The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-31
TlIE Nu6aETS
Or aold,n wl,lom ras,1Ia D. N%elklnl,r,.

We tstuth WAN va NfthtitttNfk
Letter or Acceptance.
Tho letter OF acceptance pcnncd by
Major Mckinley Ia full 'ot tersc Ben-
tcneca. Nuggets of thought nro some.
times overlooked In The perusnl OF 40
long q document. To-day We lit out a
few OF those nuggets and ERe them
separately
Debasemcnt OF tho currency means
destruction OF values.
Tho owner Of the silver bullion would
get the silver dollar. II would belong
TO him and nobody else.
II Is a mere prrtcnse TO attribute the
sird tines to tho fnct that all our cur.
rGncy Is on q gold basis. Good money
never male times hard.
1t would dorange all existing values,
II would not restore business conf
dcnce, but Its direct effect would be 10
destroy the little which yet remains.
Tho government would get nothing
from the transaction II would bear the
expense OF coming the silver, and tho
community would suffer loss by Its use.
II there is any nc,thlng which should
be free from speculation and ilhctun-
ton II IL the money of n country. 1t
ought never to be the subject OF mere
partisan contention.
When we part with our labor, our
products, or our property We should
receive In return money which Is 9s
stable and unchangins In value rs the
Ingenuity OF honest men can make It.
Until International agreement IL had
II Is the plain duty Of the United States
to maintain the gold standard. II Is
the recognized and sole standard Of the
great commercial nations OF the world.
Let us hold fast 70 thut which We
know Ia good. It Is not more money
we want: what We want Is TO put the
money w already hare at work. When
money Is employed men are employed.
II would not make labor easier. the
hours Of labor shorter, or the pay bet
ter, II would not make farming less
laborious or more profitable. II would
not start n factory or make q demand
for an additional days labor.
No n suffers so much from cheap
money as the farmers and laborers.
They are the first TO feel Its bad Of
fccts. and the last 4to recover from
them. This has been the uniform ex-
per!cnce OF all countries, and here as
elsewhere. I
We cannot restore the public conf
dcnce by an act which would revolu-
tIonize all values. or an act which en-
tails a deficiency In the public rcve-
nues. We cannot Inspire confidence by
advocating reputation or pract!cIns
dishonesty.
There would be no. obligation resting
upon the government TO maintain par
lty, and II there were, It would be pow
erless 10 do 1t. The simple truth is We
would be, driven to u silver basis-to
silver monometallism. These dollars.
therefore. would stand upon their real
value.
Free silver would not mean that sill
yer dollars were to be freely had with
out cost or labor. II would mean the
free use OF the mInts OF tho United
States for the few who are owners OF
silver bullion. but would make silver
coin no frccr to the many who are en-
gagged In other enterprises.
Mexico and China have tried the ex-
Nperlment. Mexico has free coinage OF
silver and gold at a ratio slightly In
excess OF sixteen and q half ounces OF
silver TO M ounce OF gold. and while
her mtnts are freely open to both met
ais at that ratio. not q single dollar in
gold bullion is coined and circulated as
money.
II Is not an Increase in the volume OF
money which Is the need Of the time.
but an increase In the volume OF busi-
ness: not an Increase OF coin, but an
Increase OF confidence; not more coin
age, but I more active use OF the mo-
ney coined: not open minis for the un-
limited coinage OF the silver OF the
world. but open mills for the full and
unrestricted labor Of American work
ingnen.
Free silver means the debascment OF
our currency 20 the amount Of the DIFF
ference bctwn the commercial and coin
value OF the silver dollar. whSh Is ever
changing, and the effect would BE- to
reduce property values. entail untold
financial loss, destroy confidence, i'm
pair the obligations Of existing con-
tracts. further impoverish che laborers
and producers OF the country, create
n panic OF unparalleled severity, and
lniiict upon trade and commerce n
deadly blow.
The poor and not5-thc rich are nl-
ways the greatest sufferers from every
attempt to dcbaSe our money. II would
fall with alarming severity UPON In
NNSkIAlCAikS hll'hbN = kltIdGs upull lilHhI-
nnce companies and their policy hold
ers: upon savings banks and their de-
positors: upon building and loan asso-
citation members: upon the savings OF
thrift: upon pensioners and their FAM
ilies: and upon wage carriers and thu
purchasing power OF their wages.
Every attempt to array class against
class. the classes against the masses"
gncfi1n lugIngf spptLon Ia Thor apotnSt
capital, the poor against the rich or
interest against interest In the Cnfted
States. Is In the highest degree repre-
hensible. 1t Is opposed to the national
instinct md interest, and should be re-
sisted BY. every citizen. We are not q
nation Of classes. but OF sturdy, free.
Independent and honorable people. de-
| spisInS the ~demagoEue and never capt.
tulating to d%!shorJr. 4,
Those who assert that our present In
dustrial and financial depression Is the
result Of the gold standard have not
read American history Alright or been
careful students. Of tho events of re-
cent years. We never had greater
prosperity In this country In every
field OF employment and Industry. than
In the busy years from 1850 10 1882, dur
ing all Of which time this country was
on q gold basis and employed more
gold money In Its fiscal and business
operations than yer before. We had,
too, a protective tariff under which
ample revenues were collected for the
government and nm accommodating sur
plus which was constantly applied to
the payment OF the public debt.
condemned Tcstimony.