The morning times., 1896-06-22
'PRHcHD FOR FREE SILVER
Rev. Dr.. Kent Roundly Con-
demned the Gold Standard.
MONEY AND MORALS.
It Is It's Plea for an Honest Dollar"
and Its Warning A ga inst Dishonest
Mo ney" That Gives the Sound
Money" Men 1hetr Hold on the.
People, " 4 eacher Declared

--<s5. -
| The moral aspect of the money question
was discussed yesterday morning at the
Peoples Church by the Rev. Alexander
Kent. ID. d. his general theme being
| money and Morals"
! Every one. he promised, would cuncede
that the topic was timely, "for never
before las the ppbIic interest been so
Thoroughly awakened to the moral aspects
of the money! question as it is today.
Even that portion OF the public which is
urging policJ jeinical to the general
| welfare makes its strongest appeal in
behalf-of that policy ON moral grounds.
| 1t Is its plea for an honest dollar,
and its charge that We who favor the
free coinage of silver are seeking Wit
| tineiy or unwittingiy to foist upon the
country dishonest dollar that gives it
best people today.
| IF the eyes of the people could be
opened to see the faliacy OF that plea
and the falsity OF that charge; il they
could see that this honest dollar is a
dollar which requires the debtor to pay
| twice as much as he borrowed. and en-
ables the creditor to exact twice as much
as lie loaned. and this w>hoily as the
result of vicious legislation. the whole
I
| gold standard would be broken.
1T is a compliment to. the integrity of
the people and Il concession to virtue itself
| that even the men who utteinptto rob them
| are obliged to assume the moral role and
| lay their robber tribute in the hume of Eon-
esty and tustice''~-s
| Dr. Kent holds that money mustbe honest.
| 1t must be what it Claims to be and it must
be used always in the interest OF morals.
He heSi rod 4 sbnvx fhxai inf ~
| on the morals of Il people.
| MONEY NOT RICHES
He would not use money as synonymous
| with riches or great wealth. 1t would be
conceded without argument that great
| wealth is not favorable TO morals, as 1t Is
never acquired by any code OF ethics recog-
! Dizcd as moral, although he would grant
a difference In the earning power of in
dividnals.
| But if enc cannot earn millions and has
| them not given to him, there is only one
other way by which he comes into posses
| sion: it may not he by theft, but it is not
| by honorable means.
On the ether hand the extreme of poverty
| cannot conducc TO a moral existence or way
| OF lie. the prayer OF Agur indicating
! desire for neither riches nor poverty was
| one full Of practical wisdom.
Dr.Kent here explained tile origin of the
adoption OF n medium OF exchange which
| grew utofthe cumbrousDess ofthe exchange
of products.
He held that the furnishing the measure
of values and n standard of future obliga-
| tons was socialdevice, but the trouble has
been that the device has been imperfect."
1T has been yard stick VIII, So length
has expanded according as the interest
| OF the money yed classes has moved them to
| warm IL or to cool #. The skilled man
| ipulators have always been able to enlarge
or diminish the purchasing power of the
unit Of value-s 1t has thus afforded sell
| fish men the temptation TO advance their
own interests at the cost of the general
welfare.
''The corrupting influence OF colossal
| fortunes has been the baleful agency in
demsralizing the manhood OF the public.
Those who have accumulated such vast
| fortunes have been smart enough to keep
the people blinded 10 the real character
of their transactions and have steadily
posed as the Dtlyest patriots. claiming credit
| fer all OF the Progress and achievement of
the passing years.
EXCHANGE FOR SERVICE.
.The worst effect is the paralyzing ef-
feet Of these manipulators on the indus
| tries Of the country. and through this, On
the morals of the people. The chief power
and value-of none fPust be in the exchange
fer service OF the laborers, who are the
true wealth of the nation. Any kind of
money that will not enable these 10 pro
cure healthful and ct miortable subsistence
is failure. Why have not manufacturers
been able to employ. labor To the extent
Of the labor supply? Not because of an
over production. surely, Tor there are mil
lions upon millions in sore need of the
things they manufacture. but because Of
failing prices. and the cause Of the falling
market is the crux Of the whole question.
There might be several causes but DR..
Kent maintained that the chief reason for
the sta gnation and depression was the act
of 1873, (which struck down silver as
money OF ultimate redemption
This doubled the demand for gold, and,
therefore, its rise in value. Rise in the
purchasing power OF money carries with it
a decline in the price of goods.
The greatest Importance of medium of
exchange. which is also measure OF values,
is that it must he constant. To decrease
the quantity of money one-half and to
leave the obligation on the debtors to
pay the same number OF dollars, Is as
great an outrage on the property rights OF
of the people as it would I've II wheat
were the medium OF exchange to double
the size OF the bushels and require payment
in that new measure.
The silver legislation was Just as morally
indefensibe as such procedure with a
wheat standard.
ARGUED FOR SILVER.
DR.. Kent argued that the reinstatement
of silver would relieve the situation. He
believed the claim to be valid that to put
|.bOth metals on the same footing would be
to secure q more stable measure of values
than can be had by favoring either metal.
Commenting on present conditions and
drawing their moral, DR.. Kent said:
-"But men who have no money and who
are powerless to exchange their labor for
money cannot be moral. II they beg even
for the barest substance or for the sake
of family they are looked upon as censur-,
able aud worthless. II they commit suicide
they are hcil-deserving sinners. We must
have a kind Of mopey that will do away
with such terrible Injustice, that will
open way for the idle millions OF the,
country-men and women alike.
"If we cannot do this we must bolsh
the money regime altogether and organize,
the productive and distributive forces OF
the country in a way to conserve its man.
hood and womanhood, as we cannot now
do. Money that ca aDnot be controlled in
the interest OF manhood in the nation can
not be controlled in the interest of morals"
Philadelphtan's Body in the Hudson.
Philadelphia, June 21.-Thomas Hennsey
sxf1 IA ot~ ~, sfxy