Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-06

In a debate IN the Senate on MAY 90
1873, Mr.. Blaine expressed the opinion
common among the friends and enemies
of forced gold resumption, when he said
i'm the senate: 'Undonbte,lly, the
whole question OF resumption has been
changed by the coinage OF the silver dol
lar. The Secretary OF the Treasury may
begin resumption tomorrow with ten
millions in silver, in my judgment, with
perfect safety. For resumption in silver
YOU have got plenty. For resumption
in gold you have not got hall enough.
To this partial restoration OF silver and
tothree enormous crops in the United
States, accompanied by three failures
of crops in Europe, which have
turned the balance of trade largely in
our favor. Mr.. Sherman owes the fact
that he has so far eQualed his great pro-
totype, Sir Robert Peel, in reaching and
maintaining resumption; while he has
far surpassed him in the miseries IN
tiicted on the people in his march to his
bad eminenCe.
Has Equalization Brought Prosperity
The two Secretaries bring to the peo-
ple OF Ohio the intelligence that pros
porous times have come again; that all
labor is fully employed and well paid;
every branch of manufacturing indus
try prosperous; trade tlOurlshlng, and
that we all have reason TO rejoice and
be content with tine present situation.
| adrit that some special branches Of
business are in better condition than be-
fore the Democracy stopped contraction
and partially remOnetiZed silver, but l
cannot learn OF any general revival OF
business. The iron industries are spe-
cially quoted as reviying rapidly, YET q
Pittsburgh friend, who is manufacture
ing iron, told me the other day that
wages have not increased at all, and that
there is a very large surplus OF labor.
Hanging Rock min and foundry iron
sells this wear lower than last, and sold
last wear lower than the year before.
| saw hundreds of ore-diggers in Law
renee county, last week, whose average
wages do not exceed fifty cents a day.
The coal mined in the Hooking Valley
one-third of the whole product OF the
State sells ON the ears now at slxty-hve
10 seventy-hve cents a ton, as against
ninety cents last year, 81 the year be-
fore and 81 80 the year after the panic.
The coal diggers there now get fifty
cents ton and half work, rs against
Seventy-6ye cents a ton and full work In
1874, the year after the panic, and the
year before the industries of the cOun-
try were put under the screw OF prepa-
ration Tor gold resumption. Iron turna-
ces at Shawnee, Ogden, Steubenville and
Ashland, rolling-mills at Steubenyille,
Marietta and Pomeroy have recently
been sold at from a fourth 10 sixth
of their cost. Salt, which sold
at the furnace at an average OF
81 26 per barrel in 1874, now sells ut
eighty-twO cents per barrel. The iron
coal and salt industries OF Ohio, 50 far as
| can learn, are paving, where best man
aged, only the cost OF production, and
that based on starvation wages-cOunt-
ing their capital and investment as moth
ing. That is the extent Of the boom
which is always gotten up in speeches
and newspapers by the Republican par
" i'm its important campaigns. | believe
il 10 be true that business generally in
ONO is almost rs unprosperouS now as
it was I'm 1878 or 1877 that the condition
OF debtors generally whose debts
amount to One-fourth OF the estimated
value of their property four years ago is
in effect hopeless; that the burden OF
taxes increased through fallen prices Is
almost intolerably oppressive; and ]
further believe that the people ought to
and must have a rise OF prices above the
present low gold level before general
prosperity can possibly return.
The Restoration of Silver.
This relief is offered by the DemOcra-
cy in the bill which passed the House of
Representatives last session, and will
unquestionably pass the Senate next
session for the unlimited coinage OF the
old silver dollar and the issue OF certiti-
Gates for silver bullion. That act would
case an early increase OF metallic money,
or of paper representing and redeema-
BILE i'm metallic money, OF from one to
two hundred millions of dollars, fol-
lowed by yearly increase OF thirty or
forty millions. This would raise prices
very nearly to the obi bimetallic level,
tightening the burdens of debts and
taxes, stimulating industries, and bring
ing into play all the productive ener-
gies of our people. Ii Is a great, whole
some and Indispensable measure OF re-
lief; open % no Just criticism either IN
respect 10 its honesty OF sound policy.
IL viii bring down the purchasing power
of gold, which has been dishonesty IN
creased by the demOnetiZatiOn OF silver
An act 10 which the American people
never consented-done in the dark by
some rascal for the purpose of robbing
the masses and piling up the fortunes OF
the monied class.
The two parties are squarely at issue
on this question. MIR. Sherman and
Nh. Shurz both take ground in favor Of
stopping the coinage OF the silver dol
lar when the amount under existing
law shall reach sum supposed to be
the largest which will float at par with
gold: or. on tine other hand, adopting
new and more valuable silver dollar for
the benefit Oi the creditor class. Either
ut these methods Involves the perpetual
tion of the wrong inflicted upon the peO-
pie by the secret and fraudulent act OF
| thank these gentle
men for their frankneSS on this great
and call on the people OF Ohio
To decide by their votes whether our
great American money product shall be
put on AN even par with gold, and
whether they will have the old dollar of
the fathers or the new dollar Of the shy
locks.
I'm regard to the questions at issue
during the extra session Ot Congress
concerning the appropriation bill, he
said:
I am not disposed, my iellow-citizenS,
to claim that in the ordinary exercise
of its powers Congress is at liberty TO
neutrality-suspicious. iOrpurposes pre-
scribed by law We did not withhold any
the failure Of which Is at
ali likely To interfere with any OF the
of the Government in the
exercise OF their ordinary and aCknOwl-
edged powers. We merely forbade the
use of any money appropriated for the
army 10 transport or maintain troops at
the polls; and We withheld no appro-
priations, except tor the fees OF Mar
shals and their deputies. We knew
that all the Marshals would be
patriotic enough to hold on
to their offices and draw their regu-
lar salaries, and perform all their ordi-
nary and useful duties, trusting TO Con-
greSs to pay their fees for legitimate SER