Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-06-08

than at present. II all the members o.
congress desire above all things to serve
the country, without regard to the ef
feet on party. they will, upon assem-.
bling, pass a a joint resolution author.
izing the president to suspend the pur'
chase of silver, and what is of greater
Importance, pass another resolution de-
claring the SD congress will not even
consider amendments TO, or revision
of the revenue laws. and the president
in his message should declare his oppo-
sition to any amendments on the
tariff in unmistakable terms. These
three plain duties performed. congress
should leave the government ia the
hands of the executive for four months,
90 home and watch results. But if the
unconditional repeal of the silver law
means that silver is no longer to be
used as standard money, and that we
are TO take care of all the coined silver,
bullion silver, silver certificates and
treasury notes in gold, then members
of congress will want to pray as well
as watch. Ii John Is. Henderson,
plan, or any like it. is adopted, it re-
quires no prophet to discern that the
times that we have endured for four
months are good times compared with
those TO come"
Perhaps it is well to say that ex-Sen-
ator Henderson's plan contemplated
buying up all of the silver in circulation
by the government, sell it as bullion
on the markets, using the avails so far
as they would 90, toward paying for
the silver called in, and issue gold in
terest bearing bonds to pay the balance.
The answers to Secs Haigh's questions
were written more than ten months
ago, and if there is treason lurking
therein Gov. Rich and his chosen adj
visors must make the most of it. While
the repeal bill was pending l wrote let
tiers TO our representatives urging the
amendment Of the Sherman law or its
suspension.
saw az clearly year ago today the
disasterous results of the unconditional
repeal of the Sherman law as do now
/ presented.as best | could, in my hum
BILE way, the same thoughts and facts
that Senators Lodge, Platt and other
conservatives are now doing. | wrote
twenty members of congress, among
them John Sherman. | begged and
implored of them, insisting, as Senator
Lodge now insists, that there was not
gold enough in TIE world to stand as
the sole representative of values and
maintain the old standard of prices.
While wrote nothing for the news
papers, and said but very little after
the repeal of the law, some of them
kept importuning me for an interview,
and on the fourth Of January | consen-
ted to talk briefly to the local reporter
of the Detroit Evening News. In an
swer to his questions said:
THE republican platform of 1892 ex-
presses my views when it declares that
the American people from tradition and
interest favor bi-metallism, and the re-
publican party demands the use of both
gold and silver as standard money.
BY the provisions of the Sherman bill
every treasury note issued was repre-
sented by its intrinsic value in silver
bullion. 1t was no fifty or sixty cent
dollar, but behind it was a hundred
cents worth in gold and thus it should
have been kept and strengthened, il
necessary. Neither the government
nor the people ran any risk of loss en-
cept through unfriendly Legislation.
The unconditional repeal of the law
was a great mistake. The claim that
prosperity would follow as result was
the most absurd that ever fell from the
lips OF man. Mr.. Gladstone is able,
honest and patriotic. In looking to
the interests of England he said: Our
country will never consent TO any sys-
TEN of bi-metallism. We have ten bill
lions of dollars owing to us; upon this
we collect four hundred millions in in
terest; we buy wheat, cotton, wool and
meats. Bi-metallism will enhance the
price of products, the single standard
will enhance the value of money, and
we can buy more with our interest
money with the single gold standard.
This is true in England and just as
true in America
Reporter. What did you want con-
gress to do, anyway