The clarion., 1886-04-21

tial p owl ion of relief, and send them 10
the Executive for his approval. II he with
holds his signature aud we are unable 10
secure the necessary yote here or elsewhere
TO enact them into laws notw thstanding
his veto, let us, as a last resort, suspend tn
rules and put them into tie general appro
priliion bills, wi the distinct un crstand
ing that If the people can get no relief lh
Government can get no money --CoRgres
sional Record and 4ppendix, volume 81
Forty fifth Congress, second session, page
A.
Ar Bland, of Missouri, said:
do not like this hi J. II is not what the
country expects. But | am in favor OF
taking this now a. making enc step in the
right direction. Il { | give notice here and
now that his war shall never cease so long
as | have voice in this Congress until the
rights of the people al fully restored, and
he silver dollar shall take its place along
side the gol dollar-Co Congressional Record
volume %, FOriy-ftth Congress, second
session, page l25o.
Strange as it may seem, the Bondhold
ing Directory are not content to permit
the existing status of silver to remain,
unjust though it be to the people, and
far below the position in which 1t was
placed by the trainers of the Govern
uitUt. w iluOuI lIOH t1C ptO-
pie, and in reckless disregard of the
paramount interests of the country, they
have renewed the assault and are seek
ing to strike down and to degrade it to the
condition of the basest metals as mere
merchandise, notwithstanding all the
prophecies of evil which they INDUCED
as to the effect of reconciliation, have
been falsi6ed by actual results.
They predicted that silver reco1eti
zation would drive gold away from the
country. Well, what if il had ? Gold
is proverbialy selfish aud timid coin.
Ii always seeks its hiding place in times
of peril and trial, while silver, bold and
generous, comes to the front when it is
needed But the prophecy that gold
would take the wings of the morning
and fly away has not been fulfilled.
There were in the country in round
numbers $230000, 900 of gold when the
silver-coinage act of 1873 was passed.
There are now in round numbers $780,
100000 of gold in the country, In the
face of the prediction that the cottage
of silver would Danish gold, and in the
face of the preposterous declaration
which is sometimes heard that it is even
now doing its fearful work of driving
away the yellow metal gold. How it
perverts mems reason and swiys their
Judgment aud contradicts the palpable
evidence of their own senses, sug ggesting
the language of the great poet of
nature:
This yellow slave
viii knit I'd break religions; bless the
accursed;
Make The hoar lep@osy adored; place
thieves,
And give them title, knee, and appro baton,
With senator's on the bench.
Applause
Again, it was said that the silver-coin-
age act would destroy the credit of the
| Government. The reverse has been the
result. Simultaneously WITH the passage
| of the law its credit improved, and its
securities were more sought than ever
| by capitalists for safe investment, upon
better terms than ever tefore.
1t should be stated to the credit of
| the law of 1878 that ii rendered resump-
ton possible If the tundmongers had
| been permitted to demand gold exclu
| sively for greenbacks, resumption would
have been failure, and the Govern
ment would have been discredited.
| again 1t WAS pftdICtcQ THAI Tue stan
dard silver dollar would not enter into
circulation. 1t was resurrected, so to
speak, with brand upon it. The dis
| tinguished gentlemen from Maryland
| { Mr.. Findley says that the act upon its
| face twas an impeachment of free coin
age" | will accept the word. Silver
coinage was ''impeaehed aud condemned,
| too, without crime" It had per
formed all its functions faithfully, aud
was stricken down in the midst of its
usefulness Hitherto il had stood upon
an equal footing with gold. Now it Is
| divesfed of its function as unit OF
| value, and its coinage is limited as a
sign of its unftness for the uses oil
money 1t was confided to the keeping
OF unfriendly administrations, who ad
vertised that it was not good enough fol
the favored, untaxed classes whose capi
tai consists of United States bonds.
The national banks took the cue anG
disparaged ii. The clearing houses dis
credited it. Wall street, the great none,
center, raised the hue and cry agains
it, and il was echoed by the Bondhold
ing Directory and their pensioned organ
throughout all the land, but without
avail II possessed the confidence o.
the honest, toiling masses. They die
not depreciate nor discount it. The,
took it for what it was worth, for WIS
the Government had stamped it-1Ot
cents. They bore il up by their gener
Ious confidence aud loyal support. /
en- cred rapidly into circulation. None,
which was intrinsically valuable becam,
more plentiful The country becam'
more prosperous. Agriculture and it
handmade, commerce, revived. Manu-
Ifacturing, mining, and railroad buiIdin,
lreceived new impetus, especially in m,
| own lately desolafed section, the South
Whose mountains and valleys are re-
! sounding with he whir and hum d
| machinerv and Ike thunder Of the iron
aorse What greater evidence could b
] given OF the wisdom Of measure thar
| that II has impaired new ifc TO all th
agencies q industry and prosperity?