The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-29
mines oil de world in the ages. Il pre

mines of the world in the ages. 1t pre-
serves the labor of the miners who del
we'd into the earth and produced it.
"For centuries, in the worlds history,
silver and gold have had equal access to
the minis of the great powers of earth,
with equal privileges. at some ratio rang
ing along from fifteen TO sixteen and
half Aud there never was a concerted
effort on the part of great nations of the
earth TO take away the privilege of either
of these metals from the mints of the
government, until within a few years
last past. There is il the world about
four billions each of silver aud gold.
Silver has been the money with oh
we have done the smaller transactions of
life; it has been the money of the WORK
ing people, while gold has been the
money of Kings and of governments, the
money of banks and of bankers. and has
been boarded for times of war and foG
paying great national obligations.
with the exception of England, the
first that the world knew of any attempt
was in 1871, when silver was demone Il
ed by Germany, after having invested
very largely in Amer can securities, aud
was concluded in 1898. when the minis OF
India were closed against silver. : he
only logical result of this concerted eff 3rt
on the part of the government of the
earth is TO strike down onehAlf of the
metallic money of the world. This Is
one of the greatest events in history, and
deserves to rank along with the introduc-
ton OF Christianity in the world, the fail
of the Roman empire, the discovery of
America. Perhaps no one thing has ever
affected SO many people dlsastrously as
this work OF the emOnetizAtion of one
half of the metallic money of the world
"At whose instance was it done? Il GER
tainly can not be affirmed that it has been
beneficial to the great masses of the peo-
pie. No such great step should have
been taken without il was first discussed
and clearly pretended and under
stood by the great mass of the people of
our Country; and evidently it was not
This was not done because of deprecia-
ton of silver, for in 1873. when by the
act passed by which the coming of silver
was discontinued. silver dollars were
worth 1O3 cents. Neither can it be said
that continued legislation does not de.
preciate silver, for the reason that after
the closing of the minis in India, silver
went down, as measured by gold, seven
teen per cent in three days. And it was
not because of an over production of sill
yer, for in 1871 the total production of
silver and gold was several million dol
lars less than the total products of silver
and gold in 1858.
81 have no patience with the PROPOSE
ton that before we can continue the
coinage of silver in the minis of the
United States that there should be an in
ternational agreement When did Ear
land ever ask the people of this country
10 come and sit down with her and con-
suit as to what her standard of money
should be, what would be the arrange
ment of her monetary system? And YET
we are here. TO,U00,000 of people, the
greatest silver producing nation on earth.
Or should be, striking down one of our
greatest industries. because forseoth
some nation across the water does not
approve of lis encouragement.
They tell Us that the conditions ars
changed. Indeed they are. Never since
The perilous days of 1853, when $1,000
stslw"rt men. anxious to work. wen
every day to the public soup house in
New ork Tor bowl of soup to keen
from starving. This was in the DAYS
when James Buchanan was at the zenith
Oh ms glory and WAS insisting that 10
cents per day was sufficient remuneration
Tor la oring mans work for dav.
when | say l am a bimetailist and
mat l am in favor of the Coinage of sil
yer product, find myself in mighty good
company. l remember that on February
I, 1873, James G. Blaine said. i
Delleve gold aud silver coin TO he the
money OF the constitution Daniel Web
sIer sald: i am certainly of the opiu
ION that gold and silver, at rates fixed bv
congress, constitute the legal standard Of
Value In this country, and that neither
congress nor any state has the power to
establish any other standard or to dis.
place this Standard
During the years since the silver
question has arisen, the delegation from
Kansas. from the days of Tom Reed and
the lamented Haskell and Perkins and