Marble Hill press., 1896-06-04
Gov. Altgeld on Silver,

WV. aAtS cAo on SAAFcl'
Why should the democrats favor
free silver?
By free silver is meant the resto-
ration of free Coinage of both gold
and silver, as we formerly hadlt. 1t
means the use of both metals as pri-
mary or redemption money III the
world. AT present, while we have
silver in circulation, it practically
occupies the same position that pa
per does; mother words, 1t all rests
on gold basis. Gold now brings
the only redemption money known
to our law, any other money, such
as paper, etc, resting pn this gold
basis IS called creditmoney, and
a gold dollar can carry only limit
ed amount of credit. Before silver
was demonetized we had all the sill
Yer of the world and all the gold of
the world as redemption money, and
the different forms of credit money,
such. as paper, ETC., rested on both
metals, there being just about as
much silver as there was gold. We
had then twice as much money in
the world as we have now, and as
the amount Of money in the world
limits the amount Of business that
can be done in the world, i. is found
that with the use of both metals
twice aa much business could be
done as with the use Of one.
Then the amount of money in the
world fixes the average selling price
of all forms Of commodities and pro-
perty: when the different countries
through the manipulation Of the
creditor classes by law struck down
! silver they destroyed about one half
the money of the world and neces-
! arily reduced the selling price of all
forms Of property, but the debts, in
/ teres., taxes and other fixed charges
| remain the same. 1t took every
| .hing that the debtor classes could
produce thereafter to pay interest,
taxes aud fixed charges, so that they
| had scarcely any money left to spend
at the store. Formerly they were
| able to buy the one thousand and
and one little things that 60 to make
up the comforts OF a family; this
| gave the storekeeper business, he
| bought lots of gobds, he kept the
railroads busy, it kept the manufac,
turers busy making ali forms q
! goods, but when the prices OF p1op-
erty went down to about one-haiG
what they formerly were the debtor
| class and the producing classes
had to stop buying. The store
keeper, not being able to sell much
goods, also quit buying, The rail,
roads had less to carry and had to
discharge some Of their men. The
manufacturers, not beingable to sell
their goods, had TO discharge some
of their men, and in many cases shut
down entirely. This again ndestroyed
the purchasing power of the work
men, aud this produced paralysis
all around the circle.
This is the condition, that exists,
not onlyin this country, but through
out the world, and has existed for a
great many Years, and iaasmuch as
the debts, interest, taxes and fixed
charges must continne to be the
same, it is apparent that there cannot
be renewal of prosperity until
there is again rise in prices of com
modities and all property, So that
the debtor aud the producing classes
will again have somemoney to spend
after paying fixed charges, Our
| great home market has been destroy
ed because the purchasing power Of
our people has been destroyed, and
| the only way TO restore this home
| market, The only way to give activity
and restore prosperity In our country
and in the world is to raise the prlee
| Of commodities and property; and
1 this can.nnly be done BY Increasing
lthe volimeof money ~ the world BY
again placing silver just y where il
was before il was struck down. Form
4erIy every young man who was
honest, industrious and persevcring
4 could count upon making his way. IN
the world and ultimately becoming
indey-~a,'' - itis almost
IN It