The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-16
a TIMELY WARNING.

- .
Hon. Thom1s II. liayard issues I.cttor to
tho Don,oora's OF tho country-Dangers
of Freo Coinage.
Hon. ThomasF. Bayard has addressed
an open letter to the Democrats OF tho
country upon tho question OF free silver
coinage, in tho course OF which he SAYS.
lnproportion to tho gravity OF public
question:. plain and candid utteranccs
become tho duty of an American citi-
zen. | have watched with increasing
apprehension tho legislation OF Con-
gress in relation to tho coinage OF sill
yer. and from tho worry first have de-
plorcd and opposed the falso position
assumed by the government in 1878, for
the first time in its history, OF entering
the market US purchaser OF silver bull.
ion, and forcing its coinage as money
and rs an unlimited legal tender at n
nominal value behind its intrinsic and
real value
Natural laws, the laws OF demand and
supply and tho rightof private contract,
properly and justly control tho pres.
cncc or absence OF gold and silver, and
statutes arbitrarily replacing these laws
VIII DO always maleiicient and creative
OF confusion and disaster in tho bust
nesa OF mankind. These truths are
plainly written on the face OF history
and I'LL human experience. Their den.
ial and rejection will be met by speedy
proof OF their necessary and inexorablc
acceptance. II those who now propose
to deny them and being possessed Of
the temporary representative power
shall assert by tho passage OF statute
their power to create value in the
metal OF silver, or any other commodity,
and enforce its free and unlimited coin
age at ratio OF value as compared to
gold far above the intrinsic value alter
ed by the prices currentlin every mark
ct in the civilized world, they will soon
find themselves and their followers face
to lace with the Opinions OF mankind,"
that tribunal to which our forefathers
SO solcmnly appealed when they struck
the shield OF the arbitratary power OF a
British king and his ministry and de.
clared for liberty and independence.
With such flood set in motion what
must become OF the carefully conceived
power OF our present gold reserve OF
Sl0O, 100000, expressly set apart for the
single and special end OF maintaining
tree compctition and the interconvcrti-
bility OF the two precious metals fund,
be it remembered. bought and paid iot,'
by the sale OF government bonds, upon
which interest has ever since been reg.
ularly paid Can this single bulwark.
which has beer the great faction in
maintaining the ungucstionab!o conf.
dence in every dollar in the hands OF
the men, women and children of the
land, withstand the current OF demand
Tor gold when it has reached q premium,
and the panic that is sure to follow.
| would be unfaithfIl to my party
affiliations and unmindiul Of my duty.
to my country il. did no. warn the
Democratic advocates OF FREQ silver coin
age to beware lest b. their action they
impair and weaken public confidence in
the wisdom and conservatism OF the or.
Sanization of which they are members,
and thereby decrease the dangers and
evils OF the continued ascendancy and
control OF political party, proven BY
its record III the last Congress to be sec
tional in its objects and purposes. Nor
cenary throughout its organization, and
regardless of the consideration OF our
government whenever power is to be
obtained or perpetuated by its violation.