The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-03-21
" HOnest.Money League Platform.
,eople 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 1D and
the following declaration was unani-
mously adopted as Il 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 this connection the meeting directed
the publication of the following statement to
which we invite your attentions:
/. The industrial interest 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.
q The experience of all civilized and CONNER
cial 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, in connection with paper
representations convertible into them on de-
mand, the only safe and uniform circulating
B. 1t is the duty of the Government to estab-
lish and maintain a sound and uniform currency
| system; the establishment and maintenance of
| such system was one of the ends contemplated
by the founeiers of our Government in framing
the Constitution, and to secure the advantages OF
such system requires only a hrn adherence to
the principles and spirit of the Constitution.
L. The Constitution contempiates only the use
of the precious metals as a standard of value.
These principles were strictly observed by the
Government until great National emergency
| compelled Il temporary departure from them.
That departure was solemnly and repeatedly de-
clared to be only Temporary, and only justihable
on the ground of extreme nee essity in time OF
National peril, and the most positive assurances
have been given by the Legislative and Executive
Departments of Government that when the
exlgency of the war should pass away the Gov
eminent would, as soon as practicable, return to
the Constitutional and stable metallic standard
and mea sure OF value.
5. The emergency that made it necessary for
the Government to force upon the people an ir-
redeemable paper cum ency having passed away,
to now perpetuate that system ms permanent
financial policy would be a violation of the spirit
of tie Constitution. and of the spirit of the laws
and pied. es under which our war currency was
issued; and as the experience OF the world has
proved, wOuld necessarily be followed by still
further depression, to the great injury of all
legitimate business, and add to the suffering OF
the laboring classes, upon wnom the evils OF the
deprecated currency inevitably fatS most heav-
s. 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 entailing destruction
al nG1stry and mlssay aaa goSfmH motley e
supply all the wants of trade; our paper currency
is rapidly approaching the uniformity and sta
bility of tine coin standards. and, II left free
from fnrtner legislative changes, it will soon by
force of natural laws. go into general 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, ard the functions OF the Coy
eminent in relation thereto to unite Will us IN
an effort to maintain the honor and welfare OF
cur common country, and in a protest against
the adoption Of an iredeemable paper money
policy. which would certainly sooner or later De
ending only in ultimate reputation and geneia al
financial min