The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-11-11
DEMOCRAT MATTERS.


tween every two vicws of practical leg
islation.
Unless the world has grown wise
faster than 10 appears to have done.
there ig no reason for departure from
principles apparently wen Gcttlcd in
The last generation
Twenty years before the war the
American people discovered that bad
bank money was one of the surcst
ways of cheating and expressing the
masses So thev declared for hard
money.
They found that n protective tariff
taxed heavily and restricted the trade
of the staple producing states. So they
declared la favor OF tariff for revenue
only.
They found that the mcddling of
centralized government with local in
tercsts and habits produced friction,
trouble and evil So they declared for
non-intcriercnc-.
They found that uiviug out special
privileges by legislation Immediately
became corruption. plutocracy and in
justice. So they declared against spec
ial privileges.
Every tangible evil of the present is
directly tlaceablc Co a departure from
those principl ,e or to an imperfect APP
plication of them TO practical condi-
tions.
Then the simplest and most effective
remedy is to pass no law which does
not apply the approved principles. and
leave none unrepealed which violates
them.
Hard money is gold and silver coin
and paper redecmablo in such
coin. Hard money is property, and
ought TO bc the only property of final
redemption-the only standard of pri-
ces and deferred payments. Anything
else is liable to swiudle the common
people. The government cannot gratui-
tousiy furnish individual citizens with
money and ought never to be guilty
Of pretending that it can. Money is
private property. Tho government
only guarantees its quality and
weight.
Gold and silver have been the accep-
ted money. They are still. The ques-
ton is whether silver is TO be a
standard money or "a token
money. No civilized nation talks
of stopping the use of silver England
never did.
The people believe that gold is too
scarce to be a safe single standard. 1t
gets too powerful and is too paniclly.
And they are right
But 10 takes a long wandering from
the path of safe mon. TO suppose that
hati0n cam create value for the
whole stock of silver or the whole
stock of gold AN tbl nations can, but
one cannot. Ono uru ascertain condi-
tions and make fits money standard suit
its convenience: and that is what the
United States can do. II cannot make
an ounce of silver equal TO an ounce of
gold I'm value. Therefore it cannot
make iG ounces equal to one ounce of
gold unless the conditions justify the
attempt
Hold fast 90 the first principle that
any kind OF bad money is morally cer-
tain to swindic the common people,
And TO the other trs, principle that q
scarce and approaching money is sure
TO cheat the prOduccrs of staple crops.
Then we get a' once to a bimctallic
currency, and TO- one based on actual
values We get away from sherman
acts and French systems. and ali bOtches
| and cowardly malyeshifts. We get
away from the wildcat banking that
| Missouri condemned 10y refusing the
( privilege oi money issue TO banks. We
get away from the protective practice
of buying bullion, not TO liN the peo-
ple'a money standard. but to give a
| market TO a particular set of capital
lists,
The money question like the tariff
and most other questions, is woefully
! confused by the notions Of the govern
mcnt being able and bound TO guar
/ autee this interest and that interest
/ against loss and trouble. In the first
/ place the government could not, if il
! were sanity IN intent and solomon like
| I'm wisdom. I'm tho second place tho
! federal government is nothing but q
| president. judiciary a house of rep
| reseutativcs and % senate, composed ol
! men who are like the rest of us-morC
| or less selfish more or less ignorant
| more or less careless. and more or less
| susceptible to Influences. The more il
! nbstains from fooling with the money
! question the better money the peopl,
win havo.
Why cannot the people have golC
and silver coin rs money and be don,
with the nchings, shalings and feveri
of the money question?
And why cannot they have a tariff
| fOr revenue And why cannot this ag
! gregution of men called the govern
| mcnt be limited To the affairs which
the people may protitably surrender L
such central agency?
And why cannot strong current o
| Democratic air be forced through tn,
murkiuese and miasma of Washington
10 would end tlo sherman net debat,
and the tariff hearings IT would pas
I the nou-intertercnce bill, called tn,
Tucker bill, iu both houses II twoul,
let the people breathe freel. and g
| publie