Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-08-01
The Peoples Money.

platform Is Tor the single money stand
ard of gold. unless England and other
European governments agree to estab-
lish bimetallism and restore the free
coinage Of silver.
The national Democratic party's
platform is for the reconciliation and
Il free coinage of silver at ratio Of
l6 to !. thus returning 10 bimetallism
irrespective Of what England or any
other foreign nation does. in the interest
OF the masses Of the American people
as their constitutional right.
There is not national bank in the
City OF Baltimore to-day that will cash
any mans check in gold. except ad-
vised to do so for effect, and then il
will have to he the check of very
rich stakeholder or depositor, with the
understanding that it will be rede-
posted. The reason of this is to
discredit silver; vet these same banks
will give you, il you demand it, silver
certificates ami you can take them to
the United States Custom-houses, the
United States internal revenue offices,
and have them received for all dues,
customs and debts of the United States,
and, better still, get gold itself for them
at the United States Treasury. Under
these circumstances what is their
difference in value?
We have heard of such things as
gold half-dollars. and there may have
been even such coin as gold quarter
dollar, but il so they are few and far
between and only valuable as relics
and remembrances of their inventors.
This country can better get along
without gold than it can without silver,
and this is an indisputable fact so far
as the great masses of the people are
concerned. This is bold, yet most
truthful assertion.
To prove il will state that there is
not Il man or woman in the United
States to-day, no matter what their
politics or business may be, whose
income varies from 1865 to $4,000
year, who would not starve or else 90
naked if they were dependent upon
receiving gold for what they sold and
depended upon gold as currency for
what they needed to eat and to wear.
Their only dependence is silver as a
subsidiary circulating medium. Two
silver half.dollars make and are equal
to one gold dollar, and so are four
silver quarters and also 10 silver
dimes, likewise 90 nickel iive.cent
pieces and 100 copper cents. This
being the fact, which is, most properly
speoking, the money of the people!
What retail dealer is there in any
business whatever that would he able
to continue his business If silver is not
money equivalent to 100 cents in the
dollar ? Suppose it only worth that
because so stamped by the government,
then why should the government not
coin it free and thus make it worth
the sum the government indorses it
for? II 10 silver dollars are not worth
as much as 10 gold dollars, how is it
that $40 silver certificate, based upon
an uneoined silver nugget. that the
government changes to coin, is worth
rs much as II $40 gold piece?
II gold was our only money the
prices of everything. from a copy Of
penny paper to a street-car fare, would
be dollar, and the fellow who didn't
have dollar couldn't read, nor could
he ride. A loaf of bread, pound of
meat, coffee, tea or sugar and glass
Of beer even would be worth a dollar,
since silver would be like either Con.
federate or Continental money" BY
this mean if only gold should be the
standard or socalled unit of value; the
people who refused to take silver and
demanded gold would find no purchas-
ers. for the reason that 999 purchases
out of 900 amount to less than 81
each. When silver was demonetized
it was selling for Il premium of 2 per
cent. over gold, and today it is worth
only 63 per cent. or 81 per cent. less
) than gold. but should the national
Democratic ticket win this fall and
silver be remonetized at ratio of is
to /, and by that mean coined free,
as gold is to-day, it will be worth from
to 10 per cent. more than gold, and
thus put the wage-earners, wages in
silver dollars upon parity with the
millionaire's gold dollars rs to COM
mercial value, and thus let the great
masses read penny papers to enlighten.
and To ride in electric cars to enjoy
themselves.
The great monopolies and corpora.
tions in the United States today, to-
gether with the banks and money
sharks. declare that silver dollar is
only worth 30 cents. and they continue
J to pay their employees in the so-called
, deprecated money There is only
one way TO convince their employees
that they are honest and truthful. and
! that is to pay them either in gold dol
I HITS Ut elSt tWO SILVER IulIaf> IOr the
one they owe them When they do
this they will establish their own hon.
esry and ,ruthfulness, and unless they
do do it their employees had better vote
Tor the reconstruction of their so called
dollar into its constitutional parity
with the rich mans morey
The real truth and fact to-day is
that there is no man in the United
States. unless he is crazy man. that
will give two silver dollars for one
gold dollar, no matter what he says,
what he does or what he thinks. The
millionaires are like the late General
Ben Butler. of Massachusetts, who
said They can call me all the
names they please, excep fool, but
that they cannot prove "Old Ben's"
head was level-so are the ''gold-bugs"
but, it must not be forgotten, so are
the peoples, thanks to an honest and
upright press and our public school
system; and hence the votes Dolled next
November will be Is for Bryan and
Sewall and the peoples rights to for