The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-03-09
Official Press of E;ag County
Saturday, March 8. 1878.
DON'T LIKE GOLD.

During tue 1oHRFessaoEdI HFIA'c W"
the silver bill. Senator ingalls, Of Kan
sa., delivereI rsilirg impeachment
against that idol Of rich men and 5ane
OF poor men, known a. gold. in the
following language.
mo enduring fabric Of national pros
perity can be built on gold. Gold Is
the money Of monarchs; kings covet 1t;
the exchanges of nations are Effected by
it. Its tendency is 10 accumulate IN
vast masses in the commercial centers.
and to move frou. kingdom to kingdom
in such volumes as IN unset'le values
aud disturb the finances Of the world
Ii Is the instrument Of gamblers and
spectators, and the idol of the niser
and the thief. Being the object Of go
much alteration, it becomes naughty
and sensitive and shrinks a. the APP
proach of danger. and whenever 1t Is
most needed it always disappears. Al
the slightest alarm it begins TO look
for refuge. II flies from the nation at
war to the nation al peece. War makes
it a fugitive. No people IN great
emergency ever found faithful ally
in gold II ia the most cowardly and
trsscherous of all metals. Il makes no
treaty that il does not break. II has no
friead whom it does not sooner or later
betray. Armies and pavies are not
maintained by gold. In times OF panic
and calamity, shipwrecx and disaster,
it becomes the chief agent and minister
OF ruin. No nation ever fought great
war by the aid OF gold. On the con-
trary, IN the crisis OF greatest peril IL
becomes On enemy more potent than the
foe ia the field; but whom the battle is
won and peace ba. been secured. gold
resppsars end olaims the fruits of
victory. In our own civil war it Is
doubtful II the gold of New York and
London did not work u. greater iniury
than the powder and lead and iron of
the rebels. II was the most invincible
enemy of the public credit Gold paid
no soldier or sailor. 1t refused the ia
tionsl obligations It was worth most
when our fortunes were lowest. Every
defeat gave 1t increased value It vas
in1 open alliance with our enemies the
world over, and all its energies were
evoked for our destruction. But a.
usual when danger had been averted
and the victory secured. gold swaggercd
to the front and asserts the supremacy.
But silver Is the money Of the people.
1t 10 the money of wages and retail Its
tendency is toward diffusion and dis
scmination II enters into the minute
concerns Of traffic and is exchanged
day by day for daily bread. 1t pene-
trates the remotest channels of com.
merco and it's abundance bulk and
small subdivision prevents it's deporta-
ton In sufficient amounts TO disturb or
nnsettle values"
We submit the above with qualify
ing word of comment, believing that
while nothing can be more absurd than
sach madcap crusade against gold. it 10
well at the SAME time 10 note the fact
that gold itself is not the essence of all
wealth; but only solt OF tombstone
of values and vehicle Of convenience
for shifting them about. Nevertheless
its very popularity is evidence that it
IL . good thing, though not by any
means Indispensable 1t 10 only by
over.rating its importance aud desira-
bility. which 10 the case in this country
now. that 1t becomes an oppre,sor and
On agent of mischief to the community.
When people ara embarrassed aud
hard run. it Is not in reality. - much
tor the want Of money, as the need of
something else that 10 worth the
money. An abundant supply of specie
IN a place Is convenient aud agreeable
thing to have, but the things that fur.
nish bread and meat, warmth aud
shelter. arc Of more intrinsic value than
gold itself. When these abound, gold
10 always at hand to serve them.
Therefore the man who creates q sup.
ply OF these elements that minister to
the strength or comfort of himself or
his neighbors, Is doing just as we'll In
the average as If he were working .
gold mine.
After oil. gold being. aside from It's
use - an article of luxury and osteu.
tstiou. merely convenience If ex.
change. 10 only of subordinate impor.
lance 10 the economy of Industry and
living, and one OF the least essential
elements of wealth. The cash plan Ia
the best. because the mos, economical
and the safest, bit the way to have
cash is to produce plenty of good mer.
charitable stuff to sell. No makeshifts
or speculative devices will answer for a
substitute.