The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-11

limited coinage Of silver and vast gov
ernment issue of paper money, equal to
$50 per capita. This party makes no de-
mand for any measure to secure united
action with any OF the other nations for
the restoration Of bimetalism. 1t Is OF
mushroom growth, and, like Jonahs
gourd, 1t will perish before the sunlight of
statesmanship.
What Republicans Did.
While the Republican party was In power
constant efforts were made to defeat the
mono-gold conspiracy; international mon
etary conferences were held in which the
representatives of the United States made
Intellectual efforts to secure an agreement
of the nations to use gold and silver equal
ly as full legal tender money. While these
conferences were being held the acts OF
1878 and 1890 made ample provision for
the coinage of the product OF our silver
mines. They afforded an ample supply of
gold. silver and paper currency, all equal
to and redeemable in gold with free and
unlimited confidence by the whole world
in our monetary system and our credit.
When the Republican party went out of
power in March, 1898, the financial panic
soon came, and the act OF Nov l. 1893,
closing our mints to the coinage of silver
dollars, with no provision or effort looking
to such coinage in the future, added our
nation as a party to the mono-gold con-
spiracy by England and her allies.
But there Is q silver lining to the black
cloud of the mono-gold conspiracy-the
bow of promise is in the sky, with Its arch
Of silver and of gold. On the 9th of May
last. when the tariff bill was pending in
the senate. Mr.. Lodge offered an amend
ment to 1t, proposing that double and
discriminating duties shall be imposed on
all products or manufactures Of Great
Britain or any of her colonies and 30 per
cent. on all articles In the free list until
Great Britain shall assent to and take part
In an international agreement with the
United States for the coinage and use of
silver"
1t will be found in .the Congressional
Record of May 10, 1884, on page 5ii0 signif
cant from the fact that during the admin
troversy with Great Britain. the Demo-
cratic party emblazoned on their banner
"Fifty-four forty or fight" True, that
party then ANONYMOUSLY surrendered, as
1t did in the act of 1893 But the new bap-
ner of fiftyfour forty is in our hands. It
proclaims to England, to her allies of Eu-
rope, to the party of surrender in this
country, "Bimetallism shall prevail For
the Lodge amendment to the tariff bill the
Republicans of the senate voted against 1t
the Democratic majority voted, and 1t was
defeated. In other words, the Republican
policy is to impose such large and dis
eliminating duties against mono-gold ma
tons as will exclude their products, and
trade only with the nations which will
unite with our government in plan for
the coinage and use of silver as well as
gold, both equally as money of ultimate
redemption.
Our government should call an interna-
tional conference of the bimetallic and the
silver nations, leave England and the gold
nations out, adopt a double gold and silver
standard and make silver once more money
for them all. Under such an international
agreement the gold nations would be
crushed, demand would be made for sill
yer, 1t would recover its lost value, our
mines would be opened, wheat and other
farm products would be restored to former
prices, farms would recover their former
values and prosperity would once more
bless the land.
The Indiana Republican state convention
Of April "a, 1894, presided over by the SOL
dier-statesman, Benjamin Harrison, adopt
ed platform declaring: I'VE believe in
currency composed of gold, silver and
paper, readily convertible at fixed
standard of value and entirely under ma
tional control; and We favor the imposi-
ton of increased tariff duties upon the
imports from all countries which oppose
the coinage of silver upon basis to be
determined by an International congress
for such purpose"
The Ohio Republican convention of June
6, 1894, declared in its platform: 1--WE favor
bimetallsm. We advocate such a
policy as will by discriminating legisla-
tlon, or otherwise, most speedily restore
silver to its rightful place as a money
metal"
The Michigan Republican convention in
July declared in favor of a restoration of
silver ito Its historic position in the United
States as a money metal"
This means business.
The policy of prohibltory discriminating
duties will be effectual The annual i'm
ports into the United States from the
United Kingdom and its provinces exceed
SOO, 100000. refusal on our part to take
their products would close a large share
of her factories, would turn a multitude
of her people out of employment, would
bring ruin to large share of sheep hus-
bandry In Australia. In one year it would
produce revolution ,and England would
be compelled to accept bimetallism.
Objections Answered.
It may be said England would refuse to
buy our cotton. If SO. we would manufac-
ture all; her mills would nearly all close,
for She could not obtain cotton supplies
elsewhere. England only buys American
cotton, wheat, beef and pork when her me-
cessities require. If she would refuse to
buy of us our refusal to buy her manufac-
lures would build new factories here that
would make an ample home market for
all our farm products. England and her
colonies produce nothing with which we
cannot dispense; our industries were never
so prosperous as when the embargo during
the war of 1872 shut out British products.
In due time we can produce all needed
wool-in the meantime we can buy Of
South America, allied to us by locality, in
stitutions and interests. We buy sugar
and tropical products, not from England
but from other countries; our tea and
coffee do not come from British countries
We are master of the situation.
An international conference of the BIZ
metallic nations would be crowned with
success. This would make such demand
for silver as to increase its commercial
value and secure bimetallism on n Just
ratio. Free and unlimited coinage by the
United States alone would not make suii-
cient demand for silver to materially i'm
prove It's commercial value, but IL all the
blmetallic nations would respectively
agree to the unlimited coinage and use of
all silver mined In each, excluding that
mined in the mono-gold nations, the COM
mercial and coinage value of silver would
soon rise to the parity Of gold on just
and normal ratio, or. rather, the value of
the two metals would meet on a Just
level. The increased demand for silver
would increase its value. With a larger
use of silver the demand for gold would be
less. and would meet silver on common
level. They would meet on a level and
part on the square," The United States
could then set the ball in motion for dis
eliminating and prohibitory duties; other
bimetauic nations would follow. The dis
eliminating duties, by cutting off trade
with the mono-god nations, would vastly
enlarge our trade; the loss of the trade Of
gold nations would be more than made up
by that of the blmetallic nations.
Our Republic Is not dependent on any
foreign nation for its existence, or for its
ability to grow in wealth, commerce and
power. 1t is dshonorable and cowardly
for our nation to permit the mono-gold
nations to dictate our monetary system or
prescribe the terms on which our COM
merce shall be carried on. We should say
to them. 1--WE are for honorable recproc-
ity. If you will take our silver and our
gold, we will trade with you on the same
terms as the most favored nations. If you
persist In closing our silver mines, we will
close your factories" Why should we
drain our country of gold to enrich the
conspirators who are seeking our CONNER
cial and financial ruin?
TIRESOME PLAIN SKIRT.