Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-23
sATURDAY....."....MAY %. 1885.
silver Psyments-The Result

We have heretofore reproduced what
one New York papcr-the Journal Of
Finasee--had to say on the subject OF
the constant decrease Of the amount o.
gold in the national Treasury. Another
New York psper--the Sar--edited by
a man who was once Republican As
sistant Secretary Of War, seems to con-
template the near approach Of silver
payments with as much equsnimity as
does the Journal Of Finance.
Considering the persistent war that
was made upon silver money BY
the Republican Administrations from
the day when HAYES vetoed the
BLAND bill up to the end of AR
Thurs term, it is wonderful that the
new coias have not fallen below par
with gold. In all the New England
and Middle States the public journals
are devoted to the interest of monopo-
lists and capitalists, and never for q
moment cease their war upon SILL
yer and the BLAND law. When
we say that it would require more
bales of cotton to pay OIL the
United States debt now than it would
have required to pay it off twenty years
ago, when that debt was a thousand
millions of dollars larger than it is now,
we mention fact which ought Of itself
to condemn the Republican party to
eternal Punishment from power. The
present hard times, the strikes, the sus-
pension of business, and the surging
crowds of unemployed laborers, may all,
we hold, be fairly charged to the
legislation Of the Republican party
in the interest of the capitalist class as
distinguished from the great body Of
the community. These blind leaders
Of the blind-these ignorant money
mongers--do not understand that there
are thousands and tens Of thousands Of
Greenbackers in this country, and that
consequently the only choice which the
country has is between silver money
and fiat money. Repeal the silver
bill, and Greenbackism will be i'm
messureably strengthened. If, there
fore, we concede that the BLAND
law is Objectionable in itself, we must
still claim that it is breakwster which
has served to prevent this land from
being flooded with worthless greenbacks
or fat money. The vote in the House
of Representatives ON Mr.. RANDALL's
motion to suspend the coinage Of silver
shows how the statesmen in Congress
regard the question We are discussing.
Now, we quote the New York Sun:
"As to the effect OF this probable suspen-
sion OF gold payments and the substitution
of silver. NO repeat what we have often said
before. Inc SnanHe VIII not De the GAIA
nifty that many suppose IL will be. IL will
not cause financial panic nor collapse In
business On the contrary. Judging by the
results OF the suspension OF gold paymentsin
1852. 10 In much more likely 10 revive In
dustry and stimulate speculation. There
will Ne rise In the prices Of all kinds Of
property, or. 1T least, cessation OF the con-
ffnued fall. which for the last five years has
checked new enterprises. and thus capital
will be- encouraged 10 begin making those
Investments on which labor depends for
employment.
"Weawait the event with curiosity. but
without the least apprehension"
However, we do not admit that there
would ever be any necessity for the
suspension Of gold payments If only
the Government and the Wall-street
gang would treat silver as they treat
gold. They have for the last seven
years wsged war of words and acts
against bimetallism, and have conse-
quently converted many unthinking
persons 10 monometallism. II is won
derful, we repeat, that silver has un-
der such circumstances kept itself at
par with gold.