The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-28
ALrGELD REPLIES TO CARLISLE
Makes a Pointed Answer to Some of thu
Sound Money Arguments.

Springfield, Ill, April 2z-Secretary
Carlisle has been. answered by Governor
Altgeld. In a pointed, open letter. made
public today, the governor replies 10 the
address on the money question which
the secretary recently delivered at the
auditorium in Chicago. Governor Alt
seId's letter is as follows:
"a teacher should be willing toansweI
questions AT the close of MIR. Car
isles speech a number of gentlemen
arose and asked for further informa-
tion. but he turned his back and slip
ped off the stage, and, by direction OF
his managers, the questioners were
hustled out by policemen. He could
have made himself very interesting on
a number OF points, which he persistent
ly ignored. In 1873, when discussing the
money question in congress, he express
ed his convictions in the following
language:
81 shall not enter into an examination
of the causes which have combined to
depreciate the relative value of silver
and appreciate the value Of gold since
1873. but L am one Of those who believe
that they are transient and temporary
in their nature, and that when they
have passed away, or have been remov-
ed by the separate or united actions of
the nations most deeply interested in
the subject, the old ratio of actual and
relative value will be re-establiShed on
a firmer foundation than ever. l know
that the worlds stock of precious
metals is none too large, and l see no
reason TO apprehend that it viii ever
become so. Mankind will be fortunate,
indeed, if the annual production of gold
and silver coin shall keep pace with the
annual increase of population, COM
merce and industry. According to my
view of the subject, the conspiracy
which seems to have been formed here
and in Europe TO destroy by legislation
and otherwise from three-sevenths to
one-half the metallic money Of the world
is the most gigantic crime of this or any
other age.
''The contamination OF such a scheme
would ultimately entail more misery on
the human race than all the wars, pes
thence, and famine that ever occurred
in the history of the world. The abso-
lutte and instantaneous destruction of
half the movable property of the world.
including horses, ships, railroads, and
all other appliances for carrying on
commerce. while 1t would be felt more
sensibly at the moment, would not pro-
duce anything ike the prolonged dis
tresS and Reorganization Of society that
must inevitably result of the metallic
money of the world"
1t viii be seen that this language is
clear and emphatic. and has none of the
sophistry and petufogging about it that
are found in his Chicago speech. His
awful predictions made in 1873 came 10
pass. He not only saw his own prophecy
fulfilled. but he saw the misery of his
country become even greater than he
had predicted. Finding that his views
had been correct. he continued TO hold
them, until he entered Mr.. Cleveland's
cabinet. when, in some mysterious man
ner, there was a change OF heart. but
Tor some reason he feels unwilling 10
talk about i.
There are TWO other members Of the
cabinet-Hoke Smith of Georgia and
Herbert Of Alabama-who. like Car
Isle. had made their voices heard for