Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-20
The Debate on Money.
On. Y. Tribune.)

Under the peculiar arran gements gov
erning the debate between Mr.. Horr and
Mr.. Harvey, 1t was hardly to be expected
that the meat of the discussion could be
reached at once. Each disputant natural
ly sought at the start to make his own po-
stion clear-to get rid of some under
brush, so to speak-and to take quick ad-
vantage of any opening left by the other,
so that much time is naturally consumed
at the outset in points which do not reach
the main ISSUE But Mr.. Horn was able
to show at the first that, with all his
Astounding humor, which makes him so
attractive, he Is not merely an amusing
speaker as some have reported, but is
strongly equipped for the serious argu-
ment His criticism of COINS persis-
tent parading of distinguished flnanciers
as defeated by him in argument was we'll
calculated to show the essential dishonesty
of an 'allegory" which was intended to
DO misunderstood by many readers
Attacking Mr.. Harvey on his phrase,
primary money" Mr.. Horr was able in
the first discussion to bring out the fact
that Mr.. Harvey did not know what he
meant by his own pet phrase, and that
the money of redemption is not necessari-
y
not in this country from 1862 to 1879.
The whole theory of the free coinage
men rests on a notion that insufficiency
of the money Of redemption, which
they assume must somehow be coin, rem
ders the disuse of silver source of peril
and cause of disaster. 1t all depends up
on perfectly arbitrary and unwarranted
definition of primary money" or money
lnFr afln,,, ton ,nI ~,
| effectively exposing.
1t Is also apparent in Mr.. Harvey's
| share of the debate thus far that he is in
| fact, as he seemed In his book, incapable
of distinguishing between proved truths
| and demonstrated falsehoods, or else relies
| upon reckless assertion and the ignorance
of readers to make one as effective as the
| other. OF his twelve points laid down at
| the outset almost every one has been re-
peatedly, publicly and conclusively dis.
proved. But either Mr. Harvey is incapa-
bic of recognizing proof when he sees it
or he does not wish to confine himself to
| the truth, The assertion that the act of
1873 was surreptitiously passed" Is one
which man cannot make at this late day
| without arraigning himself for incapacity
OF mind or want of integrity. So the as
| sertions that the silver dollar was the
unit of value until 1878, and that gold
| was measured In the silver dollar, and
that the option to pay in either metal
| transferred the demand to the cheaper and
restored its relative commercial value in
volved conflict with the fact that in 1873
aud for years before gold had been the
cheaper metal, and was not restored in
relative value
But these and other assertions will he
nuts and cheese for the well-arm ed dis
putant who has undertaken to EXPOSE the
untruths of Coin" In their order. When
the root of the matter is reached, the asser-
t1on that the discontinuance of silver
coinage caused the fall in prices which
followed 1873, 1t will probably be found
that Mr.. Harvey has never once considered
the meaning of the word caused" and
has deliberately shut his eyes to all the &C.
cumulated proof that human products
have been greatly cheapened by the in
creased efficiency of human labor.
In yesterdays contribution to the de-
bate Mr.. Horn overwhelmed his opponent
with authorities that disproved the asser-
lions in the latter's mischievous book con.
corning the condition of the British yeo-
many five hundred years ago. The fif-
teenth century seems to the supplemented
Harvey an epoch filled with "thick dark
ness, darkness that might be felt" He
speaks of 1t most distressfully as portion
OF the Dark Ages''-a phrase which used
spook in schoolboy essays, but never was
applied to the fifteenth century-and
against the array of authorities which
Mr.. Horr hurled at him he introduced
nothing else than liable compiled by
Adam Smith. It aeeins already to be
obvious that Ny. Harvey's speeches are