The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-12-10
The Noteworthy Points Of the
Presidents Message.

the habitual argument of the constrae-
tionists is that the silver dollar as now
coined is in value less than the gold
dollar, and that the ultimate effect will
be TO drive the latter out Of circulation
In the same connection he says that
silver under the present limited coinage
is a drug on the market, which the
government finds it impossible to use,
and that tw0-thirds of the amount
already coined Is lying idle IN the
treasury vaults. The reason of this
is that silver is in unfriendly hands.
The bill restoring it to its original func-
tions as a money metal, was vetoed by
the President and passed over his head,
and the Administration has been en-
deavoring to defeat the measure by
indirect means, having failed TO prevent
its passage by vetoing 1t. The constant
aim of the Administration has been how
not to do it. 1t has not been put Ill
circulation because the Secretary of the
Treasury has not disbursed it as he had
a right to do to the public creditors.
Why has not the interest upon the
United States Bonds been paid in silver
coin The Refunding Act of 1870
under which new bonds have been issued
in place of the old ones that were to
have been paid in greenbacks, specifi-
cally provides that they should be paid
''in CON-" and silver is embraced in
that term. "Coin" means gold and
silver The two togetherar the money
of the Constitution. 1t is optiOnary
with the government which of these
metals it will use in the discharge Of its
obligations. When the bonds were issued
silver was of the precise weight and
fineness fixed in the law of 1878 re-
monetizing it-viz: 4125 grains and
the ratio of silver to gold was IS to /.
1t had been the ratio since 1884. As
established by the trainers Of the gov
eminent in 1892, it was ID to l. The
discovery has now been made that there
ought to be more silver in the dollar.
Why not equalize the metals, if the ar
bitrary standard set up by the tools of
the money power is correct, by reducing
the weight and tineness Of the gold
dollar? Everybody knows that the
alleged inequality is a mere pretence
for opposing remonetization-an obsta-
Gle thrown in the way Of the measure
to accomplish indirectly what cannot
be done openly against the strong public
sentiment in favor of the ''dollar Of the
fathers" Make the silver dollar as large
as wagon-wheel, and they would still
object. The opposition is not to the
weight of the silver dollar but to silver
itself as a measure Of value. The
truth is too palpable for the country to
be deceived by the false pretence which
the monometalists and money monop-
olists have set up.
Not less sophistical is the argument in
favor of the destruction of the green
back currency. There is no plethora
of money. What the country needed
was larger supply of it, and it has
been furnished by Providential causes,
short crops in Europeand bountiful ones
at home, with renumerative prices and Il
large balance of trade in favor Of the
United States. The revival of trade
and the new life that has been infused
into all the departments Of industry Is
due to the increase of the circulating
medium, and no fear need be INDUCED
that it will be followed by reaction
and depression so long as the currency
consists of the precious metals or of
paper controvertible into them. No
country ever suffered from excess of Il
lasting currency, and to be lasting it
must have a solid basis. The object
of the party opposed to coming silver
and in favor of destroying greenbacks,
! is to make money scarce and CORES
pondingly dear, in order to increase the
gains of the money power. 1t is well
settled axiom, that every addition to
the value of money increases the
amount which creditors have to pay /;
and this is precisely the game of the
Administration, whose aim is to in
crease the wealth of the favored few,
at the expense of the toiling many.
The President deals in some generali-
ties in discussing what is stated under
the head of election" but distinctly de-
clares in favor of the present laws which
usurp State authority and authorize the
use of United States troops, marshals,
supervisors &c, to bulldoze citizens and
to deprive them Of the freedom of the
ballot.
His plea for "civil service" retorm in
the face of his prostitution of the pat
ronage of the government to reward the
thieves who allotted the theft of the
Presidency, is simply iqdiorous; and
his declaration that the tenure of Office
should not depend upon ''partizan inter
ests," will excite derision and contempt
when it is known all over the country,
that the policy of his Administration is
in direct contradiction of his pretences.
Why, here in Mississippi. within the
past week we have had an illustration
of the fact. Were not Edgar West,
Thomas j. Wharton, Jr., and Mr.. How
nv dismissed from the internal revenue
service by peremptory order of the
Administration, and theiF places be-
slowed upon Radical partizans, for feag
sons purely political? No other cause
has been alleged or ever pretended.
They were Democrats, though not noisy
and officious partizans, aad that consti-