The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-08
A GREAT FRAUD.
HOW 1T is BEING WORKED.
The Destruction of Silver Under
Color of Supporting 1t.
Shameful Tricks of Words.

One of the most disgraceful features
of the present political campaign in
this country is the way in which the
Republican party is seeking to deceive
the people into the belief that it is
friendly to the free coinage of silver,
at 16 to l, by ingeniously constructed
strings of words, which pretended to
ask for that result, but really mean
something very different. 1t is con-
fession that the people want one thing
and the rulers of the party want an
other: and that the party can only
hold power, over the people, through
their votes, by game of false pre-
tences.- common swindling,-which
practiced by any one of them in
dividually, in the common affairs of
life, would send the guilty person to
the penitentiary.
This was strikingly demonstrated in
the Republican state convention of
Michigan, held July 31st, at Grand
Rapids. The committee on resolu-
| tionS made two reports, one from the
majority and the other from the mi
nority, on the silver question. The
majority report was as follows:
1--WE believe in the use of gold and
silver as money metals, to be main
tanned in circulation on a perfect
equality and intercOnvertab bility We
recognize the so-ca]led silver question
as one of the paramount political is
sues of the day, and believe that the
people of this state and county can
and do look to the Republican party
the party of ability and progress-as
the only party that can give wise
and adequate solution of this prob
| lem.
"We, therefore pledge the Republi-
| can party Of Michigan to use every ef-
fort in it's power to restore silver to
its proper position in the United
| States as money metal. We pledge
this in the belief that permanent
prosperity will not be assured nor JUS
tice be done until silver takes its
me-honored place side by side with
gold as one OF the two great money
metals of the world"
This sounds all right, but let us look
into it. eve believe in the use of
gold and silver, as money metals, to
be maintained in circulation or a per-
feet equality and interconvertibility. !"
"On perfect equality of what?
Intrinsic value? Then gold is to fix
that value. Why? Because it alone
can be coined at the mintS-it alone is
the money. Silver has become COM
modify worth about fifty cents on the
dollar. Then the resolution means the
continuance of the present conditions;
and the ruin of the world by a single
gold-standard basis.
"And we believe in the interconver-
tibility." On what basis, again:
| Wheat is interconvertible with gold
so are potatoes-when exchanged for
gold 1T their market price. That is
the condition we have now. 1t is a
thousand miles distant from real bi-
metallism.
And they "recognize the so-called
silver question as one of the para
mount political issues Of the day!"
Indeed. Have the Populists drag
ged you that far by the hind legs?
Two years ago we could not get you to
| omen YOUR heads on the silver question
You assured us that the only issue in
American politics was the tariff on
calico and paregoric. But now you ad-
nit that it is one of the paramount is
sues.
"And the people can look to the set
tlement of this great question to the
Republican party"
What! With such an obscure,
fraudulent, double. dealing platform
as you put forth?
1--WE, therefore, pledge the Rcpubli
can party of Michigan to use every
! effort in it's power to restore silver K