The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-17
THE HoRR-HARvEY DEBATE.
Chicago Trlbuna.

| NnlcdBO lrlDune.
The principal points made during the
Horr-Harvey debate were summarized in
the speeches of the concluding day by
each of the conusndng parties, and the
result is by far the most Interesting part
of the proceedings Harvey claimed that
he had proved the following statements:
| % Cold and SILVER are the money Of the
| Cons su'tution. 2) The silver dollar was ths
unit of value in our coinage system fixed
| by the act of 1882. C0 Silver and gold both
were the measure Of value of all other
property till 1873. and the debtor had the
right to pay in either metal. (D The act
of 1873 was surreptitousy passed. 90
For all time of which we have knowledge
both gold and silver were treated equally
as money. (D Prices Of all prop arty now
are measured in gold alone and are sub
stantially at the present time one-h II
of what they would be under 1.-THE H.
metallic system" GD All the silver coined
at our mints prior to 1858 was primary
money, and since 1858 to 1873 the silver
dollars were primary money, while all
the silver coined since FEB. u, 1873 has
been token money, representing gold. O
Horr was unfair and Harvey could have
proved the aggregate indebtedness Of the
people OF the United States to be 10000
million dollars II he had had the time to
do 1t. 90 Horr does not yet know what
blmetallism Is.
Suppose Harvey had proved every one
OF these assertions, which he old MT.
The only ons which is of more than
merely theoretical interest to the Amerl-
can people Is that part Of No which al
leges In substance that prices would b.
doubld by the adoption of the silver
monometallism he advocates, which
means that the currency unit would be
cut down to one-hah its present value.
He did not show, or attempt to show, that
sue ha radical change would be Of any
ben.flt to the Amerlcln people as whole,
but only that 1t would be of value to the
minority who are in debt and hold prop
erty which they have pledged as security
for Vhe repayment of money borrow d
from people whose sole capital consists
of the money so lent and borrowed.
Mr.. Horr showed that every one OF the
claims made by Harvey which are OF
any importance in the discussion were not
supported by sufficient proof, that Har-
vey made no less than eight glaring mis-
statements In his book none of which
he successfully denied, that Harvey ad-
mltted his book TO be pure hction' und
rhat he repudlatsd its motto by declaring
that 1t does not mean what It says. >Horr
Culltu attention 10 lnt ulSlURGllOuSneSS
of Harvey, who repeatedly tried to pro-
duce wrong impression by quoting a
part OF a stature and leaving 1ff the
portion which would show his first state
ment TO be utterly untrue; also recalling
that frequently during the debate Harvey
put him Off with the statement that he
subsequently would satisfactorily answer
an objection and Then failed to mention
that part of the subject again.
The great point made by llorr was,
however, that the cutting down of the
currency unit by one-half, which Harvey
admfgt d to be his object when he sug-
gested thlt the gold dollar be cut down
Till Its value be no more than the COM
merclal value OF the silver In the "stand-
ard dollar" would benefit no one fXcept
silver mine owners and insolvent debtors
He showed concluslvely that this would
work injury TO seventeen millions of peo-
PIE who work for wages and that the
injury would extend to all pensioners
savings and other bank depositors and
the holders of insurance policies, aggre- |
eating twelve millions of people. and 70 |
every person In the United States who !
has any money except gold coin. Horr |
said the action proposed by the free silver |
extremists would destroy the credit OF
our people and lead 10 business disaster |
In every community In the United States, !
and Harvey said nothing to onset this |
statem mt. though pretending to feel hurt |
at the idea that he favors and advocates
reputation In closing Horr stated that |
neither Ia debate nor summary did Har-
vey show the advisabilty on this nation |
freely colnlng silver at 10 30 I, and that !
n clnnot do 4. He succlnctly stated that |
Harvey attempts to dlsparage honest In |
dnsfrv thrift ard golvencv. that his 4
whole system is at war with the best |
achievements OF civilization and clearly |
AIMS at the destruction OF law, Individual
development. and social order. II need be, !
through revolution. Harvey's whole case |
rests on an indictment against humanity, I
and he seems unable to detect anything |
but bad odors in a world full OF sweet
ness He is devoting his life to jeceiv-
ing the people"