The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-06-21

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If the government expects to
maintain gold paymentseXclusively,
it must of necessity require it's
revenues to be paid in gold alone,
and it is the only legitimate means
it has of obtaining gold; otherwise
the government may continue in
definitely to issue bonds with which
to procure gold to meet it's gold
payments.
To require the customs dues to
be paid in gold alone does not les
sen the demand for gold one iota.
1t does not make gold any plentier,
but it does transfer the scramble
for gold from the government direct
to the taxpayer and the people. 1t
places the burden of obtaining gold
for the government to pay its gold
obligations squarely upon the backs
of the masses. This is the goal to
which the gold monometallist has
been and is now bending all his
energy, but he will get no further.
If the government, with all its
credit and greatness, is required to
make such sacrifices as it has had
to to obtain gold, how much greater
will be the sacrifice of property and
labor on the part of the unorganized
masses when they are compelled by
law, to supply the needed gold by
their individual efforts, especially
when the gold is boarded in the
hands of few in anticipation of
these conditions?
1t is true, under present condi-
lions, the retirement of the Treas
ury and United States notes, and
the payment of the customs due in
gold alone would relieve the Treas
ury of any further concern in regard
to gold, because in that event the
government would transfer the
burden to the individual taxpayer
and unorganized masses.
The idea of the gold monomet-
alist is to limit our legal tender
money to gold and silver exclusive
ly, gold as the standard or redemp-
ton money, and silver as token or
credit money, with the customs
dues to be paid in gold only, and
other taxes to be paid in gold if
necessary. If the gold mOnometal-
list should be successful in carrying
into effect this idea, then the people
would begin to realize to the eX-
treme what the gold standard
means when too late, perhaps, to
remedy.
In truth such conditions would
reduce the masses to abject indus
trial slavery. Our civilization
would retrOgrade. The gold is
substantially boarded in the hands
of a few, and the owners will not
loan it, unless the contract stipu-
lates that the loan shall be paid
back in gold; consequently the
owner of the gold can in this way
maintain perpetual control of the
little gold pile.
With the public debt, principal
and interest, payable in gold, with
almost every railroad and other
corporation bond, principal and
interest. payable in gold, with
millions upon millions of private
and other Indebtedness expressly
stipulated to be paid in gold, and
with all Indebtedness, unless stip-
ulated to the contrary in the con,
tract, payable at the option of the
creditor in legal tender money
that is gold and silver-where and
how, ask in the name of humanity,
are the masses on whose backs the
burden is placed, to procure the
gold to pay this collateral and enor.
nous Indebtedness, especially when
the gold is boarded in the hands of
a few in an anticipation of these
conditions! And yet in the face of
this condition gentlemen high in