Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-10-18
Free Coinage Of Silver at 16 to l
So Repugnant to Com
NOR Sense
That 1t Should Not Be Necessary
to Discuss 1t, Says Mr..
Aldredge.
Ex-Governor Melriam's Curren-
cy Plan Creates Interest.
His Suggestion.

ATLANTA, Ga. Oct. I7.-"Ihe prOpO-
sition that this government should coin
silver for the world in unlimited amount
at double it's market value is so repug-
nant to the common sense Of mankind, y
said Mr.. Aldredge in an address at the
bankers convention, ''that it ought to be
unnecessary to discuss it. And it would
be but for the fact that a portion Of our
people have been misled by appeals to
their prejudice and by the specious reas-
onings of the sophists."
He pointed out that the leading ma
tions Of the earth, after testing silver
for hundreds of years, voluntarily
adopted the single gold standard,
and that no nation today has the
silver standard from choice. The
gold standard advocates believe in
gold as standard with the largest pos
sible safe use of silver among the peo-
pie. The 16 to l dreamers believe III
the so.called double standard, and We're
driven by this law to the use of silver
alone All gold standard countries use
large amounts of silver, and no silver
standard country uses any gold what
ever.
WIZ Are the Monometa1ists.
AS the practical question is the use OF
the metals, it follows that we are the
bimetallists and the 16 to 1people are
the monometallists. Hence the battle
that is to be fought to a finish next year
is whether we will remain under gold
standard with actual bimetalism in use
among the people, gold and silver
circulating freely without discrimina-
tion against either, or shall we have a
so-called double standard at the mints
and nowhere else, with silver mono
metallism in actual use? The battle is
between substance and shadow, between
those who want bimetallism in fact and
those who want it it in name only. We
are the friends Of silver money, who
would bring to it's aid the power of the
good, and they are it's enemies who, by
unlimited coinage, would take from il
the guaranty of parity by the govern.
ment and thereby degrade it to its
market value.
A Contention Refuted.
In refutation of the contention that
gold has appreciated and deprecated
prices, he pointed out that no two arti.
cles have declined at the same time OF in
the same degree, nor has any article
mentioned remained uniformly de-
pressed, and, therefore, but one con,
trolling cause can be assigned for these
results Continuing, he said:
"Interest has declined since 1872 in
many parts of the country from pei
cent per month to 6 and s per cent pei
annum. There is no denying the fact
that the gold bugs did that. The South
and West have saved more on the de-
cline of interest than they have lost in
the decline in wheat and cotton. IN
terest is always low under all
honest standard, among an hon
est people, where money is plenti-
full It is lower in London than
in any other spot on the globe, because
her standard is stable and her CONNER
cial integrity has been the care of her
! statesmen and her people for ages past. -
Repudiation and Not Coinage.
Mr.. Aldredge charged that it is re.
VI u0UU d11u uOU COAAdSO tQdt
16 to 1 man is after, and said in con-
! clusion: 'Allow me in conclusion to
say that our country is in no danger of
reputation. This 16 to coinage clamo1
is but one of the manifestations of hard
times, brought on by the late panic. On
lowlands, in the night time, a deadly
miasma accumulates, but when the
bright sun climbs over the hill tops, and
shoots his purifying rays into the bot
tom, the miasma is dispelled. The at
mosphere is sweetened and made whole.
some, and men go forth to their daily
avocations with assurance of health. In
spite of all the isms that have afflicted
us, in spite of demagogism on the stump
and in the legislative halls, the
country is rapidly advancing Our fac
tories are taxed to their utmost with or.
ders, and wages of their employees have
been everywhere voluntarily raised.
Prices have been depressed by the pan.
Y ( \ >