The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-03-02
THE sl1vERMEN
Answer president-elect CIeyeland's Lettei
In Favor of n Gold Standard.

Answer president-elect Cleyelandg Letter
|, inFayor of n Gold Standard.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The friendsioi
silyeriin the House while at first inclined
to make d formal reply 10 the letter Of
President-elect Cleveland since. it has
been given to the public, decidedat o con-
ference held tonight to reply openly to
parts OF the letter with which they do not
agree. They say they did not invite a
controversy, but on tie contrary were
anxious to avoid II. They also ay.itswas
not until it had become known that q de-
termined effort was being made TO induce
the President to commit himself and his
administration in advance To- the gold
side Of the currency question that they
decided to merely ask him not 70, commit
himself till his Cabinet was formed and
both sides in question could be consider
ed. They proposed at first osend o dele
cation 70 present their views 10 him, but
after communicating with him, at his sug-
eestion they sent q paper signed by nearly
one hundred members Of the present Con.
gress and members elect TO the next Con-
gress. No reply was necessary they as
sert, and none was expected. Theyfurther
say that while regretting the step the
Presidentelect has taken In advance OF
his inauguration and formation of his
cabinet, they do not propose TO have a
controversy, unlessit is forced upon them.
They believe, however, in the independ-
ence Of he1egislatiye branch of the Gov:
ernment, and assert that they viii at all
times maintainit. They furnish the fol-
lowing as q statement Of their views: s
In theletter no distinction is made be-
tween silver coinage and silver bullion.
While It is true silver bullion which is ex-
cluded from coinage, and consequently
from monetary use, Is worth less lin ratio
l6to u than SIS percent OF gold dollars
silver coins which are admitted TO none
tafy use the same as gold, are equal in
value TO gold coin. The silver dollar
will exchange for as much as,t the gold dol
lar; II will even buy the gold with
which gold dollars may be made. France
with o population OF Sd, 900, 900 and a terri
tory not us large as Texas, has in ,circula-
ton $500, ,001, ,09J OF silver with $3.50 '00, 900
In gold, while we have but 500, ,000, 600 in
silver to over $500, 900, 900 in gold.
Altogether 1900, 100000 silver coins at a
ratio OF l5i to l are, held in cireulationIin
Europe side by side with 8, COO, 900, 900
gold.5 OF paper and silver together, in
Guiding silver certificates, we have less
than S750, 900 900 which shows that'in this
country there is more gold than paper and
nearly three times as much gold as silver.
With'this ptopofti0n In our currency and
with gold and silver equally full tender
for everything it is difficult to understand
why the Secretary Of the Treasury might
not IL he chose to do SO pay out more sill
yer and less gold.
7 OF course, u, while receiving into the
treasury United States notes, silver and
silver certificates, gold or gold certificates,
he pays out only gold, his stock Of gold
would diminish. II, on the other hand,
he should pay out more silver and paper
and less gold, the character Of the reserve
in the treasury would control the secre,
tary Of the Treasury. There would be
no need OF legal.tender II one who re,
ceives money be permitted TO choose
the kind he will have. That
silver and silver certificates displace
gold is true, but only as the Treasury oi
bank notes displace 1t. The withdrawal
OF one, hundred millions OF bank notes OF
the issuance Of one hundred illions has
the same effect on gold as so much in sill
yer or silver certificates Why has i
never been proposed to withdraw nationa
bank notes as o means OF of'praventing the
expulsion Of gold? .,5 VI