Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-20

ton against either metal, but demand
ed that the two dollars should be OF
equal intrinsic or exchangeable value:
therefore the platform and letter car
be jointly and fairly interpreted as
equivalent to declaration in favor oi
a change of ratio, unless by interna-
tional agreement the parity of the two
dollars be maintained on the present lie.
gal ratio, sixteen grains of silver to one
of gold.
Since the complete triumph OF the
democratic party in the United States
by the election of Mr.. Cleveland and a
majority of the members of both ho1Sss
of congress new and unexpected com
plications have been added to this seri-
Gus problem.
The adverse effect of the Mckinley
law on our international trade balance
and the operation of the Sherman bull
lion purchase act have placed the gold
reserve of the Treasury in easy reach
of the gold grabbing European coun-
tries.
British India, the one country in the
World, with the exception of Mexico,
the minis of which have continued
open for the coinage of silver without
limitation, has recently, for self-protec-
ton, decided to close her mints to 1.-the
coinage of silver on private account.
The immediate and pronounced effect
of that decision in the lowering of the
price of silver bullion emphasizes the
necessity for international agreement
and support to maintain the present ra-
ito, or a change of ratio, before the
mints of the United States can be safe
ly opened to the free and unlimited
coinage of silver.
Our citizens are not so much inter
ested in whether the ratio is sixteen or
twenty grains of silver to one of gold
as they are that silver shall be made
equally with gold a money of final pay
ment for debts and of equal and inter
changeable value with gold.
The people having been expensively
schooled to realization of the mis-
chievous and dangerous character OF
republican economic legislation, have
requested, and Mr.. Cleveland has call
ed congress in session August 7, when
the Sherman law should be Immediate
ly repealed and the Mckinley tariff
laws be judiciously revised in the inter
est of freer trade between the United
States and the nations of TIE word.
Congress should outline such sub
stitute for the Sherman act as the
president will approve and submit it
for the modification or approval of the
representatives of the countries parties
to the Brussels international monetary
conference, which should be reconven-
ed for that purpose. limo satisfactory
international agreement can be reached
fixing silver's place in the currency OF
the world, then, and not till then, un-
der the conditions that confront US,
should our present ratio be changed
and our mints opened to the free coin.
age of silver.
The president and the representa-
tives of his party in congress must
implicitly trust each other. Let con-
gress obey the commands of the peo-
pie by repeating the Sherman act, be-
ing careful to protect the usefulness OF
silver coin and currency based on such
coin and bullion by not impairing their
legal tender qualities.
The people will trust Mr.. Cleveland
for the fulhllment, at the proper time.
of every pledge he has made them.
Respectfully,
S. F. NEELY.