Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1895-07-20
Eco Coinage of Silver.

PRISE of last week, "a vast majority
of the Democratic people of Accomac
being strongly in favor of the free
coinage of silver land I suppose I'M
limited have a right to expect from
candidates desiring to represent them
in the Legislature, frank and pub
tic avowal of their position on that
most important and vital question
now before the country" To part
of this proposition l entirely agree.
The people are entitled to know the
position of every candidate who seeks
Office by their votes. They are Ell
titled moreover to the reasons for
their position, which should be pub
licly discussed, so that the people
may fairly understand the issue and
vote accordingly. This is the good
old Democratic way-the fair, just
and safe way, let it be done. We all
believe this is right. But that
majority of the people Of Accomac
should be strongly in favor of the
free land unlimited coinage of silvern
rather than sound money system, /
do not believe. If so, when, where
and how have they manifested that
opinion? Certainly not by any pub
lie discussion of the question, or any
resolutions to that effect. Regarding
the people of Accomac as thoroughly
Democratic in their policy-as shown
by the splendid majorities given to
that party-we would be the more
likely to believe-and would say that
the Democrats of Accomac are OPP
posed to the free and unlimited coin
age of silver. Now far as the public
acts of the party go-the party is
against the doctrine of free coinage,
and in favor of the sound money
doctrine. l know that there is con-
siderable faction and fraction Of the
party in Virginia and elsewhere-who
have tried to commit the party to
free coinage, but they have never yet
succeeded, certainly not in Virginia
or in any State, SO far as | am inform
ed, save very few Western States
which have silver mines. A consid
cradle number of Democrats who be-
lieved that way-tried in the conven-
ton which nominated McKinney-to
pass free coinage resolution, but
they failed, SO in all conventions
since-have they failed. The Demo-
cratic party of Virginia has not yet
declared in favor of the free and I'M
limited coinage of silver, and no par
ty in this State has, except the Popu-
list party, and the Prohibition party
which in Lynchburg in August, 1894,
declared in favor of free coinage of
is 10 land the issuance of full-legal-
tender treasury notes to the amount
of $4,000 per capita Have the Dem
ocrats OF Accomac gone over to the
Populists and Prohibitionistsf l do
not believe it, nor do l believe that
they are now willing to leave the
Democratic party headed by Mr..
Cleveland. his entire cabinet-in
favor of sound money and sustained
and supported by nine tenths of the
Democratic press-and flop over to
the views of the Populists and Pro-
hibitionists on the financial question.
If so, there is no evidence of it, and
the opinion of "Civis' is political
revelation which am quite sure the
Democrats are not willing to accept.
1t is in vain to argue that the nation
al platform endorsed free and unlim-
tied coinage of silver. 1t did not do
any such thing-and according to the
present market value of silver-the
Chicago platform is against the idea,
because if the idea OF free coinage is
to prevail, it is impossible to main
tain 1.-The dollar unit of both metals
eff equal intrinsic and Interchangeable
value and maintain the parity of the
two metals, and the equal power of
every dollar at all times in the mar
kets and in the payment of debts
This is what the 18th section of the
platform promises to do, but this is
not free coinage of silver and does
not everybody see that free coinage
would destroy the power to carry
out this section of the platform very
effectually indeed; when everybody
knows that it is fact that the mar
ket value of silver now-is not IL to
but 80 to land if it could not be
done when silver was more valuable
than now-can it be done when silver
has become more deprecated? If it
could be done at this time it would
be discriminating against gold-when
we make "a fifty cent silver dollar
equal to hundred cent gold dollar,
and the more of this deprecated
money you foist upon the people
the darker becomes the problem, and
the farther we get away from the
Democratic platform of Chicago, up
on which stands Mr.. Cleveland and
his administration. And is it true
that the Democrats of Accomac al
ways so loyal to the party, are now
ready to discriminate against good
and standard money? Good here,
good everywhere-in every nation OF
the world of the strongest and purest
civilization, in favor of deprecated
currency, which in the markets of
the world it takes two dollars to pay
one dollar-but in our own country g.