The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-25
FOR GOLD AND SILVER.

Governor Matthews, of Indiana.
The people are beginning to look with
no littlo doubt and some alarm upon the
continued use OF the terms of sound
money" "silver mine owners" and enter
national monetary conferences" in dis
missing the treatment of the financial
problem. The belief Is growing that the
gold mouometallst Is as uncompromlsing
and as selfish as the so-called silver mono
metallist could be : that If the free coinage
of silver 10y this country is to the advan-
tage OF the owner of silver mines 1t Is
equally to the benefit of the citizen who
holds and ships gold interest bearing
coupons to have II single gold standard.
The belief Is also gaining ground that
there is too much insincerity in the talk
about international conferences. when no
earnest decided steps are taken to bring
this conference about, and that ii IN only
used to kill time-a mere makeshft 1t
cannot he denied IL conference would be n
great thing for the commercial relations
of the world and our own country, too.
could some plan be agreed upon. | fur
ther believe that an honest. determined
effort should be made to hold this confer
cnce. that the United States should take
the initiative in this matter and demand
and insist that this conference should be
he'd and not ask 1t as a concession. To
say that we. u great nation with as great,
If not greater, interests at stake than any
other, should hold back waiting for an in
vitation from others to join. is preposter-
ous and indicative of insincerlty on our
part if the conference will provide the
solution of our troubles and restore pros
perity
At this conference the United States
gbn hn eli Of ell
with positive demand for its restoration
No happier nor more patriotic step could
be taken toward the settling of this qucs-
ton than q strong, positive and emphatic
announcement by our government through
the powers that be that it would never be
party nor give its consent to have silver
stricken from the money of the world. de-
stroying one of its products and great
source of wealth. If England blocks the
way leave her out, and enter an agree
mCnt with the other governments. If all
fail let the United States adopt the policy
which will be just TO all her people To
the banking interest there is but little
doubt that the Sound money" craze
means the gold standard alone. but this
interest comprises but a small part of our
citizens. We are nation of farmers,
workingmen, manufacturers and business
men. We are a debtor nation and by far
the larger part of our citizens belong to
the debtor class. It Is the high privilege
and solemn duty of our government to
sacredly guard and protect the interests
of the creditor and debtor class alike,
neither one more than the other. Ours is
great country of great and diversified
interests, and no one interest and this
confined to one small section OF the coun-
try, can safely mark out the policy to be
formed for the good of all. We have n
great big country, too, lying west of the
Atlantic scaboard, and filled with an ac-
tive. Industrious, intelligent people ca
pablc of judging their needs and entitled
to consideration.
All sections and all interests are equally
interested In the prosperity of their coun-
try, and should be recognized in the shap-
ing OF national policies. 1t has been dem
onstrated beyond a doubt that the bust
ness OF this country cannot be conducted
upon the single standard, be that either
gold or silver. To do this would be un-
Just, perilous and destructive. We need
the double standard of value, an honest
and sincere bmetallism. gold and silver
of equal and interchangeable values. To
talk bimetalism and all the time adopt
n policy that further puts the equal
value i'm the dim future, as many do Is
not acting in good faith. TO say that we
must have a parity between gold and sill
yer, and by our acts. our policy, toward
ourselves as a people and in a faint
hearted dealing with other nations, con-
stantly create 81 greater disparity, Is
neither lust sincere nor honest