The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-19
FOR FREE SILVER COINAGE.
CONTINUED IRON FIRST pAeE.)

"a government that pays foreign mer-
cenaries TO protect IL from harm, he's no
relationship to that government of the
United States which was gloriously In
dependent for more than century. It
Is paltry accusation or an unworthy
fear to speak OF unsound money as being
issued by country whose bonds are at
20 per cent. premium; that has paid
nearly IS 900, 900, 900 on her public dsbt
In thirty years; and whose resources
defy Encouragement and whose people
prosper oven under the severest taxa
alton and in spite Of laws hostile to pro-
duction and the wages of labor, and
triumphs over every adversity.
I'm providing supply of legal tender
money for the people OF the free repub
lie, 1t was tho intention of the founders
OF the government that IL should not be
limited to one metal, but should include
the free coinage OF both metals. This
Is ,he claim l set up to the privileges
OF the Constitution to the favor of the
people. which were embodied and en-
forced in our first coinage law. approved
by George Washington in 1892. I am
not willing to surrender Is on command
of John Sherman or even of Grover
Cleveland.
II do not believe that any paper
money can be q constitutional legal ten
der for debt The only actual power
money has is the power 90 pay debt.
'Silver coin and gold coins that ere
not legal tender for debt are simply
bullion. Their face value Is created BY
contract and not by the command OF the
law. II Congress can refuse the legal
tender power to silver coins Ii can also
refuse is to gold coins. II 1t can refuse
this power to one coin it can refuse 1t
to both, and deprive the people entirely
of legal tender coins. 1t could take
away the viial quality of debt paying
money from both coins and that would
demonetize both metals. 1t is needless
to say that In such case the debtor
would be in slavery to his creditor and
that only by his indulgence could he
be ever released from this bondage.
when We, with craven spirit OF
subordlnation to British demands,
abolished silver as legal tender coin
In 1873, the commercial ratio between
the metals dropped from 1858 in 1872
to 1917 in 1874. and it went down and
down until 1893 1t was 26 40 to 1.
"Great Britain had pounded and
ham and trampled upon silver
since 1916 without success. but when
she enlisted our aid in this cruel de-
struction Of values In 1873 she won her
battle and finally established her do.
minion over all markets and ell finance.
"1n 1916 the commercial ratio was
1888 TO l, and 1t never went lover than
Is rs to from that year. until tina year
OF our national shame-the dark year of
1s73-when 1t Went down to 1917 to 1,
because we joined Great Britain in her
war upon silver money.
IF Great Britain, during more than
fifty years Of determined effort, could
not Increase the ratio between tho
metals beyond 1895 to 1, and that only
for single year, until we made an al
lance with him in 1873, when our silver
was ct per cent. premium over gold,
why do we fear again to take up this
cause of the toiling world, Of nature
and OF God. and restore to ell nations
the free use Of silver as q money metal?
"Sllver for City years was known as
Land Office Money. 1t has bought and
paid for all the homes sold in the old
States and millions Of them In the new
States. The competition between gold
and silver ss money metals, Is divine
admonition to the monopolist that he
cannot make q corner on gold because
silver Ia left free to supply the money
because silver is 30 bulky end none of
the coins are larger than dollar, that
the speculator can no more make cor
ner' on silver than he could corner a
herd OF wild elephants in partridge
net.
THE anticipated silver dump is,
with some. an idle apprehension of
danger. and, with others, It Is the con-
venient stalking horse of false
prophecy. In the absence OF facts, at
present existing, and in the presence
OF the contradictions Of history, these
soothsayers and OWNERS OF evil to
come consult their hopes OF getting
offices BY giving pleasure to their as.
tiers, and are made to prophesy which
ever way tho wind doth blow They
do not consult. ss did the anclents, the
auRuries found in the entrsils OF birds
and beasts. They are more wise in con-
sulting the yearning bowels that are
strutted out with patronage, as hungry
Dutcbman consults q bologna sausage.
The larger the bowels and the richer
the stufhng, she more obsequious the
divinstion.
EVERY nation in the eastern hemis.
phere is compelled to purchase silver
from America in vast amounts to sup
PLY the demands Of art, and to supply
that minor coinage, without which no
nation. even seml-civilized, could pro-
vide Its people with the means of Oh.
tanning their daily food. Demonetize
al the silver coin In Europe, Asia and
Africa, and expel it from those conti-
nents and the people would be obliged
to ssarve. The daily transactions of
the world in small traffic where minor
coins OF silver are used far exceed, In
the aggregate, the actual money used
In the great marts OF trade.
mo man can say that one dollar Of
silver ever left foreign land and came
here seeking coinage at our minis. On