The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-12

There was great complaint of the stag
nation in business. There was gen
eral condition of dissatisfaction among
the laboring people, and the English
government appointed a commission
for the purpose Of determining what
the difficulty was and what was the
remedy, if any remedy should be found.
They appointed II leading citizens OF
that great nation, and they took evi-
dence before that commission for tive
years and published it in great book.
/ would give something handsome to
know how many of these travelling Pc
litical economists that come through
this country to tell you your duty nave
read the report and have studied the
evidence put before that commission
and how they came to disagree With
that commission.
six of these men were pronounced
advocates of the gold standard, ana
six of them believed when they got
through that the gold standard ought
not to be maintained in Great Britain.
They said: We find this condition ex-
lists in every country of the world that
is attempting to go to the gold stand
ard. They said, in addition We tipd,
on the contrary, that every country
that has maintained a double stand
ard, or that uses both gold and silver
or that has gone to the silver basis, is
in better condition than the cous-
tries that are on gold standard. We
find that they are improving and max
ing progress, while we are standing
still. And then they add: The differ
once between their condition and that
,,ft -, -to vi n rR
compelled to believe, arises largely out
OF the currency disturbances
Il want to challenge the statement
that is being repeated from day 20 day,
that we had prosperity in 1883, that we
had it in 1889, or that we had it in 1899
and 1892 In 1873 the American silver
dollar was stricken out of the list of
American coins. / do not regard it az
of the slightest consequence to the
American people how it was done The
fact exists that it was done, and the
evil which followed, in my judgment
is too apparent to be denied.
II know one thing in reference to the
decentralization of the American silver
dollar 1 know that no newspaper ed
itor previous to 1873 had ever written
an article in defense of the single gold
standard 1 know that no American
newspaper had ever advocated the de-
mOnetization of silver and know that
no American speaker anywhere had
| suggested to the American people that
the silver dollar was not good enough
to do money duty and should be got
| ten rid Of l know, and you know, that
it was a good dollar then and worth
more than the gold dollar. I know
more about this transaction. I know
|
the bill and was absolutely ignorant OF
the fact that the bill demonetized sill
yer. When it came to be discussed he
challenged the statement that it de-
monetized silver. James G. Blaine.
when this decentralization act passed,
said in the senate: I did not know that
it demonetized the American dollar
II am as well satisfied of another
fact as 1 am Of these facts that I have
positive knowledge Of, and that is-the
American dollar was stricken out OF
the list of American coin by three con
certed agencies.
"Some power, some agency, knowing
what the effect would be upon COM
merce and trade, knowing that the de
struction of the silver dollar would
double all the credit moneys, all the
bonds and all the securities OF that
kind in this country, stood back Of it
and engineered it and secured it's pas
sage.
THE great republican party tells you
now that the present gold standard
must be maintained. The provision FOR
international bimetallism is to make
you believe, as they made me believe
III 1892, that they were in favor of hon
est bimetallism"
The senator closed his address in the
following words: Il want to say to you
today that L am a protectionist be
lieve in protection to American labor
have not changed my views upon
that question. But let me tell you that
the Wilson tariff bill is not free trade
bill. 1t is protection measure. And
l say, without fear of successful con-
tradiction, that it is a better bill for
the manufacturers of this country I
do not speak of the farmers) than the
republican bill of 1888"
MYSTERIOUS DEATH At HELENA