Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-10-23

refu ses, asshe does aow, TO receive
the free coinage silver dollar oil
Mexico at more than fifry cents.
Free coinage in my opinion, ex
cept by and through internatlOna
agreement, means confusion and
destruction to the business and
material interests of the United
States, and | can see no benefit 10
it to any citizen except a silver
niue owner. Every silver dollar
today Is as good ~ a geld dollar
Why? Because it is government
money and the faith OF the UDlted
rtates is pledged to keep 1t at
parity with the gold dollar. Every
free coinage silver dollar will dron
Town like Il Q Mexican dollar. w u
Because it will DO the silver
miners dollar not The dollar of tn
government, aud there will DO III
government pledge behind 1t t.
make it COOL and II will have
nothing to support it bat Its III
trlnslc value-that is the value Ol
The metal III (which is now
ifty.thrte cents. O,her countries
have tried free coinage but every
strong conntrX has Abandoned 1t.
The United Safes has eudeay
Ored to hold the white metal up,
la 1878 by the Bland Allison ACT,
she authorized the animal purchase
twenty tour to forty-eight mil,
lion dollars yet silver fell; IN 1890
under the Sherman acts, he pur
chased 81 cocoon ounces annually,
yet the metal fell. 1t tho purchase
of 81 000,000 ounces a year did
not prevent further decline, whar
would he the result If her mints
were thrown open to the silver OF
all the mines of the wOrldf
Tue Chicago platform iec ares
that the present low prices Of ag
ricultural products is the result OF
The decentralization OF silver III
1878.
Can you, my fellow democrats,
he so fOrgetfuI as not to remember
that III 1884, 1888, and 1854, eleven
fifteen and nineteen years after
decentralization. democratic can
vasSers all over The land with in
tense earnesthess aVo we'd that II
was "a protective tariff that had
caused a tall in prices and brOngh
distress to the fArmsIi DID you
ever hear one of them attribute
be depression OF agriculture TO
what they now term "the crime OF
1877" MIny of these canvasser>
are nov yehemently insisting til n
be god standard is the f rmcr'o
curse. | do not question th~lr
sincerity In the former canvass or
the present. Tu.y have sim ply
changed their views.
But my opinion as to the ell C
of protective tariff has not chang
ed. | claimed, AZ did every demo
cratic ca1v ,sser III the years men
toned, that protection" was the
cou ntry's curse, aud that it han
wrought havoc to tue farmers in.
terests.
What said then bplievel.and
| believe it now. In the fifty
second congress the Wilson tariff
bill was passed, aud the country
was abOnt to entOr upon an era OF
prosperity, bn, Just then the 'iye
came. Az once confidence In tie
stability of cur currency was
SD ken. Money began TO seek
hiding places, and capitalists Gem.
menced to board to await the Ie-
suit.
"Nuen clouds are seen wise men
pnt Oh their cloaks."
For the last three years darker
aud darker have the clouds OF free
sllver gathered; closer and closer
has become the money market;
more and more have Industries
stopped; frmer and tirmer have
moueled circles clung to their
i )und dollars, afraid to put them
IN circulation.
Nearly all the money in the
country after decentralization was
active; there was confidence. Now,
while the per capita is gIeater,
more than Oue.lhlrd IL dormant
and locked up, cOualancs Is 90 le,
LIT the agitation cease; restore
cot fl Iencr; remove the fear OF Tree,
aud Independent coin
age, and prosperity will come
again, AID there will be few idle
hands. The supporters OF either
Chicago platform and nominees
who are deyoting so much time
and attention to me charge that /
70 ed for free coinage, aud there
TO z a II inconsistent III opposing 1t
NV.
o. August %, 1898, | published
NY views in al open letter In the
Richmond Dispatch, which, l was
pleaued 10 fluid, were endorsed 10y
this old and influential journal IN
an editorial from which | qu )te, as
follows: ave pub ish this morning
an open letter from GOyern"r
o Ferral', giving ia concise, Wi
reasoned aud able argument his
views on the silver question. |
will be a popular document. We
have seen nothing; better ca'culAt
to attract the attention OF tue
maeses aud convince them thai
| C0nS11mOtjOn |