The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-27
THE TWO CARLIsLEs.

In view of Secretary Carlisle's recent
utterances on the currency question
and his advocacy of the so-called
sound money" doctrine, his speech in
favor of silver and against it's demon
etization shows the striking difference
between the Carlisle of 1878 in the full
vigor of his congressional acumen, and
the Carlisle of 1895 in the decline that
has come through his gold-bug asso-
Citations. Here is a portion of that
speech delivered February 81. 1878:
1 shall not enter into an examination
of the causes which have combined to
depreCiate the relative value of silver,
and to appreciate the value of gold since
1873. but I ann one of those who be-
lieve that they are transient and tenn
porary in their nature, and that when
they have passed away or have been
removed by the separate or united ac-
tons of the nations most deeply inter-
ested in the subject, the old ratio of
actual and relative value will be re-
established on a firmer foundation
than ever. l know that the worlds
stock of precious metals is none too
large, and [ see no reason to appre-
bend that it will ever become so. Man.
kind will be fortunate, indeed, if the
annual production of gold and silver
coin shall keep pace with the annual
increase Of population, commerce and
industry. According to my view of
the subject, the conspiracy which
seems to have been formed here and
in Europe to destroy by legislation
and otherwise from three-sevenths to
one-half the metallic money of the
world is the most gigantic crime of
this or any other age.
The contamination of such a scheme
would ultimately entail more misery
upon the human race than all the
wars, pestilence and famine that ever
occurred in the history of the world.
The absolute and instantaneous de-
struction of half the entire movable
property of the world, including
horses, ships, railroads and all other
appliances for carrying on comm cree,
while it would be felt more sensibly at
the moment, would not produce any
thing like the prolonged distress and
disorganization of society that must
inevitably result from the permanent
humiliation of one-half of the metallic
money of the world.
Whatever excuse Carlisle may make
as to his disapproval of "the free and
unlimited coinage of silver" then and
now, he cannot escape from the state
ment of facts which he made in that
speech, which will rise up in Judgment
against him whenever he endeavors to
dodge the main issue. The conspir-
acy to destroy one-half the metallic
money in the world" was either a fact
or falsehood, and its consequences are
terrible realities too patent to deny.
The arguments that "the stock of
the worlds metals is none too large"
and that 'the annual production of
gold and silver coin should keep pace
with the annual increase of popuIa-
ton, commerce and industry" are too
true to be brushed aside by the fall
lacies the. gentleman now endorses.
which are the chief reliance of the
gold-bug "consp;ra tors"
1t is all right for men to change the
immature views of youth or inexperi-
ence for more enlarged opinions and
more practical measures. But these
changes should be frankly admitted
and firmly substantiated by good rea-
sons. Secretary Carlisle half admits.
half denies, his former position and
fails to show wherein he was wrong
before or right now. He may not now
believe in a double money standard,
but he has proved himself double
minded and the wise man saws such a.
person is unstable in all his ways"