The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-23
FREE SILVER DBLUSION
Mr.. Edward Atkinson Discusses
the Question Of the
Hour.
From the Philadelphia aRecora.,

Virginia, in the speech which he made
al the recent convention in Chicago. No
one a doubt the integrity Of Senator
Daniel or his sincere purpose to do ius-
tice to his State and to his country. vet
ne has lent himself to the Silver Bar
ons tthat is a good name for thern} Of
the mining States. who, like the Robber
Barons Of ofden time, are making an
effort to a k a part Of the product Of
this country from the omnun with
out giving any service in return. They
are like the Barons of England who
resisted the repeal of the tax on the
bread Of the people, against whom thun-
osrea Ebenezer Elliot. the Corn law
OF Ebenezer Elliot
What is bad money then. thou slave.
Whom robbers represent
Wnat IS bad money then. thou knave.
VINO loysst bad government
1t is the deadly viii thai takes
what labor ought to keep:
Il = sne ueadiy power that makes
foods dear and labor cheap
Many honest and sincere men and a
Few ape men like Senator Daniels. now
support this Force bill. by means Of
when the owners Of the silver mines are
Trying g defraud the people of this coun-
lry. N the time of the Corn laws a very
large body. of the deluded masses. led
by a few able but sincere men saIrsoarte5
me Barons Of England in their effort to
tax. the bread of the people. SO as 40
make bread dear ana labor cheanS
When men are thus deluded. espeeially
men or brains like Senator Daniel. they
let tnelr minds run wild. and there is nd
argument so absurd but what they NAV
selves. e
In this speech to which | refer senatar
Danlei imputed the effort of those who
sustain the single gold standard Ia this
eounlry 10 English influence. Strange
g i, q Free Trader who knows what
tpy which a high tariff in this coisn+rv
mas been defended should descend IL
slmaar folly on this money question:
NoN. what are the facts? The United
hlnSoom Of Great Britain and Ireland q
the principal customer of this country
TOT gram, provisions, cotton. tobacco ana
olner farm products. For more than Ten
years Great Britain has bought from this
country at the standard Ct the no,,nS
sterEng-the single gold standardFrno-
ina four hundred million dollars {s4o0 :
VU,UU) worth a year. mainly Of these
pfoducts-more than one-half of-our total
exports-and although we are her great
EST customer, we have averaged TO buy
British goods during that period fo fba
amount Of only one hundred and sixty
million dollars ts16e, 000. 000) worth 4 wear
Great Britain has owed us year by year
On she average. for ten years, two hun
dred forty million dollars (s24o. 900 N2o3
IN pounds sterling-that is to say. In gold
by weight.
Now, what does Great Britain do with
most OF this material? She converts our
cotton into fabrics and arr nrnv;s;ons
into food. The largest item Of evnor@
from Great Britain to Asia. Africa, South
america and other silver or paper money
Srates consists of fabrics made almost
"hsiiy from American cotton. Upon her
bankers TAN the work. the expense and
the difficulty Of converting the silver
money OF her customers into the gold
with which we insist that she shall nav
US: and yet Senator Daniel and other de-
luleu victims OF the Silver Barons sup
port a Force bill or act of legal tender IN
DER which these owners of silver mines
may force silver dollars into cfrc4,ia tfnn
which cost them less than fifty ceufs an
q ooiiar IN gold, upon the ground that if
we do not aid in that nefarious transac-
ton We shah be subjeotimg ourselves TO
the dictation of British bankers and
that we are Influenced by British gokif
One can hardly speak with respect Of
men who subject themselves 70 such =
delusion. What could British bankers.
British merchants and British anufac
furers more greatly or more earnestly de-
sire than to be able to gather in the sil-
yer which they receive for their fabrics
made OF American cotton, send IT over
mere. put it through our mint at the cost
OF the taxpayers, and force that silver
upon our farmers. under our own Force
bill, at a hundred cents on a dollar.
NOW, when men like Senator Daniel
and his ~coadjutors inpute a Subiection TO
British gold and an unworthy purpose to
those who would maintain the honor and
integrity of this nation and keep its
money or unit Of value equal to the high
est standard Of the worlds ommerc
how do they expect TO be treated them
selves! In what esteem do they expect
their States and the people of their States
TO be held which they thus misrepresent
and discredit? How are the mighty fafj-
eni AfTgi MIA Was tho hor1a ~ =
or publiclsts. of masters of economic set
enc in former days. In what repute can
Virginia be held. and in what esteem can
ner merchants, her manufacturers her
towns, counties and cities be held when
her leading Senator lends himself TO a
Force bill. of which the main purposes
can, IN the nature of things, be but two:
% me purpose on the part Of the mine
while deluding them with the idea thai
they are giving them a benefit.
q The purpose of debtors to defraud
How long viii Virginia tolerate such
Force bills or such measures2
M Daniel tanks that the supporters
in difference to British Influence. when
IN point Of fact he Is one of the men, and
ing shsm eepSessu 10 rs one asn,,s VINO are led
tsh interests against the interests Of his
own country; How can sach a mar be
facts Of commerce and 80 ,' lgaoraIt OF IF the
real status of the case? One of the hes.
metal workers of Great Britain lately
passed through my office on his way home
from a trip through India. China and ia
pan; where. he has q large demand for tho
products of his machine shops. in which
he employs three thousand men or more.
Ills remarks on the present conditions was
this-We have had a considerable mar
ket in the United States for our machinery
in spite of your high duties. We could
not expect to retain it long in the face Of
your progress tn making iron and steel AZ
the lowest cost. but we are developing
OUR markets in Russia, Asa. and Janan
and we shall hold them against any posi-
bic competition on your part So long as
You shall keep your monetary system IN
confusion and your credit bad. There
fore. the niger you shall maintain the
silver delusfon. and keep yourselves handi-
capped TO your own discredit. the better
we shall like 1t and the longer your COM
petition with us in the markets of the
world Will be deferred
Mr.. Daniel and his companions are pro
noting to the utmost the interests Of
Great Britain. and deferring, SO long as
they have influence. the period when this
country will assume its post
ton in the commerce Of the world. and
yet he is under the singular seif-delasiun
that he Is a patriot and a master Of
finance
Boston. July q.