The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1893-08-12

is IS maintain such parity in fcl)4
me amount of silver increasing atI
rate of $50, 900, 600 yearly, with no fixed
termination to such increase, it can hard
ly be said that problem is presented
whose solution is free from doubt. The
people Of the United States are entitled
to a sound, stable currency, and to
money recognized as such on every ex-
change and in every market Of the world.
Their government has no right to injure
them b. financial experiments opposed
to the policy and practice OF other civil
lied states, nor is it justified i'll permit
ting an exaggerated and unreasonable re-
lance on our national strength and ability
to jeopardize the soundness of the peo-
pies money.
ABOVE THE PLANE OF POLITICS.
This matter rises above the plane of
party politics. 1t vitality concerns every
business and calling and enters every
household in the land There is one inn
portant aspect of the subject which es-
pecially should never be overlooked. At
a time like the present, when the evils OF
unsound finance threaten US, the specu-
lator may anticipate the harvest gathered
from the misfortune of others; the Capl-
talist may protect himself by boarding or
may even find a profit in the tiuctuatlon
of values; but the wage earner-the hrSt
to be injured by deprecated currency
and the last to receive the beneht OF Its
correction i is practically defenseless.
He relies for work upon the ventures of
confident and contented capital. This
failing him, his condition is without allie
Walton, for he can neither prey on the
misfortuneS of others nor hoard his labor.
One of the greatest statesmen our coun-
try has known, speaking more than nifty
years ago when the arrangement OF cur
rency had caused a commercial distress,
said: "The very man of all others who
has the deepest interest in sound cur
rencv and suffers by mischievous legisla-
ton in monetary matters is the man who
earns his daily bread by his daily toll. ?"
These words are as pertinent now as on
the dav they were uttered and ought to
impressively remind us that failure in
the discharge of our duty at this time
must especially injure those of our coun-
trynen who labor, and who, because of
their number, are entitled to the most
watchful care of their government.
THE RELIEF MUST BE QUICK.
1t is of the utmost importance that
such relief as congress can afford in the
existing situation be given at once. The
maxim that he gives twice who gives
quickly" is directly applicable. 1t may
be true the embarrasSmentS from which
the business of the country is suffering
arises as much from the evils apprehend-
ed as from those actually existing. We
may hope, too, that calm counsels will
prevail, and that neither capitalists nor
wage-earners will give way to an unreas-
oning panic, and sacrifice their property
| or their interests under the influence of
| exaggerated fears. Nevertheless, every
| days delay in removing one of the plain
and principal causes of the present state
of things enlarges the mischief already
done and increases the responsibility Of
the government for its existence. What
ever else the people have right to ex-
pect from congress, they may certainly
demand that the legislation condemned
by an ordeal of three years disastrous
experience shall be removed from the
statute books as soon as their represen-
tatives can legitimately deal with it.
QUESTION OF TARIFF REFORM.
1t was my purpose to summon con-
gress in special session early in the COM
ing September that we might enter
promptly upon the work of tariff reform.
which the true interests of the country so
clearly demand, which so large a major
ity of the people as shown by their suff-
RACES desire and expect, and to the ac-
complishment of which every effort of the
present administration is pledged. But
while tariff reform has lost nothing of its
immediate and permanent importance,
and must in the near future engage the
attention of congress, it has seemed to
me that the financial condition of the
country should at once and before all
other subjects be considered by your
honorable BODY
A REPEAL RECOMMENDED.
I earnestly recommend the prompt re-
peal the act passed July ID, 1890. au-
thorizing the purchase of silver bullion,
and that other legislative action may put
beyond all doubt or mistake the intention
and ability of the government to fulfill its
pecuniary obligations in money univer-
sally recognized by all civilized countries.
GROVER CLEVELAND.