The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1895-04-26
SENATOR IsHAM g HARRIS
Expresses tho Views of TCunossocnus on
the Financial Question.

I'm an interview Monday az Men,
phis, Senator Harris, when asked:
Senator, what is your opinion as
10 the dominance of the free silver
sentiment in the South and West in
relation to the campaign Of 1862
replied:
"The utilization and rehabilita-
tion Of silver to It's position as a
money metal and q money of ulti-
materedemption and, in connection
with gold, as the regulator of vol
ume or amount of that thing called
money, overwhelmingly strong in
the South and West, and, in my
opinion ought to be strong and con-
elusive everywhere
"If people would recognize the
undeniable fact that money is pure
ly the creature of the law, it is now,
always was and always will be Just
what the law of its own country
makes it, and when it passes beyond
the limits of its own country it is
not money, but Immediately be-
comes a commodity, which goes
upon the market at its market val
ne, Just as your bale of cotton, hogs
head of tobacco or bushel Of wheat
/ goes upon the foreign market at its
value.
al assert and maintain that it is
| heimperative duty of the Congress
Of the United States to establish
and maintain a financial system re-
sponsive to the necessities and con-
venience of the 100000 people
that we represent without regard to
the outside world.
"Silver must bavei its place in the
policy Of this country, and the par
ties of 1896 may well look to it as
an issue that will not down, but
must be heard and answered.
"Now, as to the question as to
whether the United States should
establish its financial policy in con-
formity with the financial policies
of other commercial countries, or
policy which will meet the necessi-
| ties and convenience Of its own TO-
100000 Of people l want to sug-
gest that / got up the statistics in
| 1898 showing the results Of our for
eign and interstate commerce for
the twenty proceeding years. The
balance of trade with other coun-
tries was against US only four Of the
twenty years, and aggregating for
the four years less than $40, 100000,
while for the sixteen other years of
the twenty the balance Of trade was
in our favor, averaging over $780,
100000 a year.
"While ! would be glad to have
an international agreement to util-
ize all the gold and all the silver Of
the world at an agreed ratio, l am
ready to establish a financial sys-
tenn for the United States which
does recognize both metals and
makes them legal tender money for
all purposes and admits them to the
same rights of coinage.
Cup to 1873 gold and silver held
their respective places as the money
metals Of the world, but in 1873 the
capitalistic influences, not only of
the United States, but Of the COM
, mercial world, decided to double
the purchasing power of their cap
ital by demonetizing one or the
other Of the money metals, no mat
ter which, so that on demonetizing
either the volume or the amount Of
) money would be reduced one-half,
which would double the purchasing
} power Of every remaining dollar.
"Capital has leisure, capital has
influence, capital has purpose, but,
: unfortunately, capital has no con-
science. Capital had silver demon
> etized when 4121 grains Of the stan
5 dard silver dollar was worth on the
markets Of the world 3 cents more
! than the gold dollar, and capital
t and its cohorts are now rampant in
urging the adoption of the gold
3 standard and reducing everything
= to that gold standard"
Senator Jeffreys' fee bill, which