The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-16
The Presidents Letter.


President Cleveland's letter to the
committee of Chicago gentlemen who
had invited him to visit their city is an
able argument in favor of bimetallism,
although not so intended. He properly
thinks it is time for the American peo-
pie to reason together as members of
a great nation which can promise them
a continuance of protection and safety
only so long as it's solvency Is unsus-
pected, its honor unsullied and the
soundness of it's money unquestioned.
These things are i'll exchanged for the
groundless hope Of advantages to be
gained by disregard of our financial
credit and commercial standing among
the nations of the world. If our people
We're isolated from all others and If
the question of our currency could be
treated without regard to our relations
to other countries, its character would
te a matter of comparatively little i'm
portance. If the American people were
only concerned in the maintenance of
their physical life among themselves
they might return to the old days of
barter, and in this primitive manner ac-
quire from each other the materials to
supply the wants of their existence.
But if American civilization were satis-
fled with this it would abjectly fail in
its high and noble mission.
I'm these restless days, the farmer
IS tempted by the assurance that though
our currency may be debased, redun-
dant and uncertain, such situation
will improve the price Of his products.
Let us remind him that he must buy as
well as sell; that his dreams of plenty
are shaded by the certainty that If
the price of the things he has to sell
are nominally enhanced, the cost of the
things he must buy will not remain
cheap money proclaims are unsubstan-
tial and delusive, and that even If
they were real and palpable, he must
necessarily be left far behind in the
race for theirenjoyment. 1t ought not be
difficult to convince the wage-earner
that II there were benefits arising from
a degenerated currency they would
reach him least of all and last of ALL
In an unhealthy stimulation of prices
an increased cost of all the needs of his
home must long be his portion, while
he is at the same time vexed with van
fishing visions of increased wages and
an easier lot. The pages Of history and
experience are full of this lesson"
Every word in this argument applies
with equal force against the gold mono-
metallism which Mr. Cleveland and his
immediate advisers are seeking to per-
petuate in this country. We have al
ready seen how this mistaken policy
has forced the president to sign a
humiliating treaty with foreign bank
for several million dollars worth of
extorted profits, to refrain from drain
ing more of our gold reserve into their
European Golfers. And yet the presi-
dent affects to believe that the issue is
not his own stupidity and the blindness
of those who have urged him onward
in this gold single standard fight
against American silver but that it. is
the grossly exaggerated danger of a
demonetization of gold.
If Mr.. Cleveland thinks that sound
currency" and "honest money" can ex-
list In this country upon any but BIZ
metallic basis, he is simply mistaken,
that is all. The people of the United
States, despite his excited clamorings,
will refuse to ratify finally the strik-
ing down Of one Of the metals in which