The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-25


500 yeas hy al the nzf7oas OF thea
earth u1rsl the hattie OF Waterloo. that
marcy is a creature exclusively OF TIA
g0xsrzlzr.eT., ard depends for rs money
value only upon the fat OF that govern
rzent. ard that II is its duty - furnish
Il abunsaantlv. DESPITE Afr ClsveEan1's
opinion. the supreme judicial tribunal Of
our nation has reiterated thase rrSnci-
PIES. Another and most remarkable fact
Is that al autherit4tive economic xrit-
srs 50 define and describe money IN its
relation 70 government and the citizens.
As Daniel Webster stated It. The great
interest OF the country. Tire prod1cirss
cause OF It's prosperity is EzocT. lahoF;
labor. The government vas made TO en-
eours ge and protect this Industry and ~
give il security. To this very end, with
this precise object IN view. rower was
given - congress over the currency, and
over the money system of the country. j"
Yet our modern fiaanclsr declares. sol
EMMY rolling his eyes, that government
should keep out OF the banking business.
not only cut If its commercial tranSac-
tons, but also that department of il
which relates 70 the issue and control OF
a currency.
Our constitution mentions only silver
and gold as coins, and some hard money
men insist that legislation coafine our
currency to these two metals. under the
strict construction theory OF eonstitu-
tional money, as silver and gold coins are
called. forgetting that the first nloney
ever coined under that constitution was es
copper. and that nickel plays a great Part
Ia the circulating medium OF today. This
class Of economists. while asking for an
enlarged volume OF currency. insist thar
1t be of silver and gold only, and expec.
relief solely from the free and unlimited
coinage of both metals. The Populist!s
join these men in their demand for more
gold and silver money, not because of any
respect for the intrinsic value OF the suh-
stance coined into money, or that the
names or these two metals only are men,
TONED in the constitution. but because
they are willing to cater 20 any custom,
OF the day in the choice or the material
colheu liAto money. So while a PopuIIst
advocates the free and unlimited cela-
ase OK SILVER with gold at a ratio of ls
70 J. II Is not in the nature of a battle
Tor silver per Sc, but an effort for an
understandable and enlarged currency.
Two years ago the claim of the pon,,-
list party that silver had not aepreciate,,
but that gold had under legislative sim.
us'is appreciated was likewise ridiculed
ana scoiIed al. Now. the truth of their
contention is admitted by the leaders of
ooth Old Parties. and in political arg1-
Hleat the mere statement of this fact
IS received without any question as ~
It's ruth This is another endorsement,
OF the platform of the Populist marry
Ana so on through many other con-
tenfAons made By Populists. their son,d.
ness ana truth are rapidly and irresist-
IDLY forcing thmselves upoa the cen
Vact-on of the public. In view of this 4
u not reasonable 10 claim that our other
contentious may likewise meet with ponp-
lar approval?
iopuilsts have continually w'arnesl the
country against the danger Of contraction
anu the private control OF the volume ff
o"f currency. The present depression vsas
Ifedlcted and reasoned up to by POM.
iists and Greenaackers years before their
PFVEheuc deductions were hlstorfcallv
confirmed. They stand today where they
ever ala, ana pnntins 10 the currency
say again, mat In decreasing volume
are seen The seeds of poverty misery
tFEhe ana industrial fdlenesg, while inss,n
iheFealng or abundant volume smiles a
piehteous prosperity. They stand with
fFot' Walker of Yale. who wrote. ..Na
nave become so familiar with these ne
floaicai revolutions In trade that we IooL
upon rnen as the natural phenomenon of
BUSINESS, but x is not So" Thev stand
WIN Ricardo and say. that comua,iltiaz
Use IN price in proportion to the increase
or ammunition Of money. l hold to be 4
iact mat is incontrovertibse With .Tefhn
stuart Mil. If the whole volume OF
money IN circulation were doubled. prices
Would double And with thoss
nlne great men composing the
monetary commission OF IT Sc
iected from our national congress. re-
iterating that Failing prices ana misery
ara restitution are insepara5le conpan-
IONS IL Is universally conceded that fall
ing prices result from the contraction of
tho money volume" The Populsts are
today where they were before the blow Of
adFersity fell upon US, and demand a cur
rency sound, safe and flexible. issued by
ehe general government without the in
termediary OF any corporation or person.
erect to the people. until its volume
equals al least $50 per capita Of our popu-
lation. money coined either I'm gold
silver, copper or paper viii answer this
requirement. The PopI.-st recognizes. as
the people arc rapidly learning 70 Do. that
the money question is the one burning Is
sue before congress today. The tarlT Is
now dragging Itself slowly but surely
from the attention OF the voter on cleo
ten day. Like the bloody shirt. il has
lost It's inspiration as battle cry. and Is
dsvected now only at the more ignorant Of
the labor element. under the false pre-
tense OF protection 10 American labor.
The present great business depression in
Canaea and the recent financial collapse
n Newfoundland but emphasize this
truth, as examples near at home, al
though the world wide stagna5iOn during
the rast three years was sufficient 10 the
well Informed
The problem for the intelligent con-
efessmsn TO grappIe with is the money
question. and. TO be precise; How shall
the volume OF our currency be Immediate
~ tncreasea?
Let congress AZ once lnaugurate a sys-
tenn of great internal improvements. in
GLIDING the purchase ana construction of
railroads. telegraph and telephone lines.
Let il stand On the Erst Democratic plat
form ever written, In its jealous care for
the PEOPLES i3slleuable natural rights. or
franchises, and in It's dread % corporate
power. Let money repositories. Ike our
postoffices, De established IN every popu-
Ions center for the safe keeping 81 the
peoples money. and FOR the purposes az