People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-07-18
The HOrr-fiarvey Debate.

tween Roswell u. H0rr OF New YORK,
and William Harvey, author OF
"Coin's Financial School," began
their debate at o'clock this after
noon at the Illinois club. The con-
test is to last ten days. three hours
each day. The Judges are ex-Solici-
Tor General Of the United States
Charles H. AldriCh and Hon. Henry
Miller. Mr.. HOrr spoke first. He
said:
Gentlemen and judges: 1t is agreed
between Mr.. Harvey and myself that
previous to entering upon the general
discussion each of US shall make a
brief statement defining in a. general
way the position he proposes to OCCu-
py in this debate. The question Of
finance is very complicated one and
there are some features of it about
which the ableSt men of the wOrlG
have been differing for years. The
foundation of discussion upon which
we are about to enter is a small book
published by Mr.. Harvey, my OppO-
nent, and entitled Coins Financial
School" The real aim and object of
that book is to convince the people of
the United States that this govern
ment alone should at once enter upon
free and unlimited coinage of silver
on the old ratio of Is to Il. The wis
dom of such course dispute. Har-
vey will still maintain the affirmative
of that issue. l will state in the out
set that from the beginning to the
end Of the book there is hardly a
proposition made to which | give my
assent. propose to cOntrOvert many
things which are stated as facts, and
shall attempt to prove the entire
theory set forth by the author, if
adopted by the people of this country,
would lead only to business disaster
and financial ruin. | do not remem-
Der now ever to have examined a book
carefully in which | found so few
statements which consider worthy
of belief, and | certainly never saw so
many absolute errors crammed into
so few pages.
HOrr then stated that he was not
an opponent Of himetalliSm but was
in favor of free coinage of both silver
and gold to the fullest extent that
can be done on sound business prin-
Ciples.'
Mr.. Harvey'S opening statement
followed. Mr.. Harvey said
Il am here to defend the facts and
principles of Coins Financial School.
l am aware that illustrations in that
book are a great aid in presenting
clearly its views. We find this true
In our schools. Many scientific works
rely on Illustrations, and our news
papers find that illustrations make
plain many ideas that could not be
otherwise expressed. And yet | am
here to defend orally these same prin-
cipleS. | expect to make good in de-
bate several propositions. First, that
silver and gold are money of the con-
stNutiOp; that the silver dollar was
the unit OF value in our coinage SyS-
TEN from 1892 to 1873 just as the yard
stick was the measure of length; that
god was measured in this silver unit.
aud concurrent coinage given it (gold);
that silver and gold constituted the
legal standard in this country until
1873. Silver measured gold: the two
together measured all other property;
that the act of 1873 was SurreptitiOus-
iy passed; that option to gay in either
metal under the act of 1892 caused
the cheaper Of the two metals to be
used and transferred a demand from
the dearer to the cheaper metal and
restored its relative commercial value:
that it is to the interest of the Uni
TED States to act independently in re-
.monetizing silver at the ratio of 16 to
without waiting for the action of
any other nation; that monometal-
lism which consists in the use of the
dearer money, is Impractical and i'm
possible: that the gold unit has caus-
ed fall of values since 1872 when the
worlds prices Of property were meas
ured in money made of both metals;
that in the end no one was benefited
bya fall in prices but the money
lender, owner of money and securi-
ties payable in money, fixed incomes;
that the foregoing facts and condi-
tions produced by a change in our
money measurement of value will i'm
gpoyerish the masses of the people, and
points, by reason of disturbances it
will produce to the overthrow of
the republic.
ITO all unbiased men and those who
will lay aside their prejudices during
this debate expect to make good all
the foregoing propositions"
The debate proper began by Mr..
Horr asking his opponent to tell