The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-02-20
PROVO CITY. FEB. 20. 1884,
THE SILVER QUESTION.

TwentY-one years since the produc-
tiYe energies of the UIited States re-
ceived staggering blow, when like
thief in the night the fiend of demoue-
tization succeeded in reversing the
policy of the ages by clutching the
crown of equality from the brow of
silver. Few men then understood the
gravity of the blow with which our in
dustries were stricken. AS time went
slowly on the full nature Of the fell
work of the republican party IN its
malign energy began to be apparent.
Then commenced the system of make
shift legislation to let the good old
money of civilization ''down easy"
Not one of these measures was adequate,
No one believed they were, and while
the price of silver was measurably kept
up to the paving point the masses of
the people were not alarmed. Yet all
this while the intelligent, observing
and weary were losing confidence, not
only in the stability of our financial
system, but IN the actual money by
which the commerce of a great nation
staggered on. The merest tyro in
trade, in commerce or in finance will
tell you that the withdrawal of conf
dence is the most serious blow COM
merce, agriculture or manufacture can
receive. This great truth is evolved by
the situation today. 1t is lack of con-
fidence in the sufficiency of the worlds
stock of the money Of ultimate re-
demption to which is chargeable the
present dire depression. How then
can it be metz Simply and only,
in our judgment, by returning
to the point lwhere the first great
mistake was made, and there applying
the one only possible remedy; that is by
placing the finances just where they
were in '73 a nd prior.
The best Thought, of this natl on,
ayel of civilization, has been at work
on this very problem now for twenty |
one long years and the concensus of |
the opinions overlaid by this long
period of honest labor is that the ca use
of depression is lack of confidence, and |
lack of confidence is produced by the
manifest insufficiency of worlds sup
ply of money, as we haYe said. So 1t
turns out that any plan which does not
the restoration of silver
does not and connot reach the seat of
the blight which is now resting upon
The production energies of the country,
not only this country but of the entire
covilized world as well.
Ex-Governor Adams OF Colorado is
out in neat little pamphlet strongly
the postal savings policy,
and tn e keeping of our bonds at home,
by the policy of issuing the bonds OF
.he nations in small amounts and en-
our own people to invest in
hem. This is all well enough. 1t
,ould not be successfully assailed were j
silver in this exact position it was prior /
10 '73. This would then be the prac a
tical copying of the French system
# finance and it would have
he same effect here as it has had in :,
rance. Restore confidence. If the D
overnment needs to borrow money G
9t it borrow from its own 2
'Illing people. In this way make I
ach American citizen who is one .
undred dollars ahead partner in the = =
Oyernmenu and interested to that ex. =.
snt in sustaining both the credit of
he government and confidence in its
oility and integrity to pay when pa.
er natures. This is all that is needed. 9;
bis we do need, and this we must &C
aye ere prosperity returns again in b
ii force to our once happy land. ~ ~
Il,