The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-09-18

iast twenty 49, ~. III 10XetMMe0GS ~
from which It Inn oinsd pproxlsaAtelyS
$50, O00, 900 Of silver dollars and i0Sued siS0,.
100000 In silver certificates, md tho plac0
Of the metal has steadily declined 20m
$l.15 per ounce g g cents per 10.
L augmented BY :he ohetinsS ~ tAs.
world1 The loss upon these silver pnr.
chases to the people Of this country Aas
now been nearly $50 000. 900. 81 US SSs H.
I The Dollar Of Our Fathers. u
about which 80 much Il said, was IN honest
dollar. silver maintainin. . full parity pf
intrinsic value with gold. The fathesss
would have spurned and ridiculed q propo-
sitions to make silver dollar. worth only,
6B cents stand Of equal value with q ROld,
one worth 100 cents. The experience Of
all nations proves that any deprccaation,h oW,S
ever slight, Of another standard, from the
parity with gold, has driven the more valu-
rience in q matter Of this kind ID worth
much more than mere Interested speculative
opinion. The fact that few gold coins are
seen in ordinary CIRCULATION for domestic
uses Is no proof at all that the metal ID
not performing most important function
house d not always In sight, hut the houss
would not stand an hour IL there were no
foundation. The great enginefy that moves
the ocean steamship 10 not always In view
OF the passenger, but It ID, all the same, the
pr0pelling force Of the vessel. without
which It would soon become worthless de-
relict. r. All
It may be Instructive to consider mo-
ment how the free and unlimited coinage
Of silver would affect few great Interests,
and mention only enough to demonstrate
what calamity may lie before ~ if the
platform formulated ut Chicago d permitted
to be carried ont. "a sss e; Z
There are now on deposit Ia the savings
banks Of thirty-three states and territories
OF this Union the vast sum Of $1,000 600. 900.
These are the savings Of almost 8 O00,O 900
depoaitors. In many cases they represent
the laborsand economies Of years. Anypde-s
probation IN the value Of the dollar would,
defraud every man. woman and child to
whom these savings belong. Every dollar
OF their earnings when deposited was worth
100 cents In gold { the present standard of
weight and fineness. Are they not entitled
to receive In full. with interest, III they
have 90 deposited? Any legislation that
would reduce 1t BY the value Of sinsle
dime would be an int0lerable wrong to
each deposition Every bank or banker who
has accepted the earnings Of these millions
Of dollars to the credit Of our citizens must
be required to pay them hack In money
not one whit less valuable than that which
these banks and bankers received An trust
There are. In this country, nearly 5000
holders to the number Of 1900 000, and with
assets amounting to more than 1900 900, 0OO.
Their average Of holdings u nearly 300 per
capitn, and In many cases they represent
the savings Of men and women who have
denied themselves tho comforts Of life IN
the hope Of being able to accumulate enough
70 buy OK build homes Of their own. They.
hare aldedsIn the erection Of over 100000
hoaSeG Wshtch are now aftordlng comfort
md shelter for 100000 Of our thrifty peo-i
Ile: ;sss ..3: 5s5
v Free COinnge
mt the arbitrary rate Of sixteen ounces
OF silver to one OF gold would be equivalent
to the c9n6scatl0n Of nearly half the saw
ings that these people have invested. It
would be tantamount to II war upon Ameri-
can home-makers. It would be an invasion
Of "the homes Of the provldent.'' and tend
directly to destroy the stimulus to en-
deavor a9d the compensation Of honest
toll. Every one Of the shareholders Of
these associations ID entitled to be repaid
In money Of the same value which he de-
posted by weekly payments or otherwise
In these companies. No one Of them should
be made homeless because political party;
demands change in the money standard
Of our country. as an experiment, or As
q concession to selfshness or greed.
The magnitude Of the disaster which
would overtake these and cognate interests
becomes the more strikingly apparent when
considered In the aggregate. Stated broad,
~. the savings banks. life insurance and
assessment companies. and building loan
associations Of the country hold In trust
sl5. 800, 1881 The debasement Of the cur-
rency to q! silver. basis, as proposed By
the Chicago platform, would wipe ont at
one blow approximately $7.O63, 3O4, S56 Of
this aggregate. According to the report Of
the department Of agriculture. the total
value OF the main cereal crops IN this
country In 1894 was 500. AS, 1O7. 80 that
the total sum belonging to the people, and
held In trust In these institutions, which
would be Eobliters.ed by the triumph Of
free and unlimited silver coinage, would
be seven and one-half times the total value
OF the annual cereal crop Of chr United
States. The total value Of the manufac-
tured products due Of the country for the census
lishment Of Il silver bssis OF value. a. now.
proposed, would entail loss to these three
interests alone equal to IS per cent Of
this enormous output Of all the manufac-
turing industries Of the Union, and would
AFFECT directly nearly one-third Of Ito whole
population.
One hundred and forty millions Of dollars
per annum aIe due to pengiouers Of the
late war That sum represents blood spilled
and su6erings endured In order Is prcserve
this nation from dlsintegration. In many
cases the sums 90 paid In pensions nrc
exceedingly SMALL in few. IL any. are they
excessive. The spirit that would deplete
these to the extent Of i sfarthinx IL the
same that would organize seiitiOn. destroy
the peace and security Of the. country,
punish rather than reward our veteran
soldiers, and Is unworthy Of the coun-
tenance, BY thought or vote. OF any %.
triotic Citizen Of whatever political faith.
No party. until that which met In con-
vention at Chicago. has ever ventureil lto
Insult the h0nOred survivors OF oar StruRRlA