Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-07-31
Secretary Hoke Smith, Of Georgia. on
Free Silver.

Hoke Smith, Secretary of the Int
rior, spoke for two hours and half at
Gainesville, Ga, July 23rd. A CORE
spondent of the New York Herald
says
HE spoke to crowd so large that
the County Court House. which seats
more than one thousand, was unable
to hold all the country people. In
view of this fact the ladies and city
people were not admitted"
From the notice of his speech by
that correspondent, we make the fol-
lowing extract from its concluding por-
tom
FALL IN PRICE OF SILVER.
ut cannot be claimed that the legis-
alton by the United States in 1873 seri-
ously affected the commercial value of
silver, for since that time we have fur
nished market for 5000, 000,0 600 of sill
yer, very much more in proportion to
our increasing commerce than went
through our minis during the days o.
free and unlimited coinage of silver.
The value of silver bullion has fallen,
since 1878, on account of the lessened
cost of production, on account of the
enormous increase in production and
on account of the decreased demand.
ITO restore the price of silver to its
value in 1878 yon must remove all the
causes which have reduced its value.
If the action of the United States was
one of those causes it is illogical to
claim that the removal of this one is to
remove the effect of all the others.
WHAT FREE COINAGE MEANS.
tA1 facts fairly cOnsidpraI will
bring the conclusion that free coinage
at 16 to l means the use of no coin but
silver; means a new standard of meas
ure equal in value to the present com
mercial value of the bullion now put
into silver dollar; means a new dol
lar worth only approximately half as
much as the present dollar, and the
measure of all values by this new
standard.
1.-The immediate effect of the cleo
ton of a President committed to such
policy would be the separation of
the gold and silver dollar, the gold
dollar going to premium of about
two for one. Merchants would fail,
workmen be idle. farm products with
out market and poverty and distress
would be found on all sides.
Il do not believe that President
would ever approve such legislation if
elected upon a platform with Con-
gress pledged to pass it. The calami-
tous effects following such an election
would bring to them the prayers of the
very men who elected them, appealing
for the defeat of such legislation
In conclusion he urged instead of
free silver at 16 to a sound money
currency consisting Of gold, silver and
paper, but every dollar kept as good
as any other dollar.
This, he said, would allow the coin
age of all silver which could be held at
an equal exchangeable value with
gold. This would allow the improve
ment of our banking system, even to
the extent of repeating the tax upon
State banks under we'll prepared provi-
sions, regulating the issue of notes and
giving safety to the bill-holders.
A RAW POTATO CURE FOR TIP
PLING.-The Buffalo Courier says: "A
man prominent in the affairs of Dun
kirk recently related the following in
cident: One day, two months after l
had signed the pledge, | had craving
for a drink of whisky so strong that
could see nothing else but drinks about
me, and felt as if [ must have at least
one drink. | told a friend of my state
of mind. He said, You need not
drink. | can tell you of substitute
that will stop your discomfort. Get a
bowl of icewater and raw potato,
peel it and cut down one end of it to a
size convenient to take in the mouth.
Dip the potato in the water and
suck it every time you think you must
have the whisky l did as he advised.
took the bowl of ice water and the
potato and placed them on the table at
the head of my bed and would dip the
potato in the water and place it be-
tween my lips every few minutes till
went to sleep. l awoke free from any
desire to drink whisky and have been
free from it ever since. That one
treatment eradicated my craving for
whisky for all the time that has since
elapsed"