The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-23

make such a radical change in our cur
rency and such a wholesale reputation OF
our obligations. 1t Is not a question or
power; it is not a question of national in-
dependence, but ii Is a question OF national
prosperity and national honor. On one
point only do we question the power of the
United States in respect TO this subject;
we deny absolutely that any legislative or
executive act of this government or OF any
other government. however great ana pow
erful, can make 50 cents in silver equal IN
value to 100 cents worth of god. or equal in
value to the commodities which 100 cents
in gold will buy"
Mr.. Carlisle then made an exhaustive
argument against the free coinage of sill
yer, in which he contended that it was a
dangerous doctrine, which, il it became a
law of the land, would result disastrously
TO all business and occupations, and to
none would it's effect prove more harmful
than to the farmer and the wage Garner.
Continuing, he said:
If the American people will declare by
an oVerw heIInlnS majority of their votes
that our present standard of value is to be
permanently maintained. that no contracts
are to be violated, no obligations repudi-
ated, in whole or in part, and that the pub
lie peace is to be constantly maintained,
pubic and private property Scrupulously
protected and the public authority promptly
indicated whenever and wherever it may
be assailed, a long step win Re taken tow
ARDS the restoration of prosperity III every
part OF the country.
hGt Il ILldly III FAIt Y; VI
to believe, that these importations of gold
are due to some artiilcial cause, some ar
rangement, combination or agreement upon
the part of an imaginary money power to
omp certain political results, and
that they will cease after the election. | can
assure our suspicious friends that there is
nothing artificial in this movement of gold,
that it is the natural and necessary result
Of the existing financial conditions on the
opposite side of the Atlantic, and that it
viii cease whenever the equilibrium is SUBJ
stantially restored, whether that be before
or after the election. 1T will certainly cease
after the election, whether the equilibrium
is restored or not, if the people of the
the policy of free coinage at the ratio of 16
to 1, and the gold, which a favorable bal
ance and profitable rates of interest have
recently brought to our shores, will depart
from us as rapidly as the fastest ships can
carry it across the sea. Our treasury re-
serve will be Immediately exhausted, the
gold held by the people and financial inSti-
tutionS will cease to be used as money, the
circulation will be suddenly and enormously
contracted, not only by the withdrawal of
gold, but on account of the inevitable panic
which will prevail in every part of the
country, and we shall enter at once upon a
long period of suffering and distress unpar-
alleled in our history.
Until / have lost all confidence in the
intelligence and patriotism of the American
ately incur the risk of Industrial and COM
mercial ruin merely for the purpose Of
making q financial experiment which is OPP
posed to all dictates of sound reason and
condemned by the experience of all man.
kind"