Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-01-14
Is Tt Not a Conspiracy.


ing upon the charge of conspiracy
contained in the petition 'The Voice
of the People" says:
"It is melancholy to learn that the
President is engaged in conspiracy
He, with the Secretary of the Treasury
the American Bankers Association,
and the leading newspapers of Eastern
cities, have conspired. The object of
this rather formidable combination is
to "increase the value and purchasing
power Of funded debts and fixed
incomes, through the depression of
general values by the demonetization
of silver or the suspension of silver
coinage" It might have been ex-
pected that the leading newspaper and
American bankers would engage in
such a nefarious conspiracy, for as
all know. they are thoroughly bad.
But it is exceedingly painful to hear
that the President of the United
States, and the Secretary of Treasury
chosen by him, have conspired to in
fate debts and to make values shrink. +"
Webster defines conspiracy "Coms-
binattom for an evaI purpose. :"
Hence to establish the charge refer
red to, we must first prove that the
war on silver is the work Of a combin-
alton.
Second-We must demonstrate that
it is for an evil purpose.
That ii is the work of combination
of bankers, bonds, and mortgage hold
ers, and politicians, we need only to
refer to the proceedings of the Ameri-
can Bankers Association, the petitions
being circulated in the South by said
Association, the message of the Presi-
dent, the reports of his finance minis
ters, and the statement of Morten
Frewen written from London to Will
liam Henry Hurlburt. that the afore-
said combination ''is acting under
orders from London and Berlin. -
2. Is the purpose of this combination
evil7
What effect upon society would the
dem onetization of silver have?
What is the experience Of the past
We offer few witnesses to show
the effect of the single gold standard.
Alexander Hamilton in his report,
1871, says:
s'To annul the use of either metal as
money is to abridge the quantity Of the
circulating medium and is liable to all
the objections which arise from scanty
circulation" "
Secretary p. Mt. Huaters's rep ort
1852:
s'To adopt gold alone. would diminish
the specie currency one half, and
would prove highly disastrous to the
human race"
Baron Rothschild,
''The suppression of silver would
amount to a yeritable destruction OF
values without any compensation
Professor Laveleye,
"Debtors have right to pay in colo
or silver, and this right cannot be
taken away, without disturbing the
relations of debtors and creditors to
the prejudice Of the debtor to the
extent perhaps of one half-certainly
one third.
M. Wolowski,
eff by stroke of the pen we sup
press one Of the metals in the moneta.
ry service, it will double the demand
for the other, to the rain Of aU debt
ors."
Here is evidence enough to hang a
man.
If demonetization of silver should
result in contracting the currency, il
would be an evil.
If, as Hunter says, it would prove
highly disastrous to the human race
the purpose is evil.
If, as Rothschild says, it would
amount to a veritable destruction OF
values without any compensation, its
purposes are evil.
If, as Prof. Laveleye says, it woulc
double the burden of all debts, its pur
poses are decidedly evil.
And if, as Wolowski says, 'it would
ruin all debtors its purpose is damn
able, for debtors constitute the great
mass of the people,
Therefore the charge of conspiracy
is established and the defendants, the
people, are acquitted.-Ex.
Dynamite!