Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-03-05
POLITICAL.

Il
Following is the reply addressed by
Mr.. Cleveland to the silver-coinage advocates
in Congress:
To che Hon. A. j. Warner and othors, members
of the Forty eighth Congress:
Gentlemen, the letter which have had the
honor to receive from you invites and, in
deed, obliges me to give expression to some
grave public necessities, although in adj
vance Of the moment when they would
become objects OF my official care and
partial responsibility. Your solicitude that my
Judgment shall have been carefully and deiib-
erately formed ID entirely just, and accept the
suggestion in the same friendly spirit In which
1t has been made. 1t is also fully justified by
the nature OF the financial crisis which, under
the operation OF the act of Congress of Feb
%, 1873 is now close at hand. By compli-
ance with the requirements OF that law all
vaults in the Federal Treasury have been and
are heaped full OF silver coins which are now
worth less than SO per cent. of the gold dollar
prescribed as the unit of value" in section IA OF
the act OF Feb. II, 1873, and which, with silver
certificates representing such CON- are receivable
for all public dues, being thus receivable, while
also constantly increasing in quantity at the rate
OF $2s,OOOOO0 per year, il has followed of ne
ty that the flow of gold into the Treasury
yer certificates have displaced and are now DIS
placing gold, and the sum of gold in the Fed
eral Treasury now available for the payment
of the gold obligation of the United States and
for the redemption OF United States notes called
-greenback," If not already encroached upon,
is perilously near such encroachment. These
are facts which, as they do not admit of differ
ence 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 af-
firmed in the last December report of the
present Secretary of the Treasury TO the
Speaker of the present House of Representa-
tives. They appear in the official documents OF
this Congress, and in the records Of the New
York Clearing House, of which the Treasury
is a member, and through which the bulk
of receipts and payments OF the Federal
Government and the country pass. These be-
ing the facts, our present condition, our danger.
and our duty to avert that danger, would seem
to be plain. 1 hope you concur with me and
with great majority Of our fellow-citizens, in
juncture to maintain and continue in use the
mass of our gold coin as well as the
mass of silver already coined. This
is possible Dy Jne preseuI suSpeHsloh
of the purchase and coinage of silver.
! am not aware that by any other method
it is possible. 1t is OF momentous importance
to prevent the two metals parting company,
to prevent increasing displacement of gold
by increasing tho coinage of silver, to pre-
vent the disuse OF gold In the custom houses
of the United States in the daily business
of the people, to prevent the ulti-
mate expulsion OF gold by silver. Such
a financial crisis as these events would
certainly precipitate, were it now TO
follow upon so long period OF commercial de-
preston, would involve the people of every city
and every State in the Union in prolonged and
disastrous trouble The revival o: business en-
terprise and prosperity so ardently desired and
apparently so near would be hopelessly post
poned. Gold would be withdrawn to its hoard
ing places and an unprecedented contraction in
the actual volume OF our currency would speedily
shop, hiIf, factory, store, ana On every railroad
and farm, the wages of labor, already depressed,
would suffer still further depression by the seal
ing down Of the purchasing power of every So
called dollar paid into the hand of toll.
From these impending calamities It is surely
the most patriotic and grateful duty of the rep
resentatives of the people to deliver them. am.
gentlemen, with sincere respect, your fellow
citizen. GROVER CLEVELAND.
Albany, Feb. "a.
The Michigan House has passed o
bill TO renew the death penalty for murder in
the first degree, and majority of the Sem
ators are pledged to the measure.