Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1896-12-04
SILVER QUESTION UNSETTLED

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election. The money question IS not
settled. It will never be settled on either
OF the lines defined in the platforms OF
the two great parties without the recur-.
renee (no one can say how often) Of the
same intense excitement, the same busi-
ness disturbances, the same rending OF
political organizations that characterized
the contest just closed. To pronounce
cause dead that required for its defeat In
Its first great struggle the gigantic forces
Of the whole money power of the nation,
aided by substantially the combined in
fiuence Of the metropolitan press, the
grouping upon one side Of all the influ-
ences that corporate strength can exert,
and the formation of political associ-
ations, often incongrous and necessarily
iincoherent, is far from a rational view of
the future of this most important Ques.
tion. The cause of bimetallism in the
ULited States has it's root in the federal
constitution, and in all the years of the
past until now it has been recognized as
legal right by the ablest American
statesmen, the most profound OF all our
constitutional lawyers. 1t is in the judg-
ment of its advocates q most valuable
right secured to the weakest and the
hum blest, as we'll as to the richest and
most powerful of all the citizens of this
great common wealth, and it cannot, as
they believe, be taken from the least Of
these without ignoring that most sacred
of human compacts, and weakening the
foundations of the republic ITSELF To
them the belief is verify that this right
was stolen from the great mass of the
people OF this nation without their know
ledge or consent. and that the act by
which it was accomplished doubled the
fortunes of the creditor class. pauperized
millions Of the debtor class and cut in
two the market value of the property Of
still greater class than either Of these.
No cry of repudiation will shake their
faith in the justice of their cause 80 long
as they can point to the law and say we
will abide by its precepts and compel the
performance by all of every obligation it
imposes; and no shout Of national
honor" will disturb their consciences so
long as they can read IN every obligation
their government has issued, now out
standing, the plain broad statement that
it is payable in the very money they de.
mand.
Let the naked truth be admitted. The
money question" is an open question, an
unsettled question, vital question that
Is bound to shake this nation from center
to circumference in the future, as it has
done in the past unless there are men in
power wise enough to prevent it'by some
compromise sufficiently just to all classes
to rid it. of the bitterness it engenders.
already intense, and sure to become more
so as the conflict is prolonged. At pres.
ent there IS one party and one alone in a
position to make possible the accomplish
ment of this end. If it can be accom-.
plished at all. am not one Of It's advis.
ers and do not wish to assume to be such,
nor am authorized in the least degree
to speak for single individual other
than myself, but am an American citi-
zen anxious for the welfare of my coun-
try, and that fact is my only excuse for
this letter. Notwithstanding the result
of the recent election, / want to risk the
following predictions:
No people with power to change 1t will
long submit to /. financial system that
fixes the level of prices at their present
standard. Our government will not go
out Of the banking business. Private
corporations will not control the currency
of this nation. United States notes will
not be retired. Gold bonds will not be
sold to provide for their redemption.
Treasury notes and silver certificates will
continue to form part of the circulating
medium of the country unless super
seded by some other form of national cur
rency. The national debt will be paid.
If increased production of commodities
IS the cause of present low prices. In
creased production Of money with which
to measure their value will be found the
only rational or just remedy. To curtail
production will multiply idle men. To
continue it at present prices will produce
the old worlds scale Of wages, the degra--
dation Of labor in the United States.
Some plan will be discovered by which
silver and gold, the one equally with the
other, will be made common basis for
all our paper currency, and this, in what
ever form it is furnished, will be under
the immediate and absolute control OF
the government itself, and wholly beyond
the control of individuals, corporations,
syndicates or combines. l believe, there
fore, that too much thought cannot be
bestowed upon this subject by the COM
mon people, whose every worldly interest
is involved in its fair and final adjust
ment on lines that meet their intelligent
approval.-Horace Boies in the Chicago
Record