The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-07-25
The Great Financial Question Ably Dis
cuSSed al the Y. N. C. A. Hall.
Mr.. R. D. DOYlEAaD COL. ELAN DEBATE
They Were Ably Assisted by DIR. L.. Is.
Fiery and Mr.. w. 81. Sergeant-ur.
Neal Prcsities-A Lucid and Strong
Presentation of tho Two Sides of
the Question large Audience.

free and unlimited coinage of silver a.
the ratio Of 16 to l" (which has been tie
subject of so much keen anticipation
among the thinking people Of this city,
came off at the Y NJ c. A. hal .ost
evening and was even more successful
than had been hoped
In spite of the threatening weather
ana diSagreeable warmth If .he evct:I::
the spacious hall was comfortably crowd
ed with an Interested and cultured audi
ence, which listened att.n..ytly ana
frequently applauded the instrut tive al.
dresses delivered for their edifi.ntIun
ana b. neft
Coionel w. c. ELAN, editor of the New
Daily Pilot, and champ'om for free IL
YER. was the first speaker and consumed
something like three quarter, af IN hour
In very abl., lucid and exhaustive ar
gument In which hd ma;si:aled the
forces OF the waite metal in combined
and solid array against ;ha standards of
gold. He summed up his remarks in
the Following telling mannc":
flrst|S!lVtr is one OF the only two
precious metals provided by God (or Ma
ture, II you prefer for use among men as
money.
seeond-Both silver and gold hav, been
used by men as money from tn earliest
times.
Ihird-They are used to-day as money
TO very large extent by all nations.
though chiefly as SUBSIDIARY or secondary
money.
tourth-At no period has the world
hau TOO much money, and the ra;ic Of
,lc ,t,elailc money to-day to popuiat:or and
business is less than 1t has been Il: sew
cral centuries
fitha-Ihe world to-day. including til.
united States. is suffering for lack Of
money, and both governm IN. and peo-
PIE are tending toward ruin and starva-
ton ON narrow gold basis.
SiXth-other things being equal, those
perlods In which most OF pres .ous metals
nave been produced have ID. 4 The most
prosperous In the history of the world:
Du' since 1873 decentralization has oper-
ated TO bring about a worldwide staena-
ton and depression thai even the I'm
mense finds of gold in south Africa AMI
OF silver and gold in this county anG
elsewhere, have not been able to mora
than partially alleviate.
Seventa-Of the two IN tails silver bo-
ing worth only one-s.~tetnth Of gold
ana being m3re durable in use II T.; tha
preferable metal for currency and tha
only metal for a popular coin. G3ld is
100 valuable. the loss by wear and abr.-
SION Is too grea: ami i;s trIe u,lica IS
lhat OF redemp.!n and legal lender
;s.oiey -. l. nor VeiJ large sums while silver
Is really the only practical money crin
'or circulation and a":Iil daily use
Elghth.-Intended by heaven and on-
u,oNeu oV universal experience through
an heeS as ioint and equal money. gold
a; aiu SILVER are necessary to each other
III SUPPLYING the wants of mankind and
that IL is only i'm their conioint ,Ise tba,
each VIII lind it's best protection from
improper MANIPULATION and disastrous
fluctuations in value. and that in the
!hthhS mus established by and between
them can we alone find true and
SteadV standard of value-as a standard
Oh time is only achieved by a comnound
ana compensating pendulum in which
rodS OF different metal by their varying
'. uesrre ana direction of expansion
euualiZe each other.
Ninth-With full money and legal
tender quality. and without any excen-
ton IN favor of gold by force of special
contract. or otherwise silver will main
taih u. luii parity with gold in this country,
ht leaSt. under free and unlimited coin
age-free and unlimited coinage. togeth-
er with free and unlimited power and
caDacltV as money. being recopine
10 maintain parity with gold or any
,,.i u.iier metal or material having these in
unrestricted measure.
Tenth.-Gold will not witb1rau, ,,ho
II hnds itself associated with n fnii
equal or. IL II should for awhile the
BEST commercial and financial authori
tes concur in saying that a premiums
Oh goio or English exchange at New
making our bills on England more vain
able and decrease our Imports by in
cieasine the cost of foreign goods
soon. with the balance of trade in orr
FAVOR. and English silver coin valued 81
higher rate than our own. English gold
would come at par with our silver to
trade at New York on equal terms.
EleVenth.-But the constitution of
country. the rights of the States. the in
terestS OF our people all demand the
sDeedv restoration of silver The bountv
of heaven has enriched the bosom OF
our land. and. bv blunder or a crime
that bounty is denied our suffering peo.
Die on. let us hasten to undo the great
wrong. and
Scatter plenty over smiling land"
AS soon as the applause which sue
ceeded Col. Elams remarks had sub
sided. Mr.. r. Devereux Doyle. a promi
nent attorney and gold standard
Democrat. arose to deliver the flrst ar
gument for gold.
After reviewing the various cheap
money experiments of the past In n
very interesting an instructive manner.
Mr.. Doyle said: 80 people of all ages
seemed to realize that intrinsic value is
the real standar d of value and the re-
pudiated finally all conflicting themes.
The co!onists of Massachusetts used hull
let's. Why? They were constantly Mt
war with the Indians and b,Iilata ad