proportion between gold and silver
that exists in France and throughout the
whole Latin Monetary Union, that is, |
to l54."
With that understanding, and with |
that explanation, the resolution passed |
the Committee with Garfeld's coinage |
and valuation" clause in it. 1t appears,
however, that as soon as the resolution is |
crowded through the Convention, it is
found TO be susceptible ofthese construc-
tions:
l. That the Republicans of Ohio are in
favor of both gold and silver as money,
but that the silver dollar must contain
enough silver to make it commercially as
valuable as gold, and as the old silver
dollar Of 4l23 grains of standard silver
the 81 siandard of value from 1898, when it
was first coined, to 1878, when it was de-
monetized-is not now so valuable as the
gold dollar, they are in favor of adding
enough silver to the 4l2l grains to make
it so
2. That the Republicans of Ohio are in
favor of both gold and silver as money,
and that they are also in favor Of adopt
ing the proportion between gold and sill
yer that has been adopted by the bi me-
talliC nations of the world, and as that
proportion is to 154 they are in favor of
a silver dollar which shall contain 15@
times 25.8 the number of grains in the
gold dollar, or, 9999 grains of standard
silver.
3. That the Republicans of Ohio are in
favor Of both gold and silver as money,
and also in favor of adopting the proper
tion between gold and silver that has
been adopted by the bi-metallic nations
of the world, and as that proportion is l
to log, they are in favor of increasing the
of gold in gold dollar, so that it
shall contain 1-l54 ofthe old silver dollar
or 4l24 divided by l53 which is 269-the
of the standard gold the new gold
dollar shall contain.
Either of these three constructions can
be put upon that resolution, but when it
is taken into consideration that the argu-
ment of Gen. Garfield, as above given,
carried the resolution through the Com
mittee, it is fair to assume that the Sec
ond construction given above is the cor.
rect one. What shall be said of Gen.
however, who carried the reso.
luton by an argument which is correct
in fact, and who now comes out and puts
a construction on it entirely foreign to
the intention Of the Committee is he
not playing fast and loose between che
East and the West2 But two weeks be.
fore the Convention he was in favor of
the single standard; in the Committee
room ofthe Convention he was in favor
of gold and silver as money, &C.; and now
to curry favor with the East he puts a
construction upon The platform which utterly
bellies The sentiments of the Republicans of
Ohio, and is directly in opposition TO the
position taken by him in the committee
room.
It's possible that, "the Republicans are
with good deal of enthusiasm
the leadership Of Gen. Garfield" May
ha nok D,,,r,r, 49,. |