The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-05-29

PniLAprLrHIA, May 2S.-The opening
gun Of tho sound money campaign In
tho east was arel tonight, at an enthu.
sias,ic public meeting in tho academy
OF music. The affair was under tho
management OF n group oil the best
known financial aud business mon OF tho
community aud attracted wide asten.
ton. almost every seat in the parquettc
and two oitho tiers being occupied. The
audience embraced many OF Philadel.
phia's representative citizens.
Chairman Roberts. introduced OK.
Senator Edmunds. In tho beginning
Mr.. Edmunds said that tho sound
money question must be decided by
political action, not party action, but
that kind OF action tho Romans used to
speak when no man WAS for party but
all for the state.
Quoting Thomas Jelerson's words
tha, "the whole art OF government con-
sists in tho art Of being honest"
"When the nc. OF 1878 was passed. to
stop silver coinage, all tho principal
countries OF Europe were coming TO
have single staudRrd-gold. Great
Britain had had 1t long before, and in
consequence became stronger and
stronger in the accumulation Of general
wealth, until sho is now regarded rs the
great centre and mistress OF all the com.
mercial centres OF the world. This is
not because England is any better than
we are, but because Of her steadfast
financial policy. We shall DO the great
centre il We only have the steadtast in.
ielligence our ioreiathers had and stick
to the same standard Of money all the
time"
Congressman Harter argued that an
abundance OF money did not always
prevent commercial aud business de-
preston. On the contrary. he urged.
some OF our financial panics had come
At time when money was abundant
Hon. Charles Emory Smith, who
spoke on THE Workingmau's Inter
ests.", said among other things:
"The demagoGue appeal for so.called
Cheap money is especially addressed to
labor in the hope that it may delute
and mislead the honest sons OF toll but
there is no portion OF the people SO pro-
foundly interested rs the workingmen
in maintaining honest money. Barring
the immediate effects OF the recent de-
preston, there has never been a time
when labor was so we'll paid as since
1890. There has never been a time
= when the wage OF labor had SO much
purchasing power. There has never
been time when the rewards OF toll
bought so much OF comfort, 80 much OF
the necessities aud enioyments OF life,
ioi the workinguen and his family.
THE free coinage advocate tells Us
that some imaginary crime perpetrated
in 1873 has inflicted incalculable injury
on all classes. How has it inflicted any
injury on the workingmen when for
every Sl4S that he earned in 1873 he
earned $3.50 in 1891, and when every
dollar OF his $3.50 in 1891 would buy
more than every dollar OF his Sl4S in
1877
"How has he suffered when he il paid
more dollars, and every dollar will buy
more food. more clothing. more coin.
forts OF all kinds? Will some one silver
extremist answer me that? Tho FREQ
coinage policy would be disastrous 10
all interests, and it would be especially
disastrous TO labor, for labor would
suffer all OF the hardships aud share
none OF the transient compensatinns.
ut is said that silver is an American
product and We ought to defend and
uphold it. Certainly, but is that any
reason why the government should take
so cents worth OF silver from the silver
mine owner and give him dollar
for it?
"The annual value OF our silver pro.
duction is about S59.0OO.0O0 The an
nual value OF the products OF our iu-
dustries and our agriculture is about
$4,000. 100000. Can you tell mo any
good reason why the government
should pay the producers OF $50, 900, 900
double in order that tho producers OF
$4,000, 10000 should be compelled to
accep, 50-cens dol.ars?"
Hon ". L Trenholm. e1.comp.rolle r
Of the currency, who also spoke, in be-
ginning his address, said:
I'VE are here tonight because we
recognize tho gravity OF the situation
snd appreciate the importance OF doing
ell we can towards bringing about n
right solution OF the FREQ silver coinage
question.
.By general admission" tho speaker
said, "ths gold idea and tho silver idea
are itreconcilab!s. 4 decision as to
which is the right one can only be
reached by reasoning, predicated upon
facts and guided by logic. 1. will be
found that the issue now confronting
u, has become serious because the two
rrea: political parties have at one time
or another and in one place and anoth-
er courted the support OF those who en-
,ertaned or affected to entertain the
ides that the coinage OF silver dollars is
20 essential to the welfare and happi-
mesa OF the people OF tho United States
that all other political questions should
. be subordinate to it.
III the silver product OF this country
had been LETT 10 take it's place anon.
our exports, Ike grain, meat and cotton,
its entire annua! value would have been
realized in gold, or it's equivalent. and
upon Europp and Asia would have been
derolved. years ago, the responsibility
OF protecting tho value and tho future
functions OF the worlds stock OF silver.
AL our present anxiety, all our recent
peril Is due wholly TO tho Immense mass
OF this deprecated metal which bur.
dens our currency.
II have never been abs to compre.
hcnd how the silver mine owners and
the people OF the silver producing states
can possibly bs sincere in protesting to
desire tho free coinage OF silver, for
eurely they must perceive that tho law
that establishes it will at once SGT for
sale on the worlds market in CON.