The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-03
PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
Platform Upon Which the Silver
Fighters Will Stand.

fIyntefS VIII Stan0.
CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-The committee on
resolutions submitted long report The
preamble recites that bimetalism is as
ancient as human history, for more than
5000 years gold ard silver came down
through the ages hand in hand, their re-
lations having varied but few points in
all that time, and then almost invariably
through legislation that both metals were
named together and indissolubly united
in the constitution Of the United States as
the money basis OF this country; that in
1873. without the previous demand Of any
political party or any part OF the people.
and without public discussion, silver was
stricken from the place it had occupied
since the days of Abraham and Pharaoh
under circumstances of such secrecy that
A. G. Thurman. W. NJ. Stewart, B. w.
VOORHEES,. j. G. Blaine Chen Speaker of
the Housed, j. A. Garfield and other men,
bers of Congress voting for the bill SUBJ
seQuently publicly declared they did not
know until long afterward that so great
change had been made in the financial sys-
tenn; that the debates in Congress show
the measure was partly ascribed to one
Ernest Seyd. a London banker. who, it is
claimed. was sent to Washington BY the
moneyed classes of the Old World to Sc
cure its passage by secret and corrupt
means; that President Grant, who signed
the bill. declared long subsequently that
he did not know it GemOnetlZed silver :;
that the object of this attack on silver was
to double the purchasing power of gold.
thus reducing the price of all commodi-
ties. arresting enterprise, impoverishing
the toiler and degrading mankind; that
the awful consequences of this act are now
upon the whole world.
We stand in tho midst of unpara lleled
distress, in the shadow of impending
calamities beyond estimate. The ruling
industry OF the people who inhabit one
third of the area Of this republic has been
stricken down; property values destroyed,
wOrkmen compelled to fly as from pesti-
lence. Every where honest toilers num-
bering hundreds of thousands are thrown
! out of employment to eat the bread Of
charity or starve; the products of indus
tries from the workshop are deprecated in
price until production ceases to be profita-
bic; the money OF the country. Inadequate
for the business of the land. has gravitated
to the banks. while the people, distrusting
the banks. demand their deposits to hoard
or hide: mercantile houses are going to
the wall by the thousands because the
masses have not means to buy even the
necessaries of life.
| The movement of the great crops now
being gathered demands vast amount Of
currency which the banks are unable to
furnish. In the midst Of these conditions
the daily press is clamoring for the repeal
1 SbA h. Oh
means the stoppage OF the issue of more
than S3.0O0.000 Of money every month,
| ignoring the fact that to hold the balance
level between the debtor and the creditor
| factions the supply of currency must in
crease with the increased population and
business. The proper growth VI the popu-
lation Is 33 per cent every ten years. The
| increase of business is much greater.
The preamble then quotes at length from
the utteraDces of James G. Blaine, Daniel
Webster and Secretary Carlisle in favor Of
bimetalic currency, and from John
Sherman on the dangers of monetary con-
traction.
The resolutions then say: There must
DE no compromise of this question. All
legislation demonetiziDg silver and re-
strirtng the coinage thereof must be inn
mediately and completely repealed by an
act restoring the coinage OF the country to
the conditions established by the founders
| of the nation, which continued over eighty
years without complaint of any part Of our
people.
Every hours delay in undong tile cor
rupt work Of Ernest Seyd and our foreign
enemies is an insult to the dignity Of the
American people. crushing burden on
their prosperity and an attempt to place
us again under the yoke from which
George Washington and his compatriots
rescued us.
We protest against the finan cial policy
of the United States being made depen.
| dent upon the opinion or the policies of
| any foreign Government. and assert
the power of this nation to stand on its
own feet and legslate for itself upon all
subjects.
We assert the only remedy for purely
metallic financial troubles is to open the
mints of the nation to gold and silver on
equal terms at the old ratio of sixteen Of
silver to one of gold. Whenever silver
bullion can be exchanged at the minis for
legal tender silver dollars, worth 100 cents.
that moment 4l2R grains standard silver
will be worth 100 cents. and. as commerce
equalizes the prices of all commodities
throughout the world. whenever 412%
grains standard silver is worth 100 cents
in the United States they will be worth
that everywhere else and cannot bo bought
for less.
While it may be urged that such results
would enhance the price Of silver bullion
1t Is sufficient for us to know that similar
advance will be made In the price of every
kind of property except gold and credit in
tho civilized world. and it would be a
shallow. selfish class that would deny that
10 the mining industries at the cost of bank
ruptcy to the whole people.
| Legislation to demOnetize silver has
given an unjust increase to the value Of
gold at the cost of the prosperity of man.
kind, wheat and all other agricultural
products which have ridden side by side
with silver. While the Sherman act of
July IA, 1890. was tho device of the enemy
to prevent the restoration of free coinage,
ana is greatly Objectionable because it con-
tinurs the practical exclusion of silver
| from the mints and reduces it from
money metal to commercial commodity,
| IL, mi &l,