The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-03-22

kSufoLc4 IHktloE hfElcIS Hafo EoNCEb-
" been honest enough to put their
advocacy Of bimetallism on the ground
that there has been such shFinkage of
the securities on which debts are based
that hundreds of millions of bonds
have been made worthless. Mr., David
Murray, addressing the London CAPT
talists in regard to Australia, says:
Blanks advanced on securities at as
safe a margin as their advances we're
made % to 80 years ago. These margins
have now disappeared. The produce Of
the colonies has fallen in value one
half; the estates, the runs, the mines,
the farms. all producing factors, have
fallen in like ratio, not from scant pro-
duction, but from diminished prices"
He gives a loud warning to the British
creditors that their debtors can bear
no more. Need I repeat his warning to
our own money lords? Need l point to
the continuous and rapid decline in
farm values, to the 1900 farms in the
west taken in by mortgage in one year,
to the fact that thousands Of farms are
now worth less than even the most
cautious loaning companies we're will
ing to advance on them 10 years ago,
and that in consequence our farmers,
once the most conservative class in the
world, are now the most radical pOliti-
cal innovators? Will western toilers
submit to pay 81 where they agreed TO
pay but 81?
A brief bit Of history is here in order.
It is within the memory of all men of
my age that during our civil war the
government inflated the currency at
least $50 per cent; that in 1865-70 it was
suddenly contracted by the retirement
Of interest bearing notes, by the drift
of money to the south and TO the new
west, and that the people were con
frOnted with the task of paying public
and private debts in a money worth at
least 40 per cent more than that in
which they were contracted. The
struggle was long and doubtful. Even
with all their wonderful prestige from
the success of war and emancipation
the Republicans twice lost Ohio on
that issue and twice carried it by less
than 10000 plurality. We who adVo-
Gated resumption in coin-and l trust
l may without egotism mention my
own experience as a speaker and writer
in the cause-had flung at US daily the
charge that we were helping the bond
holder and usurer to rob the producer.
We could make but one reply: 1t is
the letter of the contract; gold and sill
yer are the money of the constitution
It is hard indeed to pay 81 where only
70 cents was promised, but the country
awards it, and the law doth give it
The people hesitated long, but with a
sigh confessed that the letter of the
contract was against them, and with
sublime heroism voted to keep it.
Scarcely, however, had the verdict
for honest money" been rendered
when we were confronted with the
claim that in place of the old specie
basis in which the debt had been con
tFacted we must pay with one coin. In
vain did we point to the written con
tract. Our eastern friends, admitting
that it was according to the letter o.
the constitution, declared that the
spirit and understanding of it were
for payment in gold alone. AS between
greenbacks and coin we had urged the
latter. Now as between gold and silver
we were to observe the spirit.
The reasons advanced for mOnOmet
allism have been many and ingenious
and new ones have been urged as thu
old ones had to be thrown aside. TIL,
first was that silver was too bulky, bu
that is now obsolete. We do not carr!
large sums of coin; we use paper. Mex
it was urged that we should be at dis
advantage in the exchange with GU
: foreign customers, but everybOd!
knows that was no trouble when on
only money was deprecated paper, anC
that exchange must be calculated jus
=, the same so long as the coins of differ
ent countries vary, Any schoolbO!
can make the calculation on any trad
+ in one minute. The claim that vi
should pay gold and be paid in silve
was too foolish to impose long on an,
one. Our people certainly had sens
enough to charge prices that made u
the difference in coin and greenbacks
and we're they less sensible with silver
Much has lately been said to the effec
; that the most progressive and highl!
civilized nations are on the gold basis
It has also been repeatedly proved tina
the same nations consume by far tn
> largest amounts of intoxicating liquor
and the one fact is worth as much a
the other. OF all the goldbug absurd
ties, however, 1 think the most absurt
is their paradox that free coinage vii
raise the value Of silver to the miner
and not to others. In adjacent column
Of many metropolitan paper can b
seen these statements:
First.-The silver kings want fre
; coinage so they can bring so cent
worth Of silver to the mint and get s
!, for it-that is. with free coinage th
silver dollar viii at once be on pa
with the gold, and the government VII
pay oct both indiHsrently.
Secand.-Vith free coinage all on