Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1891-10-24

When the supply has been largest. civ.
i~lizstion has advanced; when the supply
Of the precious metals has failed. e~ivilizs-
tion has decayed. When the Pharos
built the pyramids, the mines Of Nubis
were prolific; when Solomon built shs
temple the gold Of Ophir was abundant;
when the Phenicisns were the weslthiest
aud most prosperous nation Of the world
they gathered gold and silver from the
mines Of Asia and all the countries bor-
dering on the Mediterranean; when
Athens was = university Of literature.
science and philosophy. the Greeks were
reaping . rich harvest Of gold and silver
from the rivers and mountains Of Thrsce;
when the Legions Of Rome were victori.
Gus 10 Europe, Asia aud Africa, the
mines Of Spain and Italy were marvel.
ously productive. Al the time Of Angus.
tus there was in circulation in the Roman
Empire nearly two thousand millions Of
dollars Of gold and silver coin. The civ.
ilization Of each Of these nations decayed,
and . reign Of barbsrism ensued after the
exhaustion Of the mines from which they
obtained their money. The cessation OF
mining for q period Of fourteen hundred
years reduced the Roman Empire TO feu-
DIAL slavery. Poverty robbed the proud
Romans Of their ancient valor and indie
p~eudence, and blotted out their Language
and literature, except what was hidden
away in the monasteries, and destroyed
the energy. courage and enterprise of the
people. No ray Of light dawned upon
the dark ages until the discovery Of gold
and silver in Mexico and South America.
A struggle then commenced for civil and
religious liberty, which has resulted in
the civilization Of the nineteenth CEN
fury, which we now enjoy. No people
deprived OF money have ever yet been
able to preserve their liberties. Slavery
follows poverty with IS much certainty
ss night follows day.
The above is from q late speech OF Sen.
ator Stewart, delivered at Reno. We
hope the Senator will not disparage the
intelligence Of our State by the repetition
of such trash ON the floor Of the Senate
at Washington. Anything may pass for
argument in Nevada, but il would hardly
be safe 10 hang the silver question on so
slender q thread among the lawmakers
of the Capitol. Respect for the State
forbids that We should desire TO see even
Senator Stewart ridiculed for his ignor-
ance of the historical events about which
he talks. Any sort Of cause may be i'm
agined to have produced q certain effect.
But every schoolboy knows that it was
not too little money but too much money
that destroyed Rome. The great wealth
of the Romans was concentrated in the
hands Of the few. Uust as the policy OF
Senator Stewards party is ~unerringly
operating in this country and in due
time vice and corruption and immortality
of every kind followed close on the heels
of ease and luxury; the women aban-
doned their virtue, and such mothers
produced, as might be expected, enerva-
ted, cowardly sons. and soon the once
proud and enlightened nation drifted into
decay and ruin. This is the accepted
history of the downfall Of Roman civili-
cation, and it is faifer TO assume that
like causes produced like effects in the
other cases noted, than to attribute their
blotting out to 9 scarcity of gold or silver
or iron or lead or any other metal. As
matter of fact the ancients relied upon
other forms Of money than gold and sil'
yer. We want to see silver placed on an
even plane with gold the world over. and
especially in the United States. bat in
the endeavor to accomplish this desirable
end we need not be driven to the extrem.
ity Of distorting the established truths Of
history.