The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-10-08
A NEBRASKA coMkADE.

afford you great pleasure to Reproduce COIL
munications from Nebraska in your great
mon political, non-partisan and only true
advocate of the old soldiers cause THE
NATIONAL Tribune
/ have been receiving copies of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE lately, and find the
same oyerfowing with grief Tor the OLD
soldier whose pension is placed In jeopardy
should the advocates of the free coinage OF
both gold and silver, as provided by the Con-
stitution be successful. You say: !" Pensions
will be paid in 5:,-cent dollars y; or that seems
to be the burden of your song.
Did it ever occur to you that there cannot
be a double standard of value any more than
there can be double standard OF width or
double standard of hight, OF any other stand
and while standard implies unit? But there
can be double standard supporting alike
that unit. The unit of the United States
under the Constitution is neither the gold
dollar nor the silver dollar, but they are,
under the Constitution, standard supports OF
the United States unit of value. The unit OF
value i'm the United States is 100 cents, and
both gold and silver dollars are coined TO
conform to and support that unit linen,
where does your 53-cent dollar come IN
You say: 1.-The only person benefited by
the free coinage Of silver is the silNer-mine
owner. as he takes TO the mint 53 cents worm
of bullion and has it coined into dollar
Do YOU not know that the silyer-mlne owner
sells his mineral to the smelters Tor just WilaU
ii will asSavs the same rs the farmer sells MS
wheat for what it will grade; the smelter
sells the base" metal to the reflner III IKE
manner and the refiner throws the pure
metal on the market. Now, Will you kindly
tell me where the silver miners 53 cents
worth of bullion is converted into DOLLAR
for him? Mckinley said in speech } une "A,
1890: am for the largest use OF silver IN
the currency of the land. i would give IL
equal credit and honor with gold. l would
make no discrimination. j would utilize
both metals and discredit neither. 1 want
the double standard" Did he stultify HIM
self when he made the above statement, or
in his letter of acceptance wherein he declared:
- The gold standard must be maintained
You call the advocates of Free Coinage an
archists. regulators and wreckers. Witness
this extract from Mr.. Carlisles letter: III
is the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury
and of all other officials to execute III gooa
faith the policy declared by Congress ana
whenever he shall be satisfied that the silver
dollar cannot be kept equal IN purchasing
power with the gold dollar, except by recelV-
ing it IN exchange for the gold dollar, wneh
such exchange is demanded, 1t shail pe HIS
dnty to adopt that course. "
There is no such authority. expressed OF
implied. in the statutes of the United States.
The law is very clear as TO the redemption OF
paper currency in coin, but the idea OF re-
deeming silver with gold was never before
suggested in this country until the appear
ance of Mr.. Carlisle's letter. Talk about
4 4 u al lAntllV
more DANGEROUS than 10000 dynamlteis
marching on the Treasury Building
In 1873 you could purchase eight pounds
of sugar for dollar; eight yards of calico
for dollar. and other necessary articles OF
consumption and wearing apparel in same
proportion. Wheat was worth STAT per
busbel: silver was worth S1.29 per ounce
Now, in 1896, you can purchase is pounds OF
sugar for dollar and 20 yards of calico for a
dollar; wheat is worth 35 cents per bushel,
and silver 90 cents per ounce The farmers
of Nebraska do not need silyer-t0ngued
orator to tell them that they are being fieeeed
by the money power, and the latter Will
realize that fact the Sd of next November.
You talk about an "honest" dollar. You
surely can't mean gold dollar, for that grows
fatter every day You must mean Mexican
dollar-a Mexican dollar being worth Just as
much as the bullion in it. and the bullion In
it Just as much as the Mexican dollar. Ac-
cording to gold-bug doctrine an honest dol
lar is one which loses nothing by melting"
therefore. the Mexican dollar must be an
honest one You can buy two Mexican dol
lars with one American dollar You can
make dollars as dear as you want them The
single gold standard advocates want them so
dear that the man who has not dollar can
get one. and the man who has dollars can buy
a great deal with them.
Why is it at this late date that the q. o. T..
is SO deeply interested in the welfare of the
old soldier? The ''grand old party" seems
terribly worried lest the little pension the old
soldier receives would he cut in twain should
silver be restored to its rightiul place, as
primary money. accorded it by the ConstItu-
ton. This same grand old party has for
gotten its promises made during the dark
DAYS of the rebellion, " that the soldier
should receive his pay in gold or Its equiva-
| lent" has that promise ever been made
! good? Never. True, the first $50. 600, 600 OF
greenbacks issued were as good as gold and
| remained at q parity with gold until their
retirement: but the secopd and all sub
sequent issues were. debased by the "excep-
| ton " clause placed Oh them at the dictation
of this same money power which has Its grip
on the Nations throat to-day.
| No no. my dear comrade; the old soldiers
who converted Nebraska's prairles into fertile
| farms have no need of any advice from The
| NATIONAL TRIBUNE, or their old Generals
| (who ride around in special cars furnished by
the accused gold power as to the proper
candidate to support. Thousands Of the old
BOYS who followed Grant through the vii
| dernegs and Sherman TO the sea will be found
voting for Billy Bryan, the boy orator of the
Platte, the Sd of next November. Yours II
! F.. c. and L--R. A. WILLIAMS, Private, Co
| L. 14Stb Pa, StTatton, Neb.
We select the above for answer from
a. number Of similar communications
for the following reasons:
/. 1t is legibly and Connected.
written, the writer knows how to spell
has fair acquaintance with the rules 0
grammar, and has evidently tried t.
think on economic questions. Thes
attractions are generally absent from tn
others.
2. The writer has the manliness t
sign his company and regiment, shown
that he is proud of his military service