The western sentinel., 1893-08-31
HON. THOMAS SETTLE.
Extracts from His Speech in Congress
Last Week

aWe are not welded to the free
coinage of silver. That is but one
way suggested to increase the cur
rency. Our demand is for an increase
of the currency, and, as a Republican
from the State OF North Carolina,
voice the sentiment of the Republi-
cans of that State when l say I am
not willing that there shall be any
increase of the currency that does
not increase it with sound and good
money-money that is equal in debt
paying and purchasing. power in
Maine and in Florida, on the shores
of the Atlantic and on the shores
of the Pacific. In every part of this
country of ours must that money
which increases the circulation be
equally good and sound-not money
which is shaved and discounted when
it cfos ses a State line.
81 do not agree with those gentle
men who say that vote for the un
conditional repeal of the Sherman
silver law now means the establish
ment of a single standard in this
country. l believe that under exist
ing conditions it is wholly impracti-
cable to coin the worlds silver at
any of the ratios suggested by the
gentleman from Missouri without
utterly revolutionizing our financial
system and, instead of blessing,
cursing the agricultural and labor
ing classes of our people.
81 listened to the gentlemen from
Colorado, think it was, as he spoke
advancing the ideas of his party, the
POpulists, when he said that, in COM
parison, this question of finance
lowered above the tariff question:;
that Wall street had it's fingers on
the throat of this country and was
tightening it's grasp: that W all streets
power over money and men was
without limit, and they were in touch
with the Executive of the country in
favor of single gold standard. /
could not help thinking, when listen
ing 80 him, that if all that were true
we may reasonably conclude that
with the immense power attributed
to the street Wall street might at
least control the State of New York.
vention at Chicago New York stood
solidly opposed to the President
throughout all of the ballots? If it's
interests are SO selfish as they claim,
ifit has no heart that sympathizes
with tie masses of the people, why
should we find the influence of that
street steadily opposing the nomina-
tion of the President? 1t simply
carries to my mind this fact. that
| the argument advanced in favor OF
the free coinage of silver is an algu-
ment like the straws at Which drown
| ing men are said to catch.
Nov, sir. in the limited time
| allotted to me to express my views
on this pending question I can say
| but little else l wish it to be dis.
tinctly understood thatI am in favor
of bimetallism. am not in favor ot
striking down silver entirely as
money in this country, but l stand
now, as l stood during the last cam.
paign before my constituents, un
alterably opposed to the free coinage
of the worlds silver in the absence O
an international agreement fixing
the parity between the two metals.
| 81 stand now, as said then, un
alterably opposed to the imitation o
the currency of this country with 6
fiuctuating and changeable money
believing that in that position l an
on the side of the business interests
of the country, and also on the side
of the toiling, laboring masses of oul
country. Because, Mr.. Speaker, the
laboriDg masses above all Others
need fixed, permanent, and stable
| currency"