Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-02-07
THE DECENT DOLLAR.
THAT is BEING SUSTAINED BY
THE MONEY POWER.
No Wonder That They Favor Dollar
That VIII Purchase Twice as Much "A,
Honest Dollar Lessons from
Bond Deals.

MIR. Cleveland has taken the free
silyerites at their own word and demon
strated that they are either radically in
error as TO their theory of finance or
willing to steal under cover of pre-
tense of fair play. The logic of the
Morgan ultimatum convicts the presi.
dents free-silyer critics Of obtuseness
or dishonesty. The question is now,
will the Morgan syndicate have its
way? There is no fear whatever as
TO the gold reserve Mr. Cleveland
calls for "A hundred millions only. He
has little joker up his sleeve that will
fool any attempt of free silver TO smash
the reserve. He can get hundred
millions of gold either in Europe or this
country whenever he needs it under the
old law and in short order. The re-
serve is safe. The only thing TO be
concerned about is whether between
this date and Feb there will be any
popular movement, or any combining
on the part of moderate capitalists, OF
sufficient strength TO oyerpower the
ever the outcome of the present issue,
Mr.. Cleveland, while protecting the re-
serve, will furnish a fresh illustration
of the absurdity of free-silyerism and
all its works."
The above appears in the Chicago
Evening Post of Jan. Z. In view Of
the fact that almost everybody has
condemned Mr.. Clevelands former
bond deal, the attempt of the Post to
score some kind OF point against the
silverites, is about the --LATEST thing we
have yet seen. 1t is, in truth, almost
impossible to find the point of so sense
less criticism.
As nearly as We can understand it,
the idea CD seems to be this: J. Pier
pont Morgan is reported 10 have said
that his syndicate must have all of the
bonds or none. II so, what lot of in
famous wretches these silverites are.
In other words. if Mr.. Morgan has the
available gold supply cornered, and
consequently has the country by the
throat, it proves that those who think
gold an unsafe standard are cranks,
lunatics scoundrels and public enc
mics.
The Evening Post may be right. A
man who believes in the money of the
constitution-the money of Washing
ton, of Jefferson, of Hamilton. of Jack
son and Of Lincoln. may be crank
A man who believes that metal which
perfectly performed the functions OF
money for 1000 years is still fit for such
use. may be a lunatic-a man who does
not think that either the nation or an
individual should be compelled to pay
a one-hundred cent debt with a two
hundred-cent dollar, may be a scoun-
drel-a man who thinks that the Amer-
lean republic should stand on it's own
Independent basis in matters OF finance,
as in everything else, may be a public
enemy.
We have seen some silver men who
appeared to be little cranky; others
who even approached the line of lun-
acy, some who might with propriety,
be called scoundrels. possibly some who
might be placed in the category of pub
lie enemies-but thank God we never
saw a real genuine silver man who was
an idiot
SO Mr.. Cleveland has little Joker
up his sleeve" has he? Well that is
too bad. We knew that the money
power in general, and syndicates in par
ticuar have been throwing loaded dice
for some time, but we really did not
know or suppose that the president OF
the United States was playing with con- /
cealed cards. Instead of being a foil"
to the silver men, that has rather the
appearance of a foul" We will take
the chances and cry foul" anyway.
We do not know of a silver man in
the country who doubts the ability OF
the United States to borrow a hundred
in gold, or for that matter sew
eral hundred. 1t is only question OF
the extent of the robbery to which Tn
Gle Samuel must submit in order to get
it.
The silver men have had nothing to
do with the matter of the new call for
bonds. The great republican majority
in the house passed bond bill which
expressly provided against secret con-
tracts. The senate has taken no act
ion at all. The law is exactly the same
as it has been for the last twenty years.
OF course the silver men, like all other
good people, were anxious that if Mr..
Cleveland was bound to borrow money
when it was not needed. he should az
least do It decently. But they did not
do thing to him-not a thing.