The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-21
AMONG old FRIENDS
Mr.. Carlisle Tells His Neighbors How
he Stands on Silver.
DEAD AGAINST THE METAL
He Recites John Shsrman's rat
lacies and Feels Very Sure
That the Coidbugs Have
the Right Of Il.

Sosu8tons N.Y. May SV--Secretary
OF the United States Treasury Hon. j.
q. Carlisle opened the diDcussion OF the
| question of sound money here tonight
IN a quaint structure called central
Garden" The rush to hear the gpeak-
er was tremendous. An attempt was
made to reserve seats for ladies, but
1t was given up when the pressure for
admission by voters was felt. The be-
ginning of the address was delayed by
| a street demonstration of considerable
magnitude. 1t was S:25 when the crowd
at the doors parted and Secretary Car
Isle, escorted by Congressman Berry
and accompanied by M. Z. Ingalls, and
Gen. Michael Ryan, assistant United
States treasurer. entered the hall.
Shortly afterwards the working clubs
entered to the stirring airs by the band
of "Old Kentucky Home and Dixie" |"
followed by the plaintive "Auld Lang
Syne." Twenty minutes later Hon. A
s. Berry introduced the speaker in a
brief speech, in which he paid a high
compliment to the man who under
most difficult circumstances had faith
fully administered his high Office.
Mr.. Carlisle prefaced his remarks
with a brief introduction and assured
his audience that 81 am not and do
not expect to become a candidate for
any Office in the gift of the people. or
their representatives. AMI that do not
appear in the state in the interest q.
any candidate.
There has never been n time" con-
tinued the secretary. "since tlsc o,cse
of The civil var and the settlement OF
the questions growing out OF IT when
passion aud prej1iice cxerted such
powerful influence in controll;ng rhe
action Of the leoplc UPON political end
economic uses as they have during the
last two years. A g-est way.s os de-
preston has swept over the whole IN
dustrial, com nsrclal and financial
world. more injurious in its effects in
some places than in others. but entail
ing great loss and distress nearly every
where. 1t lid not begin 20 Years sgp.
as some of our friends are in the habit
of asserting, but less than five years
ago. Its serious effects would be felt
in n-Arssa<ine,- where the people and the
government, Notwithstanding the warn
ings of experience in all ages, deter
mined to try again the experiment of a
cheap and inflated currency"
The secretary reviewed the acts of
the last republican administration,
and declared the present administra-
ton found the financial affairs of the
country in q most unsatisfactory and
precarious condition, and rapidly grow
ing worse until unwise legislation had
already produced its inevitable results.
and whatever criticism the impatient
spirit of disappointed and restless
people may have prompted them to
make upon the present administration.
/ am sure impartial history will place
the responsibility for what has occur
red where II properly belongs. and 1
am willing to wait until 1t is written.
Whether we shall continue to pre-
serve our existing money system, un-
der which all the dollars in use. wheth-
er they be gold, silver or paper. DOS
sesses equal purchasing power in the
markets. or provide by law for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver
dollars containing 412h grains of STAN
dard silver. and make them the units
and measures of value in the exchange
of commodities and in the payment of
debts, is by far the most important
question that has presented a consid-
Grafton for the American people during
this generation; and that question now
confronts us. 1t is incumbent upon
those who insist upon the adoption of
this revolutionary policy to show plain
ly and conclusively in advance. not
only that IL would result in no injury.
that IL would be positively beneficial.
for If not positively beneficial. the
changes would at least be wholly use
less. This cannot be done by appeals
to the excited passions and prejudices
Of the people by attempts to carry one
class Of our citizens or one section.
of our country against another, or by
the use of extravagant statements nm
supported by facts and reasons.
THE allegation, even IL IL were true.
that great crime was suspiciously
committed in 1873. or at any other
time. does not prove. or even conduce
to prove. that the free coinage of silver
at the ratio of l6 to 1 would be bene-
fetal to the country under the condi-
tions now existing But. gentlemen. AZ
is not true that the act of Feb. II. 1878.
which made the gold dollar the unit of
value and dropped the standard silver
dollar from coinage, was passed by
stealth, or that its purpose or effect
was to deprive the people of the use of
any coin then in use or then in exist
ence In this country.
THE plain truth is that this act of
1873, which has been the subject of SO
much misapprehension and denuncia-
tion. was simply a legal recognition of
the monetary condition which had ex-
listed in fact in this country
for about 35 years. or ever
since short time after the
coinage act OF 1884. The value of the
United States note or greenback was
always measured by gold and not by
silver. and commodities had a gold
price and paper price. but never a
silver price. because silver. except the
half dollars. quarters and dimes. coined
under the act Of 1858. had been out of
use here for more than 20 years before
the commencement OF the war. and
even these subsidiary coins had not
been in use for IL years prior TO 1873.
Our own monetary history had already
furnished two most striking nlustra-
tons Of the operation Of the natural