Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-08-27
g WHEELING, W. VA. THURSDAY AUGUST 81, 1896.
in further experiments in this direc-

in further experiments in this direc-
ton.
The Republican party has declared N
favor OF an international agreement,
and if elected President it will be my
duty to employ all proper means to pro-
mote it. The free coinage OF silver in
this country would defer, if not defeat,
international bimetallism. Independ-
ent free coinage would drive at least
five hundred millions of gold perma-
nently from the trade OF the country
and greatly decrease our per capita cir
! cuiation. 1t is not proposed by the Re-
publican party to take from the coun-
try any of the silver we now have. 1t
IS proposed TO keep all of the silver mon
ey on a parity with gold.
If there is any one thing which should
be fr;e from speculation and fluctuation
it IS the money Of a country. Debase-
ment of the currency means destruction
of values. No one suffers so much from
cheap money as the farmer and laborer.
They are the first to feel its bad effects
and the last TO recover from them. Ihis
has been the uniform experience or all
countries and here, as elsewhere, the
poor. and not the rich, are always the
greatest sufferers from every attempt
to debasa our money. 1t would fall
with alarming severity upon invest
ments already made; upon insurance
! companies and their policy-holders,
upon savings banks and their deposit
ors, upon building and loan assocla-
tions and their members; upon the saw
ings of thrift; upon pensioners and their
| families, and upon wage-earners anu the
purchasing power of their wages.
The silver question is not the only
| issue affecting cur money IN the penu-
| ing contest. Not content with urging
the free coinage of silver, its strongest
champions demand that our paper
money shall be issued directly by the
government of the United States. ms
is the Chicago Democratic declaration.
The St. Louis Peoples declaration Is thaL
"our notional money shall be issued by
| the general government only, without
the Intervention of banks OF issue, De
fuY legal tender for the payment or al
debts. public and private, and be dls-
tributed direct TO the people and
Through lawful disbursements or the
/ lgCVGrnne NJ. nus, al oN44'-O ~
/ free coinage of the worlds silver we
/ are asked to enter upon an era OF uh-
| limited irredeemable paper currency
! The question which was fought out from
! 1861 to 1879 is thus to be reopened, with
all its uncertainties, and cheap money
experiments of every conceivable 10TH
| fosted upon us.
Another issue of supreme Importance
Is that Of protection. The peril OF IIee
silver Is a menace to be feared; we are
already experiencing the effect OF par
! tial free trade. The one must be avert
cd the other corrected. The RepuD-
Iican party is welded to the doctrine OF
nrotection and was never more IN ear
: nest in .ts support and advocacy than
: now IF argument were needeu 10
strengthen its devotion 10 the AIneLl-
can system" or increase ule
hold of that system upon the party oi
The neople. it is found in the lesson ana
exnerlence of the past three vars. Men
Tea1ize in their own daily lives what
hefore 70 many of them was only re-
nort history or tradition. They nave
%od q trail of both systems and know
wbat each has done for them. Inc
neonIe of the country must now face the
conditions which beset them. The pup
lie exigencies demand prompt protect
i've Ieoislation which will avoid the ac-
cumuIat,on of further debt by providing
sGenuate revenues for the expenses OF
the government. This is manifestly the
TeoTirement rno of duty. If elected Pres
ident of the United States, it will be my
oin n vigorously promote this object
anG ar'ii Give That ample encouragement to
tbe occupat:ons of the American peo-
NO which. above all else, is so imper-
ptiyely pt demanded at this juncture OF
our national affairs. .
~ the remainder of the letter IS devot-
ed to criticisms OF the admihis'rd1-ou
of President Clevland and the present
tariff law.