The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-05-03
Ine sILvER QUESTION.

Ex-senator fdmunds. at vermont. Deeply
Concerned ~ q. ths outcome of the
Agitation Now Ina Progress liz Discusses
the Matter Prom the standpoint al His
Observation Nhic An Congress -taGea-
tion Needed.
WA~mNoToN. April - Ex-senator
George r Edmund~. OF Vermont. who
has been in Washington for some days
on business before the supreme court,
j. deeply concerned over the probable
results ~ the recent agitation in favor
OF the Unlimited free coinage ~ silver
al the ratio 81 10 10 l. lie was in
the senate al the time Of the first
OF the recent legislation affecting
silver was enacted, and remained
member until after the passage
Of the law ~ l>go known a. the >hcr-
man si.ver-purchasing act. and is
therefore familiar with the motives
and progress Of il all. A reporter
asked him what sentiment influenced
congress 10 pass the law Of i>.5 de-
monet.zing silver
That was very plain at the time, :"
he answered. For many years silver.
save a. subsidiary currency. had
II
United States Without speaking 10y the
Official figures should say that all
told only about 100000 of silver
dollars had been coined, and AZ that
time not one-half nor one-quar.er, D.
them were in circulation THIS fact,
and the tendency OF the greatest manu-
featuring country in the world. In
gland. 20 20 20 a single gold standard.
led congress 10 the conclusion that II
was the best thing for u 10 do. All
the people who are raising such row
over the law. and who were liz the con-
gre>s az The time, senator Stewart and
the rest. were in favor OF IL
The law % l>-S. which demonctizei
silver. changed the unit D. value 10 !
gold dollar OF IS $40 grains
''Was il generally understood AZ that
time. Mr.. Edmunas. that the lasv was
intended 10 put the United States up
or the single gold standard in financial
operations"
Certainly. All the nations with
which we did bus .nes>. or most u
them. were going 10 the gold standard
alone and the tendency Of ali trade
pointed TO that a the enev.iable basis
81 values our fathers had started
out with the double standard.
which was all right as long a. the rela
tive value Of the two metals remained
unchanged. But prior ID 1915 the con-
gre>s had been compelled % cnan-e
the ratio twice. th.ns. - that there
was nothing perma nent about II At
that date silver was worth something
more than gold. upon the legal ratio ~
the two. and there was no objection
iaen - making the latter the standard
OF value
DO you agree with Senator Allison
that the adoption of the gold standard
was mistake
Il DO not. answered the ex-senator
with considerable emphasis. The
mistake lies in the fact that we have
not stuck IT, il The whole trouble
lies in the fact. which has always
existed and always will exist. .hat pc,y-
PIE are in debt II there were no
debts TO pay there would never tie a
word said about the character Of the
currency ~ the country. Until hui
man nature shall have been recon
structei there Will always he the
struggle 70 discharge financial oDii-a-
tions at the least cost
do you apprehend anv serious re-
suits from the present agitation was
asked
.Unless It he met By campaig IN of
information and intelligence. many
people who do not take note Of circum-
stances within their own observation
and VINO do not know the history Of all
similar movements. will be led astray.
Finding nothing to refute the asser-
tions made in the speeches and pubiica-
tions ~ the silver propaganda. those to
whom they are addressed will conclude
that they are true The duty Of the
patriot. especially the young patriot.
j. to engage in this campo ign IL can
be conducted by means Of school dis
trict meetings and by the issue Of
amphlets-short. crisp. printed in
large type. loaded 50 "a 10 be easily
read by lamplight- Once the people
II the countrv-not the highly cu.ti-
waited. bat the ordinary men OF average
intelligence. and honest-become thor
oughly informed upon the subject. and
there will b. no danger that they will
20 wrong II j in the lack Of sxnowl-
edge that danger lies"
II am not opposed 20 oimetallissn.
per -. IL conducted upon the same
basis that the fathers practiced il. In
crease the amount Of silver in the dol
lar. or decrease that in the gold dol.
Jar. 50 that they viii approximate each
other in value. and the objection will
largely disappear. But the di,advan-
tages 81 that are obvious-the shifting
values would require almost continual
gi~lation to keep the dollars at a
parity"
SECRETARY CARLISLE