Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-26
cAR1rsnE.s POSITION
ON the question of silver and Gold
Coinage.

Washington, March 25.-Induiries as
to MIR. Carlisles real view upon the
silver question apart from any opinions
that IL may be deemed necessary Tor
him 20 hold as the executive clerk OF
the president, as Senator Stewart puts
1t, have frequently been made OF late.
A friend not many months since,
asked MIR Carlisle whether he is in
favor of the free coinage of silver or
not. Iris answer was: "The answer TO
your question depends largely on what
YOU mean by the free coinage of silver.
II you mean the policy urged by many
under which the government oil the
United States would be compelled by
law TO receive so cents worth of silver
bullion when presented by the owner,
and coin 1t at the expense OF all the
people OF the country, and compel the
people by law to receive the coin as the
equivalent OF 100 cents, my answer IS
that | am not now and never nave beeh
In favor OF IT, | stand now where my
lamented predecessor, Mr.. Beck, ana l
stood together In 1878, when the So
called Bland-Allison bill was passed
by congress, under which the secretary
OF the treasury was required TO pur-
chase and coin monthly not less than
So 100000 nor more than S4,0J00O0 worth
OF silver bullion,
when the bill passed the house of
representatives II provided for the free
and unlimited coinage of the silver
dollar. but after It went to the senate,
Mr. Beck offered an amendment which
provided that the secretary or the
treasury should purchase at the market
price each month, not less than $4,000
600 worth of silver bullion, or as much
more as could be coined at the mint,
the selgniorage TO be paid into the
treasury, and whenever the bullion
could not be purchased at less than par
with legal tender notes any owner Of
silver bullion might deposit II for coin
age on the same terms as gold was de-
posted.
My position upon this subject is
briefly this: | am opposed to the free
coinage Of either gold or silver, but in
fAvor Of unlimited coinage Of both
metals upon terms of exact equality.
No determination should be made In
favor Of one as against the other, nor
should any discrimination be made in
favor OF the holders OF either gold or
silver bullion, and against the great
body Of the people who own other kinds
of property. l believe that gold and
silver bullion should be treated exactly
alike In the minis OF the United States,
that is. II dollars worth OF gold should
be coined into gold dollar. and a
dollars worth Of silver should be
coined into silver dollar, and If no
charge Is made Tor the coinage OF one
then no charge should be made for the
coinage OF the other"
The secretary of the treasury is Of
the opinion that the demands OF the sill
Yer plank Of the Democratic platform
cannot be met unless the metal in gold
and silver coin Is of equal value to theA
coin, while the bullion form for coin
age. I'm his view adds nothing to the
intrinsic value Of the metal. He does
not think that either gold or silver
coin, excepting subsidiary coins, will
again enter very prominently into
actual use in any great commercial
country, and shat they will serve only
as busis for the issue Of currency. II
Is his opinion that silver should be used
in the currency either by Increasing
the value of the silver in the dollar
coin, or by an international agreement
on a ratio Secretary Carlisle is prob
ably not now prepared to fix the exact
ratio which he considers best cnlcu-
lated 10 maintain the parity between
the gold and silver. aud to do justice
to the United States. Secretary Car
Isle has always been in favor OF an
international monetary conference, and
he still hopes that Mt the coming con-
ference progress may be made toward
an agreement upon an international
ratio. These, unquestionably, are Sec
rotary Carllsle's personal Views upon
the silver question.