The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-03-21
T" Honest.Money League" Platform.
e of the United States

To the People of the United States
Pursuant to call, a meeting Of citi-
zens of the Northwest in favor of an
honest-money standard was held in the
City of Chicago to-day March 14), and
the following declaration was unani-
mously adopted as u platform of prin-
ciples
Opposition to all paper imitation and conse-
quent depreciation. In favor of coin and paper
of equal value and equal purchasing power, and
convertible into each other at the will OF the
holder. In thus connection the meeting directed
the publication of the following statement, to
which we invite your attention:
l. The industrial int of the country, and,
consequently, the welfare and happiness OF the
people, require stability in the standard of value
and uniformity in the circulating mediums of
exchange.
2. The experience Of all civilized and CONNER
Gal Nations proves that gold and silver possess
stability OF value IN greater degree than any
other commodities, and are. therefore, the best
standard OF alue, and, m connection with paper
representations convertible into them on de-
mand. the only safe and uniform circulating
mediums.
5. 1t is the duty of the Government to estab-
Gsh and maintain a sound and uniform currency
SYSTEM the establishment and maintenance of
such system was one of the ends contemplated
by the founeers OF our Government IN framing
the Constitution and to secure the advantages of
such a system requires only a hr.n adherence to
the principles and spirit of the Constitution.
L
of the precious metals as a standard OF value.
These principles were strictly observed by the
Government until great National emergency
compelled u temporary departure from them.
That departure was solemnly and repeatedly de-
clared to be only temporary, and only justihable
on the ground of extreme necessity in time OF
National peril, and the most positive assurances
have been given by the Legislative and Executive
Departments of Government that when the
exigency OF the war should pass away the Coy
eminent would, as soon as practicable, return to
the Constitutional and stable metallic standard
and measure OF value.
S. The emergency that made it necessary for
the Government to force upon the people an IT.
redeemable paper cur ency having passed away,
to now perpetuate that system ms q permanent
financial policy would be violation of the spirit
of tie Constitution, and of the spirit of the laws
and pleds es under which our war currency was
issued; and as the experience OF the world has
proved, would necessarily be followed by still
legitimate business, and add to the suffering of
the laboring classes, upo' wnom the evils of the
deprecated currency inevitably ia Is most heay-
lily.
+. National honor, and both National and in
dividual prosperity, demand a return to the
standard of value recognized in the Constitution,
and, with our present paper currency almost at
par with coin, to delay such return and author
ize new issue of irredeemable paper would only
add to further depreciation, till, as in all past
experiments of the kind, the paper would be-
come worthless leaving us without any reliable
circulating medium, and entalling destruction
on all INDUSTRY and mssTH and goSfr SS money nc S &c
supply all the wants of trade; our paper currency
is rapidly approaching the uniformity and sta
bility of tine coin standards. and, it left free
from further Legislative changes it will soon: by
force of natural laws go into gene al circulation,
and general confidence and prosperity will be re-
stored to the country.
s. We invite all our fellow-citizens who concur
in these views of the nature of money and me-
dunn of exchange, and the functions of tue Gov
eminent in relation thereto to unite with us In
an effort to maintain the honor and welfare of
cur common country. and in a protest against
the adoption OF an irredeemable paper money
policy which would certainly sooner or later be
ending only in ultimate Reputation and general
financial min