Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-08-03


a1etala. was Ia the year 1871 without
any previous demand by ans political
'rsarts aud 10 any part OF tie people. 0r
even - any newspapers. and WIthout
pubic discussion whatever, stricken
down from the place IL had occupied
since the days IL Abraham and the
fharaiphs under circumstances ~ such
secrecy that allen a.. Ihufmau. James
u. Beck, William Stewart Daniel ".
Voorhees,. james g. Blame thea speaker
of the house. James A. Garfield. VIII
lam H. Kelly. aud Others present aud
voting Tor the blll as roDators or repre-
scntatiyen subsequently,. repeatedly and
publicly declared that they dad not
know until long afterw ards that 30 grase
and great change bad bcen made ia
the financial system founded by the
fathers - the lspnbiic.
Then follows long aud graphic state
ulent ~ the country's industrial condi
tion. igether with the quoted opinions
II Blaine. Carlisle and Sherman. The
demands are as follows;
In vew - all these facte. We declare,
first. that there must be no compfomlse
~ this question All leeislation IN de.
monetiling silver aud restricting the
coinage thereof must be immediately
and completely repealed by an act re-
storing the coinage ~ the country 20
the conditions established hy the sound
ness az the nation. and which continued
for over eighty years. without complaint
from any part OF our people Every
hours delay In 1ndoing the corrupt work
of Ernest Soyd and our foreign enemies
is an insult 10 the dignity of American
people. crushing burden on their pros
perity. and an attempt 10 place us again
under the yoke from which George
Washington and his conlpatriots res
cued us.
We protest against the financial policy
81 the United States being made de
pendent upon the opinion or politics OF
any foreign government and assert the
/ power OF this nation 10 stand on its own
feet and legislate for itself upon all suit
iects.
We assert that the only remedy for
pure metallic financial troubles il, To
open the mints u the nation 10 gold and
silver on the equal terms at the oli ratio
Of sixteen of silver To one of gold. When
ever silver bullion can be exchanged at
the mlnts for legal tender silver dollars
worth 100 cents. that moment 4lai
grains of standard silver will be- W,lrih
! Ice cents; and, as commerce egualizcs
the prices II all commodities throughout
the world. whenever il2i. grains of
standard silver are worth 100 cents IN
the United States they will be worth
that sum everywhere else. and cannot
tie bought for less. While ii will be
urged that such a result would enhance
the price of silver bullion il is sufficient
for us To know that similar case would
be immediately made IN the price Of
every kind of property except gold and
credits in the civilized world. Ii would
lie shallow. selfish class that would
deny ID the mining industries al the
cost ~ bankruptcy to the whole people.
The legislation % demonetize silver has
given unjust increase to the value of
/ gold al the cost 81 the prosperity of
mankind. Wheat and all other ilgrI-
cultural protYets have ridden aide 10y
/ side with silver.
3. That while the Sherman act 81 July
/ li. ls.p was aeyicc 81 the enemy 10
prevent the restoration ~ free coinage.
and is greatly objectionable bccaute II
{ continues the Practical exclusion of sil
( yer from the mints aud reduces IL from
I money metal io "A commercial com
4 modify. nevertheless it's repeal without
+ tile restoration d free coinage would
stop the expansion 81 our CURRENCY r..
quired by our growth IN population
and business. Widen still faIiher
+ the distance between the two
F precious metals. thus making the
return 10 hi-mctallsm more
diiiicult. greatly increase the purchasing
power II gold. still further break down
the price of the products n the farmer.
laborcr mechanic and the tradesinan.
and plunge still farther all commerce..
+ business and industry into such depths
~ wretchcdness ~ 90 endanger prace.
the preservation ot free institutions and
the very maintenance 81 cIvilizaiIofi. wc.
therefore. IN the name 81 the repubiic
and 81 humanity protest against TIC re-,
peal II the said act ~ july
IL. l-.0. except by an act
restoring free himetaiic coinage
as existed prior 10 1873 We suiHgest
that the maintenance ~ the hniet.
alism by the United States at the ratio
II l6 to /. Will Increase our commerce.
with all the silver r-using countries ~ the
world. comprising two thirds Of tho
world. without decreasing our commerce
with the nations which buy our raw
material. and will compel the adoption
II bimetailism by the nations u Europe
than any other means.
4. We assert that the unparalleled
calamities which now aiiiict tho Amer
lean people are not due io the so-t'alie,i
Sherman act of 1890 andin proof tlercdf
We call attention 10 the fact that tho
same evil conditions now prevail Ogtr All
tho gold standard world We are coii-
WINGED that bad as IL the state ~ affairs
in this country IL would have heen still
worse hut for the Sherman ast.
hv which the nation has obimucd to
aome extent an expanding circulation,
10 meet the demands n coniiusiht Ia
prt,cess n colonization. and tho hun-
neas eticencies e the most energetic
7 and induat rious race that has ever dweit
on the earth. and We inast upon the OK
ecutinx n the lzsss without evasion 81
F long a. IL j. upon the statute lsssa.s and
nf.au the purchase = the ful aimuunt
I II silver each month that - provi,ies for.
4 fn the end that the monthly addition -
E the circu aiing medium the law slscures
rhsli - maintained
s TIA, ~ Would cal tle attention n
! the f.s.srie D. the Tact thai Ia the tals.st
~ AZ .he troubles - the time The vlliue
fths national 0.lpd aud the uatsmal
legal tender money. whether made u
Rs.d silver ~ gapes has not faIsh
particle The aisifaet = noi ~ tie gov
afamsnt as - uiaue1 hsi e iiss bistks
xhiei4 have. ~ ~ teiiosr pSeeipitsAc3
iie present psnie en ihe rs.nnfr, ia "a
il bifisel effort g. efnffpl the sHiiisa -
q. ns'trss- 80 ths silver Question aiIt fhr
l-ssif - s.sniia ~ invite iht iasnksra -
attend g. iheif ls-i'imats tus4nsrf ahi
Ielnat tis frst q fbs Gle - l,svh 81 IL
fnH shefe in tse contal - she Rar4fu
neat a. lha ~ef Aty eia p hrh