Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-24
, Declaration of Principles.


1. Believing a uniform and certain stand
ard of value necessary to the agricultural
commercial and industrial DEVELOPMENT and
prosperity of our common country, we IA
vor the maintenance of all our money,
whether gold, silver or paper, on a parity,
to the end that each dollar, whatever may
be its composition, shall have equal pur-
chasing and debt-paying power with every
other dollar.
2. Profiting by the experience of Wash
ipgton, Jefferson and Hamilton, and the
teachings of the great students of mon
etary science from the time when John
Locke wrote 70 the discussion of the pres
ent day. we accept the truth of the prin-
ciple now universally recognized and ap-
piled in the commercial world, that the BIZ
metallic standard cannot be maintained
where the ratio fixed by law for the free
coinage of gold and silver does not CORES
pond with the marked ratio of the two
metals; and that wherever and whenever
the legal or coinage ratio varies from the
market or commercial ratio to any appre-
ciable extent, the dollar whether of gold
or silver, which thereby becomes more valu-
able as bullion than as money, will go to
a premium and retire from circulation.
3. At this time there is no country in the
world which maintains the bimetallic
standard, and neither is there any country
where the free coinage of silver obtains
which is not on a silver basis. Each coun-
try, on account of it's inability to adopt in
dependently any bimetallic standard, must
elect for itself which it prefers, the gold
or the silver standard. We therefore favor
in the absence of international co-opera-
ton, the retention and maintenance of the
existing gold standard.
4. We would rejoice over the adoption of
real bimetallism, but in view of the con-
tinued fluctuations in the price of silver
in the open market we realize that it is i'm
possible for the United States independent
ly to adopt a bimetallic standard. and we
deem it unwise and hazardous to the best
interests of its people for this country to
attempt its establishment. We favor the
policy of this country standing in the at
ate with the other powers in any effort
they may inaugurate looking to the adop-
ton of true bimeta,lism, but in the mean
time and until successful cooperation is
assured to maintain inviolate its existing
standard of value
money, of the silver now coined, and in order
to give a wider field for the use of silver
we favor the coinage of money other than
silver and silver certificates below the de-
nomination Of ten dollars into higher de-
nominations, so as to make our entire cir
culation below the denomination of ten dol
lars either silver or silver certifica ties, and
to this end the Secretary of the Treasury
should be authorized by law to coin from
time TO time, as the people may require
money below the denomination of ten dol
lars is at all times satisfied.
6. We realize that our national banking
system was adopted during period Of war
and that it is not adapted to existing con-
ditions. We therefore favor such legisla-
ton as will secure to the people system
of banking surrounded by such safeguards
as will at all times furnish them a safe,
elastic and sufficient currency for the trans
action Of their business.