Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-15
THE PRESIDENTS WARNING
Perils That Lie in the Direction Of Silver
Monometalism.
Those Who Hope to Sell for Higher
Prices Reminded That When They
Buy They Must Pay More.

| Chicago recently to attend gathering in
! the interests of sound money letter stat
| ing his inability to attend and expressing
| his sentiments on sound money. After re-
| ferring to his attachment to the cause, he
says:
But my judgment and my estimate Of
| the proprieties of my official place oblige
me to forego the enjoyment of participant
| ing in the occasion you contemplate.
81 hope, however. the event will mark
] the beginning of an aggressive effort to
! disseminate among the people safe and
| prudent financial ideas. Nothing more i'm
| portant can engage the attention of pa
| triotic citizens. because nothing is so vital
| to the welfare of our fellow-countrymen
and to the strength, prosperity and honor
of our nation.
1.-The situation that we are confronting
| demands that those who appreciate the M
| portance of this subject and those who
| ought to he the first to see impending dan
ger should no longer remain Indifferent or
over-confident.
IF the sound-money sentiment abroad
| in the land Is to save US from misc hief and
| disaster it must be crystallized and COM
| bined and made Immediately active. 1t is
dangerous to overlook the fact that vast
number of our people with scant oppor-
| tunity thus far to examine the question in
all it's aspects have nevertheless been in
geniously pressed with specious sugges-
| lions, which. in this time of misfortune and
| depression, find willing listeners prepared
l
plausibly presented as q remedy for their
unfortunate condition.
Plain and Simple Argument.
what is new more needed than anything
| else is a plain and simple presentation of
| the argument in favor of sound money.
| In other words, 1t is time for the Ameri-
| can people to reason together as members
| of great nation, which can promise them
| continuance Of protection and safety
only SO long as its solvency is unsupported.
| its honos unsullied and the soundness of
it's money unQuestioned.
| These things are i'll exchanged for the
| illusions of debased currency and ground
less hope of advantages to be gained by
disregard of our financial credit and COM
mercial standing among the nations of
| the world.
IF our people were isolated from all 9TH
| ers, and if the question of our currency
could be treated without regard to our
relations to other countries, its character
would be a matter of comparatively little
Importance. If the American people were
only concerned in the maintenance of their
| precious rfe among themselves they might
return to the old days of barter, and in
this primitive manner acquire from each
other the materials to supply the wants of
| their existence. But If American civiliza-
| ton was satisfied with this it would abb
5ectly fail in its high and noble mission.
Must Buy as Well as Sell.
I'm these restless days the farmer is
tempted by the assurance that though our
currency may be debased, redundant and
| uncertain, such a situation would improve
the price of his products Let us remind
him that he must buy as well as sell; that
his dreams Of plenty are shaded by the GER
tainty that if the price of the things he
has to sell is nominally enhanced the cost
OF things he must buy will not remain
stationary; that the best prices which
cheap money proclaims are unsubstantial
nd
and palpable he must necessarily be left
far behind in the race for their enjoyment
1t ought not to be difficult to convince the
wage Garner that if there were benefits
arising from degenerated currency they
would reach him least of all and last of ALL
In an unhealthy stimulation OF prices an
Increased cost of all the needs Of his home
must be long his portion, while he is at
the same time veXed with vanishing visions
OF increased wages and an easier lot The
pages of history and experience are full
of this lesson.
IAN insidious attempt is made to create
| a prejudice against the advocates of a safe
and sound currency by the insinuation
more or less directly made. that they be-
long to financial and business classes and
are therefore not only out of sympathy
with the common people of the land but
Tor selfish and wicked purposes are willing
to sacrifice the interests of those outside
their circle.
Il believe that capital and wealth,
through combination and other means
advantage. and
must be conceded that the maintenance of
sound currency may, in a sense be in
vested with a greater or less importance
to individuals, according to their condition
and circumstances. 1t is however only a
difference in degree, since it is utterly i'm
possible that any in our broad land
rich or poor, whatever may be his occupa-
ton, and whether dwelling in a center OF
finance and commerce or in a remote cor
ner of our domain, can be really benefited
by financial scheme not alike beneficial
to all our people, or that any one should be
excluded from common and universal
interest in the safe character and stable
value of the currency of the country
D1scredlted Money Hurts Every One,
In our relation to this question we are
all in business, for we all buy and sell:
SO We all have to do with financial opera
tions for we all earn money and spend
it. We cannot escape our interdependence.
Merchants and dealers are in every neigh
borhood, and each has its shops and manu-
factories Wherever the wants of man
exist, business and finance in some degree
are found, related in one direction to those
whose wants they supply and in another
TO the more extensive business and finance
to which they are tributary. A f1uctuation
in prices at the seaboard is known the
same day or hour in the remotest hamlet.
The discredit or depreciation in financial
centers of any form of money in the hands
of the people is signal Of immediate loss
everywhere.
II reckless dlScontent and wild expert
ment should sweep our currency from its
safe support the most defenseless of all
who suffer in that time of distress and ma
tional discredit will be the people, as they
reckon the loss in their scanty support and
the laborer and workingman, as he sees the
money he has received for his toll shrink
and shrivel in his hand, when he tenders
it for the necessaries to supply his humble
home.
Disguise 1t We may. the line of battle
Is drawn between the forces of safe cur
rency and those of silver monometallism
II will not believe that If our people are
afforded an intelligent opportunity for So
Der second thought they will sanction
schemes that, however cloaked mean dis
aster and confusion, nor that they will
consent, by undermining the foundation of
safe currency, to endanger the benefcent
character and purposes of their govern
ment. Yours, very truly
GROVER CLEVELAND"