People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-07-28
AN APPEAL FOR SILVER.
Colorado Urges the East to Consider Well
the Decisive Question.

liz lOl4ONiuB ID the TeDOTl VI IUe
committee on resolutions adopted by
the silver convention in session at Den
yer, July u:
ITO THE PEOPLE OF TIE UNITED STATES:
The people of Colorado, standing in the gloom
OF impending disaster and representing in con
dition and sentiment the people Of Montana,
Idaho Wyoming, Nevada South Dakota, Utah,
Arizona and New Mexico, with reverence for
the constitution and answering loyalty TO the
general government, ask for your calm and
candid consideration Of the following facts be-
fore you give your approval to the destruction
OF silver as money and TO the final establish
ment in this country Of the single gold standard
Of values and thus at one stroke change all
debts to gold debts and inaugurate a never
ending rise of gold and a continued CORE
spending fall in the price Of every commodity.
The Panic and Silver.
Congress has been called to meet in extra
session on August Preceding that call the
classes which have struggled for twenty years
70 overcome the bimetallic money standard pro
vided by the constitution inaugurated panic
which they untruthfully charged to the existing
silver law, ignoring the facts that there were
SSOO00OOO Of outstanding legal tender notes,
commonly called greenbacks, that we're equally
available with The treasury notes issued in pay
ment for silver 10 draw gold from the treasury;
that the balance Of our foreign trade had turned
against US, rendering settlement abroad with
American gold necessity, and that the great
bankers Of Europe were purchasing gold with
which 10 change the money standard Of Austria
ard n hp ~ # ofb
archical countries
The evident purpose was 10 create prejudice
against what is known as the Silyer-purchasing
act and under pressure secure its unconditional
repeal The ,uccess Of this scheme was only
partial. Nenll presidential patronage, supple
menting false aud incendiary utterances by the
gold press, aggravated by daily circular assaults
upon the law by eastern money brokers' sent 10
every commercial body and banking corpora
ton in the four quarters OF the country, had
possibly won over the house Of representatives
to il; but even the president admitted that in
the senate there was a staunCh majority against
it Suddenly, like fire-beil in the night, the
news was flashed beneath Tie oceans that free
coinage in India hid been suspended and that
the market price Of silver had fallen within
iorty-eicht hours fully - cents per ounce.
This startling action, forced upon the Indian
government without moments warning, the
step held in secret contemplation ty lht British
government for months, TO be taken al trlt-
ical and oppOrtune time when the consterna-
ton ii must cause, it was hoped, would stamp
out the last phalanx of timetalliSm defenders,
must have had as one Of its chief aims the in
timidatiOn OF the senate to bring it in line with
the subservient lower house.
Trying to Force Repeal.
Immediately the wires were burdened with
appeals to the president from banks and clear
ing houses and commercial rOdies dominated by
them for an extra session and TO senators to re-
peal the Sherman law, which, it was claimed,
was responsible for all the disaster
THE call was made. The time for the session
10 commence was early; so early, indeed, that
may il not have been the hope of the president
that the panic would not subside and the meas
ure Of repeal be forced through before reason
resumed its sway and truth and logic could
dominate the congress. The enemies of bimet,
allism-and they now fairly number all those
who oppose free coinage for silver alike with
gold as it was before the decentralization Of sill
yer in 1873, openly declare that they will be con-
AtAb win I4OtalA5 4CNo iAAdA luG ullNUuhlAlOldl
repeal of the silver purchasing clause of the
Sherman law. 1t is for that they struggle; it
was to secure that that the panic was created
and free coinage in India suspended.
Unconditional repeal-that means striking
from the laws the last remnant OF legislation
that secures coinage for silver. II fixes the
United States firmly in the ranks Of the single
standard nations. 1t is the consummation of
the conspiracy organized at the close of the
FrancO-Prussian war TO destroy as money one
half of the coined money in the world-leaving
the other half TO bear alone the vast mountain
OF credit upon which the worlds business is
COnducted-inviting more frequent panics and
rendering them more destructive and enduring.
Great Britain Accused.
1T is idle to hope that reducing the value Of
silver TO the lowest stage will force Great Brit
ain 10 seek international solution of the diem
ma The homeof the single standard is in her
islands. Its members have fully anticipated
the low degree to which silver will descend.
They have discounted its disturbance OF her In.
dian trade and steeed their hearts against the
crime it will be against her Indian subjects.
The power that could plot for seventy-seven
years; that could force its yoke upon Germany.
the Latin union, Austria and the United States:
that could gain to its aid the daily press of the
country; hat could control for twenty wears
the national conventions Of the great American
political parties-granting in their platforms
professions of bimetallism but always secur.
ing presidential candidates unalterably opposed
10 ii; that could change an overwhelming SEN
timent among the people for bimetallism to
feeling Of enmity or indifference, can never be
induced 10 relent, for it has counted the cost
and has learned its power.
The Sherman Law.
The Sherman law is not the work Of the sill
reproducing states. II was forced upon the
country against their will Their constant de-
mand has been that Of the agricultural states OF
the west and south and Of the working masses
Of the whole country, They have not sought to
impose upon the country some new financial
nostrum but have asked simply for the resto-
ration Of the coinage laws as they were from
the first year Of the federal constitution until
the furtive repeal Of 1873 The Sherman law
was the trick by which that restoration was de.
ieated. 1t was accepted by bimetallists as a
pledge that the old laws should al some future
time be restored, and they now demand, not
that the Sherman law shall be retained, but
that the hostage shall be redeemed by the re.
enactment in its stead OF the coinage laws I'm.
der which the country grew and prospered for
more than three-Quarters Of century
What Bimetallists Ask.
The charge that the bimetallists demand
that sixty cents shall be made dollar is lie
1t was the trick Of the single standard conspir.
ators that lessened the value Of silver. Had
gold been ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of sllver-retain.
ing for silver its greatest use and chiefest func
ton and depriving gold Of its greatest and
chiefest .function-gold would not to-day be
worth s. per ounce and silver value and Dur.
chasing power would be increased largely above
its former highest figure
what bimetallists do ask and ali they ask is
that the law relating to coinage as it was for
the seventy-fve years Of the country's greatest
glory shall be restored without the addition or
expunging Of syllable If with that law re.
enacted and fair trial Of it had, silver shall
not without the purchase Of an ounce OF metal
by the government resume its former relative
value with gold, bimetallists viii cheerfully
submit to any legislation that experience will
suggest as necessary 10 make every dollar Of