Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-24
THE HERALD AT THE BEACH.
OHIO DEMOCRATS AND SILVER.


OHIO DEMOCRATS AND SILVER.
It toften happens that party platforms
treat economic questions of admitted
complexity'' loosely, or inexactly. be-
cause they are not thoroughly under
stood either by the platform-makers or
by the people, whom they sometimes
seek to fool or mislead; but this is en-
phatically not true OF the silver plank ol
the Democratic platform OF Ohio adopt
ed at Cleveland last week. No philo.
sophie student of political or financial
economy could state the case with great
er precision than it's stated in. that nota
BILE political manifesto. 1t would be
good politics as good logic for the Dem
ocratic party to inscribe on its banners,
and adopt, as permanent national pol
icy on the silver question, the
sentiments 80 admirably set forth
by the Ohio Democracy. They run !:
eve denounce the demonstration OF
silver in 1873 by the party in power, as
an iniquitous alteration of the money
standard in favoro of creditors and against
debtors, taxpayers and producers; and
which, by shutting off one source of
supply of primary money, operates con-
tinually to increase the value of gold,
depress prices, hamper industry and dis
parage enterprise; and we demand the
Reinstatement of the constitutional
standard of both gold and silver, with
equsl right of each to free and un-
limited coinage
Many Republicans will believe in
placing patriotism above partizanism,
and The HERALD would perhaps
do q wise thing in placing the
foregoing paragraph at the head
OF its editorial columns in capital
letters, and keeping it there,
both as watch-word for Democrats to
fight under, and notice to their oppo-
nentsI the Republicans, that they can
only refuse to adopt it at the risk OF de-
feat, in the next national contest. Sen
ator Morgan's statement of the attitude
of the southern people on this question,
is thoroughly consonant with the posi-
tion of the Ohio platform. He says,
sthey regard his (Ex-President Cleve-
land's) antagonism to the remonetizing
of silver and its free coinage as blow
to the rights secured them by the con-
stitution."
As matter of fact, the constitution
and early legislation of this Republic,
ordained both silver and gold as the
legal, and only legal money OF this
country. And therefore it is strictly
and historically true that the demoneti-
zation of silver in 1873 was
s'an alteration of the money
standard, in favor OF creditors
and against Debtors" etc. And no Jug
Cling sophistry Of casuists can rub out
that ugly, if not ubiquitous" fact. And
if not Ubiquitous" what would those
who defend it say ii gold instead OF sill
yer had been demonetized? For the
right to outlaw one OF the metals al
money, logically implies the right to
outlaw the other. Therefore, the point
made by citizens of Denver, in offering a
the mint bar of silver for coinage into
standard dollars, was we'll taken, and in
the opinion of large masses OF the plain
common people of the United States,
will eventually be declared so by the su-
preme court.
There is endless talk by smatterers
and even by self-styled or pseudo states
men and economists about the debased
silver dollar, as though it was not a,
truly and as lawfully and as honestly 8
dollar, according to the statute book, as
is the gold dollar.
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie in the Nortl
American Review for June, sheds croco
die tears about the United States issu
ing adebased coin,' which he declares
ssevery one Of its silver dollars is, in tn.
teeth of the fact that its content of fine
silver was lawfully and constitutionally
defined, ninety-nine years ago, to be pre-
cisely what it is today, to wit: 3711
Troy grains. He even has the hardi
hood to assert Up. 730) that 'every time
the government stamps the words One
Dollar upon 37l4 grains of silver, i
stamps q lie, Pin which statement he
clearly and unequivocally stamps him
self liar, and public libeler of the
governments and people of the
United States For it is no more
. lie to stamp those words on the silver
dollar than on, the gold dollar, or than
to stamp under English law Zone SOY.
ereign'' on 113 grains Of fine gold. What
would be thought Of an American who
should go to England, and who, after
growing rich under the protection Of
her laws, beyond the dreams of avarice,
should Internationally and impudently
charge the British government with
stamping . lie every time it coins law
ful English sovereign?
Ex-Secretary Fairchild in the Forum
for July asks, or says the only question
for government to ask, il: What il the