Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-07-28
VANCE ON SILVER.
HIS REMARKADLY STRONG LETTER TO
THE ALLIANCE.

THE ALLIANCE.
AsHEvILLE, N. G, July 22,-Sena
tor Vance has written the following
letter, which is published today:
GoMgRooN, NEAR BLACK MoUNTA1N, n. g.
July %, 1898.
R. ". Elliot, Esq, Secretary 1ucch,
lcn6arg County -1Uiance
Sir have received a copy of the
resolution of Mecklonburg Alliance,
adopted at recent meeting, urging
Senators aud Representatives to
stand by the present silver purchus-
ing law until some satisfactory sub
stitute shall be adopted.
l observe this action with great
pleasure for two reasons: In tue first
place, it is the exercise of one of the
most valuable and legitimate func
tions by which the alliance can be
,nnde to subserve the interest of the
farmers-the concentration of their
whole influence upon the issues of
the day. In view of the notorious
fact of combinations among the 9th
er branches of industry and in every
form of capital, 1 years ago urged
upon our agricultural classes the i'm.
portance of such organizations as
would enable them to make their
vast but widely scattered aud dis.
jointed strength felt promptly aud
efficiently i'll Legislation. Now, the
preservation OF silver ss part of our
currency is one of the most vital of
all the issues which our poopls have
been called upon to decide for half u
century.
WONDERFUL sAGACITY.
The enemies of silver money have
displayed wonderful sagncity in their
tactics. Though scattered through.
out the civilized world they have
obeyed single voice from headuunr-
ters in London. From New York
the word comes down the limo to all
American capital and tile response is
Immediate. What ia known us the
Sherman law is the only legislation
on our statute books which binds us
to the use of silver, and The cry is
raised for its repeal under various
pretences, all equally false. The
bands, stockholders, bondholders.
chambers of commerce CT iG on,,.e
genus for it's repeal and urge the call
ing of an extra session Of Congress
to assemble and sit during the dog
days for that purpose alone. Tariff
repeal, which formed the chief issue
of the past campaign, is thrust 10 the
rear aud the interest of capital is
placed i'll trout to he dealt with un
der tho demorulizing condition of n
fraudulent panic created by en- pital
itself aud called by MIR. Ingersoll
'the bankers panic
FIRST ALLIANCE UTrEEANcEs.
Under these alarming circum-
stances have listened, and mostly
i'll vain, for the voice OF the Farmers
Alliance sounding their opinions und
wishes aud of those they represent,
composing fully one half of the IN.
tion, giving the feeble and vacilla5
ing among politicians to understand
whrt they had to expect if they be.
troyed the peoples cause on this
great financial question. The action
of your alliance is the first official ut
teranco on the subject L hive seen in
the State. 1t was time your order
was bringing every atom of its inllu-
ence to bear. 1t should use every
means possible to let 1t be known
that there is yet another aud entirely
different world in the fields and
homes of toll, whose interests de.
maEd attention as well as that com
bination of moneydealers. stockbrok-
ers, gamblers and spectators, who
assume for themselves 10 constitute
the "business interests Of the land.
The effect OF this prompt end united
action cannot possibly be doubted.
CONQUERED WITH HIS dwN.
In the next place I was glad to
read the resolution of your alliance,
because they concuwed with my own
most serious convictions. Many
years ago, after us thorough and i'm
partial examination of the question
as was capable of malsins, came
to the absolute conclusion that the
use of silver as well as gold, on equal
terms, as the basis of our currency
was best for the welfare of the peo
pie of the United States. This view
has governed my course in Congress.
The fact that nature sometimes yield
ed more of one metal than of the
other, thus causing discrepancy in
their intrinsic values, did not disturb
me, for l learned from history that
for nearly three hundred years, dur
ing which ratio between tho two
metals was fixed by laws. the fuctua
tions in intrinsic value had mover ex
ceedod 81 per cent, and that soon
after that law was withdrawn great
and material fluctuations immediate.
ly began, which will doubtless con
tinue so long as we treat one metal
as of fixed and standard value and
the other as commodity. It is not