The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-27


the world. I do not believe that silver
has ever been demonetized anywhere
in the world I believe that the law of
1873, which Mr.. Haryey's book de- 4
nounces as crime" was honestly
conceived, openly advocated and passed
by the American Congress after full de-
liberation, and because the people at
that time who held seats in the Ameri-
can Congress believed that such law
ought to be enacted. I do not believe
in the teachings of this book-that this
nation is on the verge of financial ruin,
or that starvation is staring our people
in the face. l believe if our nation
should adopt the course advocated in
this book it would seriously injure the
entire wage-earners of the United
States. believe we would destroy the
confidence of the business men of the
world in our integrity as a nation, and
that we would precipitate such fnan-
cial panic as our country has never be-
fore seen. shall deny most emphatic
ally that the great majority of the peo-
pie of this country are in debt, and
shall insist that three-fourths of the
American people are creditors and not
debtors, and that consequently the sys-
tenn which Mr. Harvey advocates would
work great injury to the great majority
of American citizens.
Questions Coin.
I will state still further that if this
book about which we are going to de-
bate is true, then I am all wrong.
Oaughter.) 1t seems to me to be de-
void of business sense from beginning
to end, and 1 shall enter upon the work
of attempting to prove that, and hope
to be able to do it in language that shall
be so plain and explicit that my fellow
citizens will be satisfied that I have ac-
complished my task. Understand me,
in a few words, 1 believe that the
American nation should have just as
good money as any nation uses on the
| face of the earth; 1 believe that every
dollar paid to poor man for his daily
toll should be worth as much as the
dollars paid to men who are rich. l
would have the money which measures
values the most stable that can be de-
vised, and would insist that buyers and
sellers, lenders and debtors as nearly
as possible be required to use the same
measure of values, and shall insist that
reputation in all forms is disgraceful
and dishonorable in the case of nations,
corporations or individuals. What
our people need is good credit, good
money, good principles and sound bust
ness sense.
| Visionary schemes and debased mon
ey never yet MADE nation prosperous.
! The quality of the money used in any
country is far NOR important than the
| quantity. Laws should be drawn to
protect the men who earn money; as
we'll as those who owe money. A man
who works faithfully and lives on his
daily earnings should never be sacri-
feed for the benefit of men who live on
what they borrow. But all these things
will be more fully explained as the con-
test progresses.
MIR. Harvey States His Case.
Mr.. Harvey am here to defend the
facts and principles in Coins Financial
School, I am aware that the illustra-
lions in that book are a great aid in
presenting clearly it's views. We find
this true in our schools. Many scien-
tif1c works rely largely on illustrations,
and our newspapers find that illustra-
lions make plain many ideas that could
not otherwise be clearly expr essed.
And yet, I am here to defend orally
these principles. 1 expect to make good
in this debate the following PROPOSE
tons:
1. That silver and gold are the money
of the Constitution. That the silver
dollar was the unit of value in our coin
age system in this country from 1892
to 1873, just as the yard-stick was the
measure of length. That gold was
measured in this silver unit, and con-
current coinage given to it (gold). That
silver and gold combined constitute the
legal standard of value in this country
till 1873. Silver measured gold; the
two together measured all other prop
erty.
Act of 1873.
2. That the act of 1873 was surrepti-
tiOusly passed.
8. That during the period, 1892 to
1873, the minis were opened to the I'M
limited coinage of both metals into
primary or redemption money, and
that both were treated as such. That
during that period people had a right
to have either metal coined into full
legal tender moncv, and that tie option
was with the debtor to pay in coins OF
either metal.