The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-09-20

SPEECH BY M,CLEA]RY Y.
CAMPAIGN OPENED IN THE SECOND
DISTRICT.
4Ehe Portion of His Pipestone Speech
Devoted to the Silver Question.
Review of Monetary Legislation
in the United states-Many q False
Theory Exploded.
Following IS the main portion of the
speech wEerewith Congressman j. T. Nc
Cleary opened his campaign in the Second
district at Pipestone Saturday evening:
j It is a sober thing to be an American citi-
zen, especially during the weeks preceding
a ger eral election. In this country, where
every voter is sovereign, every right
minded man should ponder with care how
he shall cast his ballot on election day. It
is entirely proper that for weeks preceding
1t should receive large share of his alton
ton. The presence here tonight Of THIS
large audience shows that you are alive to
your uuCY IN the matter. LOU nave Guile, !
trust and believe. not to accept nor to re-
ject what is sid, hut to weigh it calmly
and decide righteously. I have an abiding
| faith in the intelligence and integrity of
/ our people. Though sometimes swayed by
passions and moved by preJudices, our sober
/! second thought is to do the exactly right.
{ thing as near as finite man can ascertain it.
/ This is the foundation thought upon which
! the structures Of our government Is reared.
+, This fact imposes upon public speakers a
| solemn duty.
! These meetings may be likened to those Of
the stockholders of a great corporation who
have met for the purpose of hearing the re-
ports of the preceding year and of deter
mining the policy and choosing the direct
ors for the coming year. The man who at
such time wilfully conceals a portion of
the truth is a coward, and he who inten-
tionally prevaricates is criminal.
The questions at issue are chiefly two
Behind all of the Populist party lies the
question of the means whereby to carry
them into execution. Our differences with
the Populists, therefore, are chiefly over the
nature and supply of money. With the
Democratic party our contention is over the
question Of how most wisely to raise the
large sums of money needed annually for
the support Of the government In the di-
vision of work this evening the discussion
Of the tariff falls to my distinguished friend,
Hon. S. G.. Comstock of Moorhead while
the discussion of the money question falls
to me.
The Silver Question.
There is one quality which characterizes
our Popuist friends in pre-eminent degree
They are explicit in statement and courage
Gus in uttcrance. In relation to silver their
f, demand is for the ''free and unlimited coin
age at the ratio of 16 to IL And in sup
port of their demand they declare that this
ratio was maintained for centuries unnum
bered; that a crime was committed against
silver in 1878; that to adopt the ratio Of
16 to l, with free and unlimited coinage
would restore the value of silver. would en-
large the currency and would enhance tn,
/ price of farm products and the wages pait
, ! to labor. They claim that the United States
acting alone, can settle this question in tn
way that they propose, and they appeal Il
our strong national pride to undertake it.
If the claims upon which our Populis
friends rest their case were true, if even
t large portion Of them were true, there wcu
. probably be no difference of opinion anlon
US as to the propriety and wisdom Of doin
as they suggest. But, ladies and gentlemen
l. among all these claims there is not one tina
: Is true.
8 In recent issue of a Populist organ pub
lished in this state find statement Xix
! this: Speaking of the purchase by Abraham
Il of the field of Ephron for 400 shekels o
| silver, the paper, after commenting uDO
}, this as an illustration Of the ancient use
q silver money. added this statement: "Ye:
:. and even in those days the ratio betwee
- silver and gold was 16 to L. This is
" fair sample Of the utterly reckless state
J, ments made by the editor of that pape
n How does he know that gold was used
J. all at that time? There is no account
!, Its use then anywhere in literature. I'll
= first time that we hear of silver and go]
J. being used jointly the ratio was 3 to 1.
! Not only is it not true that the ancie1
= ratio between gold and silver was l to i
a has been the ratio in the United States
In any other country so far as have bee
g able to learn after years Of study. o.
ratio was fixed at Is to i, which was Il
e closest. approximation to the actual rat
ID that the information at hand would fu
le In the following year-17!s-the CONNIE
is cial ratio was exactly - to l. But fro
Is that time to this silver has never had
had fallen to 1887, in 1893 to 1870 and f
e the next forty years the ratio was a go'
deal nearer Is to l than 10 to l.
- What Was the Result:
d If a farmer should bring a case Of eg
ID to town, and should learn at one store
10 could get II cents a dozen for them, VIII
10 at another he could get only II, is the
re any doubt, o.her things being equal, viii
p store he would take his eggs to?
II d farmer who has 1000 bushels of be
he ley to sell is about equally convenient.
1e two markets, half a cent a bushel, 9th
things being equal, will determine his choi
Is Df markets. If he had thousands of poun
as Of wool to sell under the same circu
stances, a quarter of a cent per pound
= less would be sufficient to determine t
h | place where he would sell.
Of And so it is with everything markctab
VI including gold and silver. Each natura
ng goes where it is most highly appreciated.
ne the producer Of gold or silver can get me
~ for his product In the market than he c
it, at the mint, that is, if it will sell for M
as bullion than it will bring as coin at !
II country ether than his own furnish
zie him bettes market than he can find
~ aome, he will send his product there. T.
~ Is law or human nature implanted
re- every human being, written in the fb
m pf the human soul by him In whom there
:, - no shadow Of turning, whose laws, like hi
N self, are ''the same yesterday, to-day q
of forever This is law which no law
- songress can abrogate Or change.
IN Let us apply It to The situation near
| a beginning Of this century. The legal ra
nj between silver and gold was fixed in II
'u6 as said before, at IS to 1; that is, at
ed mint of the United States fifteen ounces