The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-04-04
THE HEAVENLY GOLD BUGS
Thar lmpud lent Manner Of Talking
to the Peo.
pie.
EVERY foLlD FAcr AGAINST THEN
.Preact,Ing ,Clap.Trsp to Line Their
Own Pock.
cts.

| Many goldite prophets claim that ii
free coinage law for silver (the same as
we now have for gold) was passed that
| this country and its people Wonla be
placed on level with China and Mexico.
1t is difficult for me to deal with this prop
osit:on with any sort of patience; yet this
brilliant piece Of reasoning | suppose
should be answered, for so-called Sound
money men advance the statement as a
Conclusive argument against silver
China and Mexico are no more barbara
Gus now than they were prior to 1873.
| We have never heard it charged against
France that its civilization was brought
any nearer that of China or Mexico by
| the immense increased use of silver
money in France. The people of the
United States prior to 1873, never heard
| it charged against us that we We're "cn
a level" or alongside or dangerously
close to the barbarious nations by our use
of silver as standard money. Were we
| all heathens and "on level' with China
and Mexico for the 100 years we had
free coinage law? Where were the wise
and patriotic men of our country during
that time? Were we con leveT with
China and Mexico during the time we
had such men for presidents as Washing
ton, Jefferson, Jackson and that great
martyr, Abraham Lincoln?
| History shows that China and Next ~.
| by reason of their large use Of silver as
standard mo:.a.., well, this country "a
been on gold basis, havo advanced more
in all ways than they did for hundreds
of years prior thereto. The only thing
that will ever place us alongside of China
and Mexico will be the continuation of
the present monetary sytem. The United
States can never be placed alongside"
of any barbarious or semi-barbarious ma
ton. except by compelling our people to
compete with the inhabitants of those
nations; compelling them to sell the prod
ucts Of American labor at prices regu-
lated by the cost of labor and manner OF
living in those nations like China and
Mexico. A civilized people are not placed
"alongside" of barbarious nation be-
cause they use the same kind of metal
for money. but only when, in their means
of livelihood, the foundation Of their civ
ili0ation they are made to compete with
the bar barians. That was the result ac-
oomplished for the producers and toilers
of the United States when silver was de-
monetized.
Since the disuse Of silver as primary
money our laboring men have been COM
ing nearer and nearer the "levep' Of the
laborers Of China and Mexico. What we
| want is more silver in order to improve
their condition, which it would certainly
do lit IS waste of time to discuss the
question further. If there is an Ameri
can living who fears that free coinage of
silver would convert him into Chinaman,
or a Mexican peon he is certainly an OBJ
ject Of pity.
Extracts from the Chicago Tribune be-
fore it sold out to the gold trust
1.-THE efforts of the gold men to in
crease the obligations of contracts have
made it all but Impossible for the debtors
to fulfill their contracts. Chicago Trib-
une, January 14th, 1878.
'"There has never been any contract
| made with the bondholders, expressed
or implied, whereby che government
agreed to surrender it's legal right to pay
in silver when gold became the dearer
metal. The practice has, always been,
since the foundation of the government,
not to pay in the dearer of the two legal
tender coins. Chicago Tribune, Janu-
airy 14th, 1878.
stThe Secretary of the Treasury John
Shemman) is the greatest bull in the gold
market, and every means at his official
disposal is employed to force an exclusive
gold currency on the country, and to de-
preciate all property, the accommodations
OF the industry and thrift of the people"
Chicago Tribune, January 21st, 1878.
The effects of contraction of the cur
rancy, on the morals of the country, is
briefly depicted by q, Georgia editor, as
follows
Gin 1868 there was about forty dollars
per capita of money in circulation; cot
ton was about thirty cents pound. The
farmer then put five hundred pound
bale of cotton on his wagon took it to town
and sold it, Then he paid forty dollars
taxes, bought cooking stove for thirty
dollars, suit of clothes for fifteen dol
lars. his wife dress for five dollars, one
hundred pounds of meat for eighteen dol
lars, one barrel of flour for twelve dollars
and went home with thirty dollars in his
pocket. In 1887, (under the good old Re-
publican times, remember) there was
about five dollars per capita of money in
circulation. This same farmer put a five
hundred pound bale of cotton ON his wa
gon, went to town and sold it, paid forty
dollars taxes, got discouraged, went to
the saloon, spent his remaining two dol
lars and thirty cents and went home
broke and drunk"
PICKWICK.
Odds and Ends.
Shea Penny for your thoughts. He
have none for sale. | am free thinker.