The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-06-12

silver money, aVaIiaOic IOI all uoen'
does not exceed 12O millions Under
these startling conditions, when our
country is urgently needing every
dollar of our silver and gold to as
sist us in meeting these tremendous
obligations, our highest officials are
endeavoring to persuade US that it
is the right policy to destroy one
half our supply of money.
"Surely such policy could only
spring from insanity, imbecility or
villainy. No one will accuse the
gold schemers of imbec'ity or in
sanity.
"The destruction of one half our
metallic money, our redemption
money, will inevitably double the
commercial value of the other half.
1t has already done so. The value
of all other property must sink one.
half or more. 1t has already done
so. Even now we have better
taste of the result.
at is also inevitable that the pro-
duction of gold must decrease in the
near future. There is a fixed quanti-
ty of the precious metal planted in
the earth by che Almighty-that and
no more. There are 10 new lands to
discover, with fresh gold mines to
reward the seeker The search for
gold has been by relentless man with
all the appliances of modern science
and with all the stimulus of greed.
1t is altogether improbable that fresh
mines will be discovered The sup
ply of gold must gradually, perhaps
rapidly, decrease after few more
years. As the supply decreases it's
value must increase The values of
all other property must then ineVita-
bly, sink lower and lower year by
year. The increasing power of gold
will then increase three fold, FIVE
fold, ten fold-where will it stop as
it grows scarcer? Debts will be-
come increasingly difficult of pay.
ment
Under single gold standard sys,
tenn it is plain that we have but start
ed on the period of declining values
for other property. Prolonged pa
raIysis of business must ensue, and
all the horrors SO powerfully pictured
by Mr.. Carlisle in 1878 will be more
than realized
"This, fellow.citizens, is the fear.
full fate to which false guides would
lead US. 1t is startling to contem-
plate.
"Our enemies, the gold advocates
are compact, powerful organization
familiar with all the tactics of such a
warfare, watchful, unscrupulous, and
above all, supplied most abundantly
with money dishonesty distorted
from the people, and now used for
their destruction. 1t is no sixty days
struggle, but graphing of giants
for life and death, for existence or de-
struction.
"The friends of silver, the hosts Of
the people, must organize and throw
their strength as one man With all
earnestness of soul we appeal to
them to organize, organize, organize
lin every State, county, city, vii
lage and hamlet, organize.
"For once let us subordinate every
other question to this burning issue.
Let patriotism prevail over our
party. Our cause is just, The peo-
pie are awakening. Division alone
can defeat US. Unity will save US.
We earnestly urge all citizens
everywhere, who believe in the
silver and gold money of the Consti-
tuition, to send delegates to Bime.
tallic Convention, to be held here in
Memphis on the 18th and 18th OF
June proximo, in advocacy of the
free coinage of silver, at the ratio Of
l6 to l, withor waiting for the con:
sent or approva. of any other nation
whatever"
e ~