Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-04

that, however II may be on the other
side OF the sea, this country mt least Is
not going TO be governed by the money
power or any other power but the power
OF the people.
II is easy TO understand how gentle
men OF high personal qualities. of ability
and erudition. OF n fine public spirit,
withal may with sincerity exhibit them
selves In almost apoplectc intensity ON
the side OF the monoinetallists and pluto
Gratis. Such gentlemen theorlze too much.
They pore over the mysteries OF the
science Of finance too much: they study
navigation too much In the stars. and too
little I'm the winds on the waters and In
the tides and currents Of the sea. The
fact H., when men begin 10 talk to you
about the science OF finance they are get
ting you ready for voyage In a balloon.
4 system OF finance is all well enough.
rational. logical. and essential But when
the system becomes a science. and nonc
but experts can understand 1t, there IS
danger in II for the interests Of the many
whose interests are not the interests OF
the few who are familiar with the. work.
ings OF the science.
The function OF money Is the facillta-
ton Of exchanges and interchanges OF
values. And when II is so perverted
from that function as 10 become con-
trolling factor In determining values In,
stead OF merely measuring them II is
not what 10 was designed to be- but Is
the enGinery of artifice and flnesse man.
ipulated by scientific financiers with al
eye to the enhancement OF It's own value.
An abundance. not superabundance,
Of currency Is what Is 50 sorely needed
by this country now. and II is what the
instinct OF self-preservation is moving
this American people 10 demand. When
for the first time In the life OF this
country silver was tabooed by the gov
ernlnent in 1871, there soon followed
shrinkage OF all values but the value OF
gold, a shrlveling Of all interests but
the interests OF the men with the money
bags. that fell like a blight upon all
the industries Of all the land. Instead OF
improving. from that day to this the
condition Of the country has been get
ting worse and worse. Ard the man
whose capital is In money is the man
who IL profited by II. while he whose
capital IS anything else is the loser and
the sufferer. the dupe and the victim.
But the time is going by for the mastery
Of man by mis- felow-man through th>
arts and agencies Of barbaric pigments
accepted as facts in mystlfed matters
touching those rights and relations
among men that go to the very heart OF
true Christian civilization. In all en-
lightenod lands the days of priestcraft
have gone. And the era Is rapidly n
pening into frultion when the glamour
az gold will have so far lost its con-
turing power that no government pillar
ed upon the broad shoulders Of a free
people will bow 10 its ceptre as the SYM
tOl Of a might greater than the might
Of the millions Of men who, by sovereign
right do and undo In making and un-
making parties and policies for the gov
eminent ~ which they belong and
which belongs to them. II must be SO,
for Democracy backed by Christianity,
il fast moving to that end. Tho patri-
otto freemen enlisted and enhsting in
the cause Of silver are fling into the
field earnestly and enthusiastically, but
there Is no trace or touch Of anarchism
or communism in their purpose. They
are men of law and order. who propose
10 protect property, not TO destroy or
disturb IT, They are moved by a spirit
akin to the spirit that stirred the souls
Of the heroic. high-hearted men of our
American Colonies when they first pro-
tested against the impositions and op-
prcsslons Of the English King. But these
free-silvcr men are men Of peace. They
want quietude as well as contentment
everywhere in the country. They want
10 do away with the feyerish restless
ness engendered by the gold mania. and
restore the body polite 10 normal state
Of healthfulncss. They want to see bust
ness revived IN everything. They want
20 see industry encouraged and enter
Prise promoted. They want 10 see
volume OF currency In the country fully
equal TO the country's needs. resources.
and opportunities
But we are told the free-coinage men
must wait for another bimetallc confer
ence That reed has been broken before,
and It H. silly to talk seriously about
leaning upon il again. VIII England ever
agree 10 bimetallism unless there H.
pressure from nations outside 10 cO-ope-
rate with the pressure from her own peo-
pie on her government inside 10 compel
her 10 ADOPT II? or course not. As lCpr
as the pi;ftucrfts cor r0l IN her uncI5
the Government Of Great Britain will lool;
out for their interests with little
care for the welfare Of the poorer men Of
the lower orders. And W. are told. for
sooth, that If England will not consent
To restore there. our own country must
not and cannot rstore II here. If that
be true. the American revolution was
not such an achievement as We had all
supposed and John Bun Is our master
to-day as much as he was In the Third
Georges time. The free-siver men be-
licve I'm American rights. American inter
est, and American policies.
BAKER Z. LEE.
Hamilton Va April > 1855