Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-10-30
y. y. <. GALLAHEk. Editor.
The 10 10 I Dream.

In Atlanta. GA Il few days ago, Judgr
AIdridge, of Texas, delivered au address on
The Currency"
"rhe proposition that this government
should coin silver for the world in unlimit-
ed amount NJ duuhle it, market value j. -
r-pugnanI Ia the common sense of mankind" +"
said Judge Ahlrilge, that it ought to br un-
ntcrs~ary to discuss it, and would be but for
the fact that n portion of our people have
been mi-lrd 10y appeal. TO their pr. judicr
AMI by the speciou' reasoning ni sopnl-ts. "
lie pointed out that the leading nations
of the earth. alter tes ing silver for hun
dred- of years, Voluntarily adopted The sin
sle gold STANDARD. aud th,t no nation tn day
has the silver standard from choice. The
gold standard advocates believe in gold H.
n standard with the largest possible SAT u-e
of silver among the people The l6 To
dreamers believe in the so-called doub e
standard, AMI we are driven 10y this law tu
the Use OF silver alone All gold standard
no silver standard country uses any gold
whatever. A. the practical question is the
lie of the metslS it fdluw- that We are the
himetalli-ts and the l6 20 ] people are ihr
mnnometalisis. Hence the batIle that i
tn be fought TO finish next year i whether
we will remain under gold ,tandarl, with
actual bimetalli-m in use Among the people.
gold aud silver circulating freely without
discrimination against either, or shall wr
have u 80 called double standard ut the
mints aud nowhere else. with silver mono-
metal ism actually in useG rhe battle i. be
tween sub,tance aud shadow, betwe, n those
who want bimetalllsm in fact aud those who
want il in name only. We are the friends
ot silver moury. who would bring to its aid
the power of the government t. keep it guud,
aud they are it, enemies who by unlimiie ed
coinage would take lrnm II the guaranty ui
parity by the government aud thereby de
grade II To it's market value Our govern
mrnt has been ami is now cniniug silver ri
the ratio of l6 to l. II is enabled To do this
hecalIsr, under the law. it can restrict the
amount coined, aud being vested with this
control IT undertakes To m Ike every dollar
good The moment the government lost :
control of the coinage co"fi l-nce in It's ahi
ny tc protect rhr money i'.ue is gone and
asilver dollar then rests on It's merit, and is
worth so cents.
In r, futatinn of the contention that gold
ha, appreciated aud deprecated prices. he
puint,d cut that no two articles have de.
cintd at the same tue aud in the same de-
gee. nor has any nr irle mentioned renlaln-
ed uniformly depressed, aud, therefore. hut
onr controlling cause can be assigned for
these results.
Continuing, he said;
"Iurrrt,t has declined since 1872 in my
part If lhr country from 3 per cent. p' r
month tu and per ctut per annum'.-
T There /, no denying the tact that the gold
bugs did that. The south and Wet have
saved more on the decline oi interest than
they have lo,t in the decline Of wheat aud
cotton. Interest Is always low under au
d hnnp,t standard, among An honest people
j where money is pirnIi ul. 1t Is lower IN
London lhan in any other -p"t on the glohe
becausr her standard l. stable and her c"m-
mercal integrity has been the care of her
,tatrsmrn and her people for sses pas"
Mr.. Aldridge charged that it is repudia
lion of debt and not Coinage that the lG TO
! man is after. and said in conclusion:
ALLOW me, in conc.u.iun, to LAY th1t our
country l. in no danger OF repatriation -
THIS l6 to coinage clamor is but one of the
manifestations of hard time, brought ON by
the late panic. o. Low land, in the night
lime deadly mia-na accunuiatrs, but
when the bright sun cl mb- over the hilltop
:. and shoots hi- purify ing rays into the b't
tom the mia>ma is di-prlled, the almnS
y phere is sweetrned aud made wh"le-"me
= aud men go forth ~ their daily avucali"n'
with assurance of health. In spite OF all th'
J, ism- that have sifi icted u, in -plte ot dem
| agog,m on tie stump and IN Legislative
:, hsll-, this country is rapidly advancing -
). Our lac ories srr taxed to their utmnst vii
ordrl-, AID ws-cs of their empl"ye' have
T, been everywht voluntarily rai7ei Pdcr'
D. that have bern oppressed BY The panic arr
r improving. Sinister di~rouleut, with all hr
imps, is a eiug before the benign pre-enr'
= of prn-ptriiy, aud in after years the here
:; sies of to day will only be- remembered ~
o. troubled dream. The American people ar'
honest and patriotic. Upon this r"ck w
build our faith. aud all the ages aud agen
cies of truth are ouIs lur the super,iruclure.