The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-09-22
The wabblings of the Republican
Party On the silver Question.

Party On the silver Question.
When our national government was
first established We had no national
money, no gold or silver bullion out of
which to coin it. and no mints. The
only money Of the country at that time
was the stray coins Of foreign nations
that had intercourse with our people.
but none Of this was lawful money to
pay debts in the repnbiic. The col.st::t. s;tt:t.:. .
ton invested congress with the sole
power to coin money and determine the
value thereof. AS the imperative duty
rested on congress to furnish money to
the people to aid them in facilitating
their dealings. that body at once passed a
statute declaring what coins OF foreign
nations should be lawful money to pay
public and private debts, and the value
at which these coins should be received.
1t also settled upon and established the
standard unit of all measures. 1t took
up the Spanish silver dollar and estab-
liahed it's aneness to be the standardunit
OF all our coins. And this unit standard
of our monetary system remained undis.
tnrbed until the Republican party de
monetized our silver coin in 1873. This
decentralization overturned the entire
financial system established by our
fathers; destroyed over one half of the
coin money Of our country, and brought
the vast commercial transactions of our
people, which were then s30,0Oo,OOO,O0O
annually, to single gold base. This
was one OF the prime causes that has
produced our present national calamity.
The gold coin was SO limited in volume
that 1t was. and is today, in absolute
control Of II certain few money centers.
and these are able to determine its pur-
chasing power III all transaction of: our
citizens. From that day to this gold has
constantly appreciated in its purchasing
power, while nearly all the great leading
products of America have gradually de
preciated in value until at this time
their market price is hardly sufficient to
pay the actual cost Of the production.
That this demonctization was most
perfidious act and accomplished by
stealth, is evidenced by the fact that 1t
was many months after the act had pas
sed before the peopl. were aware of it,
and on its being known, an emphatic
protest went up all over the country, and
this protest was so pronounced that
Blaine, Grant, Garfield, Edmund and
other leading Republicans fell over each
other in their eagerness to wash their
hands Of the matter. They insisted that
the subject was not discussedin in congress
that it was slipped into the bill unknown
to the great mass OF the members, and
even Grant asserted that he did not know
that it was in the bill lie signed, ant
Blaine made an argument on constitu
tional grounds, holding that our fathers
had made silver coin constitutional
money. All parties denounced the act
in such strong terms that silver was
soon remonetized by the same party tina,
dem0netizcd it, but at the same time
provided for restricted coinage of thu
white metal. This restriction alse
proved very unsatisfactory to the people
Then again we see the same party rush
ing to put into it's platform, state and
national, up TO the administration Of
Harrison. plank III favor OF free coin
age of silver. Harrison himself wa.
elected upon such platform in 1883
But he and his administration soo
proved to be strongly in favor OF golt
standard and opposed to the free aud
unrestricted coinage of silver. So The
Sherman act Of 1890 for the MONTH,
purchase OF 100000 ounces of pur,
silver was passed for the express purp0s,
of defeating the Bland-Allison bill io
the free coinage OF silver. When Harri
son went back on his platform ant
championed the gold standard policy
from that day to this present time TIL
national Republican party has approve.
OF the same, and been opposed to the fire.,
and unrestricted coinage Of silver, ant
every little Republican statesman, with
q few exceptions, has shouted, "Itoo.
Well knowing that the sentiment In tll
west and south is prominently in favol
Of free and unlimited coinage OF silver
the Republicans in very few of tn
western states have also declared in thei
platforms in favor Of the same. By thi
they have no intention OF breaking witt
the Great Gold Party; bGt they have don
this simply for the purpose Of deceiviDl
the unsuspecting voter and of retaining
their place in power. For who does MOI
know that these same Republicans six
months ago were ridiculing, and hu,
been for years, the policy OF free coinage
aud tantalizing every free coinage either
with the remark, you'd make lollal
would you out of sixty-fve cent silver?'
And who does not know that the Harrl
son Republican party and the CLEVELAND
Democratic party are both thorough!
committed to the gold standard theory
aud opposed to the free and unlimited
coinage of silver? They would use boil
metals il every other prominent com
mercial nation would do the same on All
agreed ratio; but their gold should be tl,t
standard unit and no silver coined ex
cept what could be redeemed in gold
In other words, silver should te the basel
coin and take the same place as paper
money The record Of the Republican
party on tho silver question is anything
but honorable. 1t Grst demonetiZed OIL
silver coin; then. when the people mani
tested their displeasure, N order TO re
tain its political domination, the part!
remOnetized it, but at the same tim,
entered upon scheme in restricting it,
coinage 50 that it might practically ac
complish demonetizaticn by in irecti0n
And il has pursued this cOur to thi
hour, Notwithstanding it has put fre'
coinaoa In its national uln1 for N Onlv Ii