Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-11-06
ANOTHER CONVERT.
GOVERNOR o'FERRALL DECIDES IN
FAVOR OF SOUND MONEY.

OF Silver Would Cause stagnation Of
Trade In the United States.
Governor O'Ferrall of Virginia adds
another name to the already long list
of prominent men who have changed
their position on the silver question aft
er long and careful study. His recent
four column open letter in the Rich
mond Dispatch will give cold comfort
TO the friends Of silver. We reprint
the following extracts from it:
''I am opposed to the free coinage of
silver in the United States except
through an international agreement
with the great commercial countries OF
the world.
Il do not believe this country alone
can maintain parity between gold and
silver at any fixed ratio.
"We are strong in resources and in
all the elements that 60 10 make ma
tion powerful, but we are not strong
enough to live within ourselves, trade
only with ourselves, raise and manufac-
ture all we need, consume and use all we
moduce and make, import nothing, ex-
port nothing and have no commercialre-
lations with other countries. To deal,
then, with other countries our money
must be measured by their standard
when we are in their markets and the
principal countries whose markets we
seek and with which we must deal in
selling and buying have gold standard.
1T may be surprising 70 some TO
know IL, vet il is an incOntrovertible
fact that gold standard countries furnish
S7IS per cent Of the international com
merce Of tho world, and that about 81
per cent Of tho exports Of the United
States are to countries having n gold
standard, and about so per cent Of our
imports arc from countries having the
same standard.
"Shall we cut loose in our monetary
system from these countries Of such
commercial power and attach ourselves
to the small and weak nationalities to
which we sell scarcely anything and
from which our purchases are absoluto-
ly insignificant?
"Thero is no country that has dou-
bio monetary standard. Wherever there
is free silver coinage, silver monometal-
lism prevails All countries with gold
standard utilize silver rs far as it can
be kept at a parity with gold. That is,
gold countries use both metals rs mOn-
ey; silver countries only silver. The in
dependent free coinage Of silver in the
United States would place her ON a sill
yer standard and in direct antagonism
to the standard Of the countries with
which she does nearly all Of her bust
ness.
"Will tho United States lower her
crest, Withdraw from the strong sister
hood Of nations which whitens tho seas
with the sails Of commerce and unto
her monetary fortunes with the weak
combination whose craft are scarcely
ever seen and whose products and fruits
constitute so small percentage in the
grand totali
"Will sho continue 10 stand with
Germany, Austria, France and England,
or link her destiny with China, Japan
and Mexico:
"These are my views, stated briefly
and concisely as possible.
For the reasons given l am opposed
10 the doctrine Of free and unlimited
silver coinage without international
agreement with the principal CONNER
cial countries Of the world. We cannot
adopt a monetary system different from
these great nationalities and force them
TO recognize it, We cannot float a 90
cent silver dollar as a sound dollar in
this country, much less in the markets
Of Germany, France, Austria or Eng
land, with whom our interests arc close
" identified There are many things
we can do regardless of the opinions or
wishes Of other lands We can amend
or change our system Of government,
manage our internal affairs and enact
laws TO govern our own people without
let or hindrance from any foreign source,
but there is one thing we cannot do
We cannot coerce other peoples and
lands to recognize any money we may
see proper TO cngrave or coin as me
dium Of exchange between them and us.
AS well might we attempt 10 change
the laws Of gavitation or make water
run mp hill.
Il am for a sound dollar, and what !
mean by q sound dollar il one that win
pass for 100 cents and be as good as any
other dollar anywhere within the limits
Of the civilized world. Gold is that dol
lar now. Silver may also be if kept on
a parity with gold. But this can only
be done by international agreement
What / mean by sound dollar is one
that the farmer, the mechanic and the la
boring mar can uso with a purchasing
power Of 100 cents and buy as much
with it as any other dollar. What /
mean by a sound dollar is ono that it,
holder may lay away to buy home, save
for a rainy day or provide for himself
in old age with absolute certainty that
it viii be as good as any other dollar
when he wants to use it. Gold is that
dollar Silver cannot be unless by inter
national agreement it is made equiya-
lent 70 a gold dollar.
Il ain for a sound dollar for the poor
man as well as for the rich man. / shall
never consent % a monetary system
which will place it in the power Of the
rich man TO heard his gold and pay his
poor creditor in a deprecated dollar"
4 Surprising Spectacle.
II you see "A man dodge around and
dart up an alley az though brick had
been hurled at MIN, you may know il