The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-04

Secretary Carlisle, when IN congress.
spoke and voted for free coinage Of silver
again and again, and at the beginning Of
his services Of secretary Of the treasury he
almost brought the country to silver
basis By threatening to make treasury pay
menfs 10 silver regardless Of the wishes OF
the payees. He was charged with being .
wonld-be compromissr on the subject Of
silver purchase repeal.
In his recent speech before the Chamber
Of Commerce Secretary Carlisle shows that
he has been converted by events TO the
philosophy and speech Of sound finance,
for he declared that the single gold stand
ard was de (acfo the standard OF the civil
lied world, and hence It ought to be and
must be our standard. He said that the
government was bound to keep every kind
of money that bore its stamp at par with
gold. and that be, as secretary. would per-
form this duty as long as he had any gold
to do IL with.
Among other things Secretary Carlisle
said:
'Gentlemen, the question whether the
obligations OF the United States Will b
paid in coin current in al the markets in
the world has already been settled. and il
has, In my opinion, been settled for all
time to come. IL has been settled, not
by any specific act Of congress,
prescribing the exact mode Of pay
Tnent. bat by the spirit and obvious
purpose Of the whole body of existing leg
isIation upon the subject. and by the de-
liberate judgment Of the American people
and fha dArlarsd v.trrrnsa rf fhasa N no
have been intrusted with the execution Of
the laws. The disposition and ability Of
the government to maintain its own credit
at the highest possible standard and TO
preserve the integrity OF all the forms Of
currency in circulation among the people
cannot be reasonably doubted, and ought
not TO be subjects of serious controversy
hereafter"
This speech of an able, honest lawyer,
who once made speeches for free silver
and for the Bland bill Is reasonable assur-
snce that '.the free silver bug" is forever
out Of the national bonnet We shall
have free silver bills introduced again,
but they will die q natural death. Mr..
Carlisle said that We of course should
continue to use silver as money to the
largest extent consistent with the stabil-
isy Of our currency and the preservation
OF the public faith, that Is, the mainte-
nance of the gold standard. We have to-
day 4is.ooo. 900 of silver dollars: lao. COO. 600
ounces Of silver bullion. and SIC. 0o0. 600 of
subsidiary silver coin. Among other
things Secretary Carlisle said:
/. "The government stamp attesting its
weight and fincness adds nothing to its
real value. A national stock OF real
money. Of international money that is
good everywhere. Is its uncoined bullion
and the bullion value Of its coins.
So far from believing in a double
standard Secretary Carlisle says
he has never been able to under
stand what IL meant by double standard.
In bis view of the case it cannot exist. Ii
il were possible TO have two standards or
measures OF different values one must be
n false measure. II il were possible to
keep the silver and gold dollars at pre-
cisely the same value there would be, in
his conception. one standard and unit for
the measure of value"
This is all sound, aud the wonder 10 that
such man could ever have been befogged
by the delusion of free silver.