Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-06-17
"The highest Standard"
From the Chicago Sentinel

From the tChicago) Sentinel
The geld standard advocates very ant.
fully impose upon the natural and com
merclal honor, integrity and pride of the
American people by the frequent use OF
the term, 'the highest standard, " when
speaking of the money standard. 1t is
constantly used in the same sense that it
would be applied to statesmanShip, indi,
Vldual character, patriotism or mechanical
skill.
The term "highest" when applied to
the money standard, is the same as the
term Longest" when applet to linear
measure, or largest" when applied TO
cubic or square measure. Neither applies
to the character of the measure. Adding
fifty per cent. to the money standard,
whereby it is raised fifty per cent "hlgher," "
Is the same as aldidg sixteen quarts to the
hushel measure, making it bushel OF
torty-cight quarts instead Of thirty-two.
There would be as much sense in clam
orlng for an enlargement OF the bushel
measure as there is in contending for the
highest" money standard. 1t matters
not whether farmers corn is measured
10y Il bushel containing sixteen quarts OF
thirty-twO quarts; in the one instance he
would have two thousand bushels ana in
the other one thousand. Bat it would not
change the actual quantity cf the corn.
The one thousand bushels would feed as
many hogs as the two thousand sixteen
quart bushels. 1t matters not whether the
owner Of city lot measures its front with
a loot rule containing twelve inches or
tweniy.tour in the one iGstarce he would
have lot fifty feet front, and III the other
twenty FIVE, but he could build just the
same size house upon the latter that he
Gould upon the former.
The extension of the foot manure adds
not one particle to the value Of the city lot,
nor dots the cutting down OF the bushrI
measure detraCt one iota from the value
Of the farmers crlb of corn.
And just as true is it that the increase
Or decrease Of the measure of value IN no
way Except Indirectly affects the value of
property. The house or fam measured by
a ''dcpreciated" money standard is Just as
valuable Us though it were measured by
the most appreciated" Tor "hIghest" y
standard. 1t matters not to the owner OF
the house whether it is valued at one tEol.
sand dollars or two thousand dollars, it
will shelter just as many people and do it
just as comfortably.
People should not, therefore, be misled
by the clamor Of the goId.standardites for
the "highest" standard, 1t does not mean
more perfect or better standard, but it
means different standard. 1t would not
add to the perfection of linear measure to
increase the number Of inches in the foot
to twenty.four. 1t would not make the
bushel measure any better to increase the
number of quarts from thirty.two to sixty.
four. Therefore, this constant oast Of the
Sherman financiels that the standard OF
value" has been raised is no compliment
to the honesty and integrity Of the Amer
ican people. And the efforts of the gold
ties to raise the monetary standards till
"higher' should not appeal to the pride
or honor OF the commercial world.
What, then, is the object Of the gold.
standard advocates i'll appIauding the idea
of u "higher" standard?
Why did John Sherman in his speech
recently at the banquet of the New York
Chamber Of Commerce declare that "we
as a great commercial and creditor debt.
orr nation want the hcst and highest
standard?"
If one hundred grain buyers had con.
tracts with the farmers Of the northwest
calling iOt the entire product of this
years wheat fields at II fixed price per
bushel, and they should then begin to
ClamOr !Ot Il bushCl measure containing
sixty iOlr quarts instead of thirty-two, no
one but natural Lo;n idiot would fail TO
rAsnnrnbnnI ut tbot Iln t,1n 4. ,.,I
OF the purchasers was to obtain under
their already secured Contracts twice as
much wheat as was originally intended in
the contrac' And 10 amount Of high.
toaed talk about "bctter" or "higher"
(larger) bushel measure could for mo.
ment deceive or mislcad the people. ANY
man wEO had the impudcnce and etflOnt-
ely to suggest such an increase in the size
ot the bushel measure would be denounced
as knave and swindler. The people
wOuId no ior a moment tolerate such
fraud and III clliy,
Wherein, then, lies sine fraud and dis
olcsty o. Sherman's demand tOc the
"1est" and 'nighost" "mouctlry standard? =?
1t is in this: That any change in the
measure of value changes to that extent
IN "o,u VI N'Oly iL'ISg " JlISuI VA III luc
United States.
By doubling the measure of value, Or in
John Sherman's words, by raising it to the
best and highest standard, every money
obligation in the United States has been
doubled since 1865, and Just as f.st az
that measure has been 'rased" has the
debtor class been compelled to part with
more Of their accumulated products OF
labor in order to meet their obligations
and in those cases when the extra demand
was too great they have been driven to
bankruptcy and ruin through the operation
OF law.
The class principally interested in the
scheme Of raising the measure OF value to
the best and highest" standard has
been the bondholding class. According
to the measure of value which existed from
1865 to 1870, under which they obtained
their bonds, their investments were not
half as remunerative as they are under
John Sherman's 'highe,t" and "best"
standard. The dollars called for under
the old or deprecated standard we're not
lalf as great in their purchasing power as
are the dollars of the present standard.
In other words the bondhoders have
be' n and are still III "a? position of the one
hundrt d grain buyers who demanded an
lncr asa Of the bushel measure from thirty.
t@o quarts to sixty-four-and John Sher-
man is the kna re and swindler who is
doing their dirty and dishonorabe worl,