People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-05-12
TIMELY AND TRUE.
The Pernicious Fallacy Called Metalllsm
Is the Corner Stone of the Temple of the
Money Power.

In It's issue OF April 9Th, the National
Waterman proposes the following de
mands ''as the paramount issue for the
coming election, and to this invites
criticism"
I've demand the free and unlimited
coinage of gold and silver at the pres
ent ratio of IS to 1.
I'VE demand that this amount of
gold and silver shall be supplemented
with full legal tender paper money in
sufficient volume to maintain equitable
prices.
1--WE demand that all money shall be
issued by the government direct to the
people, and that all money so issued
shall be full legal tender for all debts,
private or public"
Commenting further upon the plat
form the National Waterman says:
Every member Of the peoples party
believes in absolute free coinage, and
will be content with nothing less"
Then it directly goes on to say: AT
the same time, they look upon all
metallic money as relic of barbarism,
and favor a full legal tender paper
money, issued by the government di-
rect" Isn't this rather contradictory?
How can they look upon ''all metallic
money as a relic of barbarism," and at
the same time not only advocate its
use but place at the head of their de-
mands clause favoring the free coin
age of both gold and silver?
We are sorry to see the Waterman
take this stand. We are sorry to see
such weak plank as the above pro-
posed as substitute for the far better
and strong one upon which the peoples
party so CALAMITY fought its first bat
tie. This is retrogression. If any
change is to be made let it be one of
advancement and improvement.
The free coinage of silver, "a relic of
barbarism,' placed at the head as the
leading issue. Ball. ...
If metallic money is a relic of bar
barism, away with it. If paper money
is the best-as it is-then place it at
the head and demand that both gold
and silver shall be demonetized. The
editor of the Waterman is mistaken in
saying that every member Of the peO-
pies party believes in absolute free
coinage" Nearly all with whom we
have conversed believe that both gold
and silver should be discarded as money.
Not only that, but in trying to win
over converts we find this same silver
plank the greatest stumbling block.
When we advocate that government is
sue money direct to the people these
outsiders cannot see why we should ia
vor granting the special privilege of
the money stamp to only two classes of
citizens-the silver mine owner and the
gold mine owner-and deny that priv.
lege TO all other producers of wealth.
If money is the fat of the government
they ask, and very pertinently, why
should such costly material as gold and
silver be selected to carry the fiat?
Again, they fail to see in what way it
would aid in solving this great labor
question to give silver free coinage
They will point you to the years previ-
Gus to 1913 and show that this labor
question was then up for solution.
They will point to hard times and low
prices at different periods in the coun-
try's history previous to 70. Having
secured the free coinage of silver, would
not the silver men oppose the issue of
legal-tender paper money as strenu-
ously as the gold men do now? The
free coinage having been obtained we
doubt very much If the balance of our
demands wilhbe more easily secured.
We must also criticise this new plat
form Of the Waterman for leaving out
the land and the transportation planks
These rank but little less in Importance
shan the money plank.
Our country is dying of deep seated
disease. which free silver poultice can
never cure.
The money question is at the root of
the trouble, and should be kept to the
front. but at the same time it should
be rightly understood and correctly
stated.
Here is the money plank which we
should like to see placed at the head:
Gold and silver to be demonetized, and
paper money issued by the government
direct to the people without the inter-
veLtion of national banks, in payment
of services rendered and material fur
nished the government.
Go before the country with a plank
! like this and the issue between the
money power and the people is clearly
drawn. A vital principle is to be estab-
lished-the principle that government,
and government alone, has the power
to issue money, that it has the power
to make money for itself and for the
whole people and not for few favored
classes of people, as the gold men, the
silver men and the bankers.
The discussion of such plank will
thoroughly educate the masses regard
ing the true nature and functions of
money and prepare the way for a
grand, but peaceful revolution at the
ballot box.
The tendency of all parties as soon as
they get into power is to crystalize and
cease TO advance and grasp new issues.
Let us hope the peoples party may not
crystalize before it comes into power.
1t will be far better to spend four or
even eight years educating the people
so that when new party does assume
power it will be prepared to carry out
some radical reform measures, than it
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