Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1885-03-05
CleveIand's Reply TO the silver Colin
age AdVo<Rles.

age Advocates.
ALBANY, Fsb 27.-The following Is a
reply addressed by Cleveland To the Silver
Coinage Advocates in Congress:
To Hon. 4. J Warner and Others. Mmbers
If the F0rtyEtghth Congress.
GENTLEMEN letter, which | have
had the honoi 10 receive from you. invites,
and indeed, sbliges me 10 give expression
Ia some grave public necessities, although
in advance of the moment when they
would become objects of my official care
and partial responsibility. Your solicitude
that my judgment shall have been care
fully and deliberately formed, is entirely
just, and | accept your suggestion In the
same friendly spirit in which il has been
made. IL is also fully justified by the ma
ture of the financial crisis which, under
the operation of the act of Congress OF
Feb. %, 1873, is now close at hand. BY
compliance with the requirements of that
law, all the vaults of the federal treasury
have been and are heaped full of silver
coins which are now worth
less than egh,y-five per cent. of
the gold dollar prescribed as the "ur it of
value" in section IA Of the act OF Feb.
tificates representing such coin. are receiv
able for all public dues. Being thus re-
ceivable. while also increasing in quantity
at the rate of s2S000.0O0 year, II has
followed OF necessity that the flow OF gold
into the treasurv has steadily diminished.
Silver and silve' certificates have displaced
and are now displaying gold. and the sum
of gold in the Federal treasury now avail
able for the paymen; OF the gold obliga-
lions of the United States and for The re
demption of the United States notes called
"greenbacks, II not already encroached
upon, is peri,ously near such encroach-
ment. These are facts which, as
they do not admit Of difference
of opinion, call for no argument
They have been forewarned TO US in the
official reports OF every Secretary OF the
Treasury from 1878 till now; they are
plainly affirmed in the las. December
report of the present Secretary OF the
Treasury 10 the Speaker of the present
House Of Representatives; they appear in
the official documents of this Congress and
in the records of the New York Clearing
House, of which IN. Treasury is u mem
Der, and through which the bulk of the
receipts and payments Of the federal gov
ernment and the country pass.
These being the facts Of our present
condition, our danger. and our duty 10
avert that danger, would seem 10 be pain.
| hope you concur With me and with the
great majority Of uir fellow citizens in
deeming il most desirable, al the present
iuncture 10 maint1n and continue in
use the mass of gold coin as well as
the mass of silver aieady coinef. THIS
Is possible by present. suspension OF the
purchase and coinag OF silver. ] am not
aware that by any otter method it is posi-
hle. IL is of momotous importance 10
prevent the two meals parting company;
To prevent the increasing displacement OF
gold by the increasing coinage OF silver;
to prevent the disuse)f gold in the custom
houses of the Unite, States, in the daily
business Of the peopl: TO prevent the ulti
mate expulsion of god by silver. Such
financial crisis as lhes events would surely
precipitate. were il NV TO follow upon so
long period Of commercial depression.
would involve the ,eople of every city
and every State in th Union in prolonged
and disastrous trouble; the revival Of
business enterprise and prosperity. so
ardently desired md apparently SD
near, would be bpelessly postponed;
gold would be withdrawn TO its boarding
place. and an unprecedented contraction
in the actual volume Of our currency
would speedily take hace; saddest of all,
in every work shop mill. factory, store,
and on every railroadand farm, the wages
of labor, already depressed. would suffer
a still further depression by the scaling
down of the purchasing power OF every
so-called dollar paid nto the hand of toll
From these impending calamities il is
surely the most patrioic and grateful duty
Of the Representatives of the people to de
liver them.
am. gentlemen, With sincere respect
your fellow citizen.
GmvER CLEVELAND.
Albany Feb ~ lSJ