The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-04-17
.SOEAD NONEi.

The issue in the coming Presidential
election will be sound money. The
fluctuations i'll finance during the past
few years has brought the money
question prominently before the peo-
pie, and the general sentiment
throughout the country is that some
thing must he done to make the tinan
cial status more firm.
The tariff will not be the issue III
this campaign. and even if Mr.. Me
knley is nominated by the Republi
can party, the money question will
be the issue. This cannot be
lodged by nominating a high tariff
candidate.
The silver men will no doubt make
a hard fight, but the sound money
sentiment must prevail, if we wish 10
avoid some of the sad experiences of
the past. Secretary Carlisle, in II
speech at Chicago "Wednesday,
made IA strong plea for sound money.
He pointed out the evils of free
silver coinage. and showed that by
allowing those who own silver mines
TO have 81 cents worth of silver coined
into silver dollar. These cor
porations ask the government to
stamp lone dollar on - cents worth
of silver, and then compel the working
man to accept this for its full stamped
value.
Such policy can only lead to specu-
lation in gold. This metal will be
come an article of commerce, as it did
during the war. Financial crisis can
only result from free coinage.
Labor cannot be boarded: the idle
day is gone forever; lost wages are
never reimbursed; and therefore
steady employment and good pay in
good money are essential TO the com
fort and happiness of the American
laborer and his wife and children, and
he will be unfaithful to himself and
to them if he does not insist upon the
adoption and maintenance of such Il
policy us will most certainly preserve
the valne and stability of all our cur
rency and promote the regular and
profitable conduct of all our industrial
enterprises. He cannot prosper when
the country is in distress, when its in
dustries are proStrated, its commerce
paralyZed, its credit broken down, or
its social order disturbed; nor can he
prosper when the fluctuations of the
currency are such that he cannot GER
tainly know the value of the dollar in
which his wages are paid, or estimate
in advance the cost of the necessaries
of life.
Whether we shall or shall not have
a long period of financial, commercial
and Industrial disturbance in this
country, and whether labor shall he
deprived of permanent employment
or be partially employed and made
quateiy paid, are questions directly
and necessarily involved in the de
mand now seriously made by many of
our fellow citizens that the United
States without the cooperation Of amy
other government III the world, and i'll
opposition to the established policy Of
every other great civilized and com
mercial nation. shall authorize the
free and unlimited coinage of all legal
tender silver at the ratio of 16 to /.
Notwithstanding the true market ratio
between the two metals is about 81 to
/ or, in other words, chat the United
States alone shall declare by law that
10 ounces OF silver are equal in value
to ounce of gold, when ii is an indis
putable fact everywhere recognized
that in all the markets of The world.
III silver standard countries IT'S well rs
in gold standard countries, 10 ounces
of silver are worth only about one half
as much las ounce of gold and will!
purchase only about one half us much
of the necessaries of life.