National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-03-27
A PLEA FOR SILVER.
Effect of the Present Relations of Gold
and Silver Upon Industry and Com

and Silver Upon Industry and Com
merce.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: The
times are out Of joint. We have not
hard times, such as visitation Of famine
or Of pestilence 70 decimate the people, but
something as bad.
With wealth and plenty in the land of
food, raiment, and money, all being abun-
dant, yet there is pail hanging over us.
The most enterprising and industrious of
the great producing classes-the farmer,
manufacturer, and mechanic-complain that
they are not getting the rewards they are
Justly entitled to.
Surely there is some reason for the com
plaint for 1t is general, aud it is not con-
fined to our own country, but provokes
Europe aud the whole commercial world,
and whatever the cause, II is evident that
1t affects other countries besides our own.
That money is abuRdanu is shown by the
fact that interest is low. In this country
the volume Of currency Is not only larger
than ever before, but II Is exceptionally
good. Not question arises as to the value
Of any Of 1t.
Who ever before saw such a stagnant
condition Of trade under such conditions as
now exist Instead OF stagnatiOn, there
ought to be bouudless activity In the marts
OF trade, and such development OF active
energetic life as the world has never before
seen. There is more physical power, more
national wealth, grander development
and control OF the hidden forces Of nature
than was dreamed Of in any former epoch,
and yet they stand as If bound by hidden
hand. No great wars to employ this en-
ergy In :life destroying hero-making acty-
ity, that has so often in the history Of our
race engaged 1t in overtarning ana destroy
ing and then rebuilding and restoring.
Happy In this would the people be II that
energy could be directed into channels
that will benefit themselves and posterity.
More canals and substantial bridges and
public buildings TO mark, for centuries to
come, the power and wealth and taste Of a
people who have surpassed all who pre-
coded them in true greatness and accom-
plishments.
But the forces are chained, the energies
bound. Golden chains and golden bands.
Not the less urksome, none the less CALLING
because they are gold. Enthrall them.
Compare the condition of our country
to-day with its mines Of gold and silver,
and Of the less valuable minerals with its
vast accumulation Of coin and bullion after
paying half of the great war debt and It's
interest, aggregating more than the pay
ments on the principal, with the young
giant after the war closed.
Now, aggregating 60,0OO,000 OF people
united, strong, and wealthy, but embar-
raised and bound, Then, burdened with
vast debt, paper currency, which many
believed never would be redeemed no me.
tallic money, one-half Of the,country wasted
by war and without civil government.
Hope and energy had full play then, and
witness the work that was done.
With the payment Of 81, 500, 900, 900 Of In
terest and 81 100000 600 of principal on the
debt since that time, 1t is estimated that
now, while in the bonds of gold, 1t will take
more Of any Of our great staples, wheat,
cotton, or iron, TO pay that unpaid balance
of the debt than 1t would to have paid the
whole in 1865.
All we have to sell must be valued In
London, and on the gold basis. Wheat,
cotton, corn, pork, tobacco-cyeryth
produced and solids TO be measured with
gold, and all the time its purchasing power
appears to he growing Commodities are
cheap because gold is dear, We are suffer
ing a discount Of 20 per cent, on all we
sell, and saving that on all we buy.
Truly this is MI abnormal condition OF
affairs. The "doCtrinaircs" say we must
not use the silver dollar, That II we do It
VIII drive gold out Of the country. They
forget To state that France and her COaliu-
lol nations OF the Latin Union float 81 ,5OO,-
OOo,uOO ol less value than ours Of silver on
"a par WIN goldi Just us we do some $780,
NO,IUO OF paper, and that those nations
have also large volume Of paper money
aggregating more than our own,
10 apply. remedy for any m We must
first learn the cause.
The cause Of the worlds trouble t,.lay
Is, without doubt, In lis cOnseutinr To- me-.
ccpt the gold standard as the sole me isrlre.
ment OF values. That II Is the measuring
sticR'' Of values is not denied, but the com.
mercial world is divided into monometalllsts
aud bimetallists. None of the former adyo.
cate gold standard for all the world. The
warmest advocate Of the gold standard at
the great monetary conference held at Paris
in lsIs, called by our government to en-
dcayor to secure unity Of action In adopt
ing q ratio Of values between gold and
silver, and to secure the use of bmctallc
money, declared for the gold standard of
value for the more enlightened nations,
and silver for the more backward nations
This was Mr., lleraog, of Switzerland.
The English representatives condemned
his proposition, and at the same time Mr.,