The Louisiana populist., 1895-06-07
SEEK YE THE TRUTE.
HAVING FOUND 1T, THEN GO
AND TELL 1T.
on Silver Coinage ani shows that the
GoIdbugs DO Not Mind Telling q Little
Thing Like IA Lie.

4 mere seems 10 DC an honest desire
among the people to more closely ex-
anime the position of the various par
ties, especially upon the money ques-
tion, which is forging to the front as
the question of questions in the next
canvass. The money power will con-
tinue to present false face to the
people and make them believe that
which is not true. propose to give
your readers a glance at the truth of
history in this gold and silver matter,
and put them on their guard. The
money power, through the press, call
themselves bimetallists, and say they
favor gold as standard money, aud
the very largest possible use of silver
that can be maintained on parity
with gold. | think the above is fair
statement of their position. If that
does not state them fairly they cannot
be, and are not bimetallists, for gold
alone is used for money, and silver
only as tokens representing money.
That being so, why use paper at all?
Paper can be used to represent
money just as well as silver, costs
much less, and is more convenient to
handle. IL they are correct, then as
said, there is no use for silver at all,
for paper would easily fill its place.
On the contrary those who favor
the free coinage of silver also favor
the free coinage of gold, and fix the
ratio between the two metals. In
other words. they propose to go back
to the law of 1892, and make 371i
grains OF pure silver dollar, the unit
OF value and make gold radiate around
that dollar as our fathers did. 1t is
claimed by the money power that this
country has been on gold basis all
the time, and that silver was not de-
monetized in 1878, but in fact, met
that fate in 1858, aud that
the Populists are making false
statements, and that the sound
money men are holding to. the truth
in this matter. Newspapers make
many statements upon the presump-
tion of the ignorance of their read
ers, but what / state here reference
to authority will be given, so the
newspapers can learn what the truth
is. and if they will, they may give
their readers the truth. Now, go
with me and open Bright's Digest of
the Laws of the United States, page
151, and there will be found the law
of 1892 in regard to coinage, etc. This
law says Eagles to oe the value of ten
dollars or units; half eagles each to
be Of the value of five dollars; quar-
ter eagles each to be of the value of
two dollars and a half dollar" and
giving the amount or number of
grains of gold in each to make the
value named, But now comes the dol
lar or the unit of measure, dollars
or units each to be of the value of
Spanish milled dollar as the same is
current now, and to contain three
hundred aud seventy-one grains and
parts of graiI. of
pure, or four hundred and sixteen
grains OF standard silver" and half
dollars in silver to contain one-half |
the amount, and quarter dollars
the amount, and all, both |
gold and silver, were made legal |
tender for any amount, and also many
foreign coins of gold and silver were
made legal tender at certain values,
SO you see that 371s grains of pure
silver coined into dollar of standard |
silver was made the dollar" the |
unit of measure in April, 1892, and
continued so to be until 1873, when |
Mr.. Sherman changed the unit of |
measure TO gold. This will be found |
on page 700, Sec. 3511 Revised Stat
utes of the United States. Now they |
claim that silver was demonetized in |
1853 and not in 1873. In 1858 the |
half. quarter and dimes OF silver were
reduced in weight from one-half OF |
371t for the half dollar to 1872 grains
instead of POS grains of standard sill
YER, and these small coins-halves,
quarters, dimes and half-dimes-werc |
made legal tender for IS only, but |
the dollar remained legal tender for
any amount. See Bright's Digest,
PIP. 152, 153. These statutes and facts
nail to the counter all false represen-
tatlons OF the monometalllstS who |
fight for gold alone as money metal.
If the gold dollar were the unit of
measure up to 1873, why the neces-
sity to re-enact the law in that year?
1t is very easy to tell the truth when
it serves one purpose to do SO, but
The truth just now is not an excellent
aud effective weapon in the hands of
the gold monometallists. 1t hurts; it
cuts their arguments to pieces; it ex-
poses their deceptions; it throws
light in dark places and removes the
boards they have put over the eyes
Of the people. Tell the truth. hew to
he line, face tho foe, unmask the de-
,eiver, inform the people, and all will
be welll-W. NJ. Walton in Southern
Mercury.