The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-02
SPEECH By ]. STERLING MORTON.
taxing Issue vigorously With Free
silver AgitatorS.

'Ais iSsne vigorously With Free
silver AgitatorS.
Neofaska City. Neb., Aug IL. Sterling
a1ottoh delivered an address on finance
.ohigaf IN The presence Of a large audience.
ne CREW comparisons between the money
of the country when he came 70 Nehraska
IN pioneer days and now. He said II Was
slen something substantial. such as eat
tie. horses and hogs, and not until the
present Vas there an effort to create value
from something which had no value as
a commodity
After explaining the origin of money ana
dwelling upon the subject OF substituting
coin values. Mr.. Morton said:
The sole origin. source and cause OF
Vasne Is human desire. When there is A
demand for things they have value; when
the supply remains stationary the dema nd
increases and the value increases; when
sne demand ceases altogether the value is
altosether gone. This shows clearly that
the currency OF a people must be readily
exchangeao.e for those things which the
people desire and demand. The currency
itseaf must be desirable. and must be de-
nanded BY those who have things TO sell
me farmer who sells cattle, swine and
cereals for money finds that his customer
demands the highest possible quality In
each or these things. The buyer of the
farmers rrodgct is a seller of money.
Ine seller OF those same products is a
buyer of money. The purchaser demands
the highest known qualities in the things
that be buys OF the farmer, ard an en-
lightened seif-interest must compel the
farmer to demand the highest and most
unfuctuating and general purchasing
power In the money which he buys Never
before IN the history OF civilization have
any number or people protested against
being paid more than certain sum for
commodities which they have to sell
But today there are many farmers and
laborers who declare themselves in favor
OF system OF coinage which shall pay
them only sixteen ounces OF silver In lieu
OF one ounce of gold. Nehementiy these
people are declaring everywhere that they
viii be absolutely ruined if they be paid
In more than sixteen ounces OF silver in
stead OF one ounce OF gold. The CONNER
etal ratio of these two metals today is
about 81 10 1; tha. Is. thirty-two ounces OF
silver Will buy one ounce of gold bullion
The reason for dehg I'm favor OF
mint value for silver which Is twice its
bullion value is inexplicable upon The part
OF those who nave no silver bullion 10 coin
THE advocates OF this system OF coinage
Of silver az double it's commercial value
and gold on an equality with It's CONNER
ciai value declare themselves TO he BIZ
metalists and assert that thew are in
favor OF the two units of value. And while
two units Of value are TO my mind unthink-
able. they In their statements show that
they themselves have only one unit OF
value. and that Is the gold unit. Whoever
says Il am in favor of the free and un-
limited coinage OF silver at IS TO L. de-
clares himself gold mono-metallist. The
sixteen ounces OF silver he proposes to
measure by one ounce OF gold.
but we are told that there was great
crime committed in 1873 in the secret de-
monetlzation OF silver. There was no Sc
cret characterization Of silver. The bill
which left the silver dollar out OF the coin
age, provided for in the act OF 1873. was be-
fore the American people for more than
two years. The debate upon Its passage
In the house and senate occupies several
columns OF the congressional proceedings.
Up 10 the time OF this alleged demoneiiza-
tion OF silver the government had during
It's existence comet less than 9.oaoeo OF
silver dollars Under the BIand-Allson act
OF 1873 the government authorized the
coinage OF the standard silver and TO re-
store its legal tender character. This act
was TO resuscitate the declining value OF
silver IL was 10 place II side by side Win
gold as part of the redemption money or
the United States. Let IL he remembered
that silver had heen demoneti2ed by the
act OF 1873. and that the legislation of isss
was based upon the fallacy that silver 5oi-
lars OF gold value could he substituted for
deprecated paper. The silver dollars
coined before this enactment. amounting
to between IS 80 ard sa.oceesse. had long
before disappeared from circulation. Inc
decline in the value of silver was conse-
uuent upon it's increased production. which
began to exceed the demand for IT'S use
European nations omitted II from tneir
coinage laws They dropped 81 because
they had already as much silver money ss
their people demanded. They dropped X
because they knew that no amount of coin
ing % this metal could arrest its fnrtheT
serigyle n Increased production continued
"Buf II Is impossible 20 cover the wnole
ground in a single dsSultory speech. Let
us the1 rc back 10 the alleged crime OF
fs72 Was there conspiracy II SO. ~ao
were tho conspIrators7 They were the
genius ef trade. the enterprise of tne Amer
ican people ant the intelligence or an az
vanced civilization. The flatboat in w5ica
7 crossed the Missouri river IN the autumn
of 1894 was by conspiracy be-
tween capital and human iageHu-
~ de-ferrylzed. end the steam
heat took SIS place This change toek
r1ara because immigration ana the aeFei-
opnlenf of the territory became 100 "is TOT
ratboats. Later on conspiracy As@sh
trarsp,rcd. wherein capital and esVilizat'on
have combined % 3eferrylEe the stsRn-
beat. and the result IL the msgnihcent
steel bridge upon RhicA your trans cross
every day.
This republls IS not 4 judas lscariot
among civilized nations u refuses . ne
tray honest dealing. Il il eoFapeiisa by
is Judgment and lts conscience 70 releet
the opportunities % those wao wo2sa ae-
uvsr the safety and psrpetaiiT o tniS
country into the hands Of socialism. iaf'Ai -
eisrn and dishonesty. lt ignores snl
seorus All those sho would applaud ana
tesr "a the craeihxson cf the efs'- - -
ss,.--.s~.-,ov. whfrh has been. and God
g~ant b, nav continue 20 be. the savior OF
eggu ana religious liberty. the friend and
asylum os the poor and oppressed o. az