Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-10-01

saMt cdusSS dnu Iecling, tne same DuSlueSS
depression as those who disturb md harass
the whole country. l have no sympathy
with a cause based upon mere hate aud
passion. 1t Is beneath the aims and pur-
poses of patriotic freemen and l am glad to
note that ii receives no encouragement from
the sturdy citizens % New York. How
strikingly the names Of the illustrious Ham
iton and the Empire State OF New York
are inseparably connected. We cannot think
or the great events OK our history without
at once associating Them together, and we
cannot recall any example OF like nature
so conspicuous unless 1t be the insegarable
association OF Washington and Jefferson
With Virginia and Lincoln with us. Fortu-
nately these statesmen are our own coun-
trymen and we canlot too highly revere
them, and however much they have differed
In administrative policies they were always
Ind at all times together for the honor or
the country. No man OF his time left q
more lasting impression on public legisla-
tion than the eminent leader In New York,
-lexander Hamilton, who. more than any
one else. secured here ratification OF the
Uaited States constitution and to whom we
are more largely indebted than to any other
citizen for our protective tariff system,
which he always steadily supported and for
our excellent monetary system. for begin
ming with the first coinage act on April
2. 1872, every law enacted down to and In
GLIDING the act Of May, 1875, providing for
the resumption Of specie payments. was
based upon the principles laid down by
Alexander Hamilton and supported almost
In their entirety by Thomas Jefferson.
(AIp'ause.l
We have heard n great deal in this cam-
paign about the doctrines OF the fathers.
Hamilton favored both gold and silver as
money, though he preferred gold alone him.
self, and the government Of the United
States entered upon the use OF both. Ham,
ilton announced the great fundamental prin-
ciple when he said: ''There can hardly be
a better rule for any country for a legal
tender than the market ratio. In other
words, every coin should contain enough
metal so ttat when melted it will be worth
just as much as when ii Is stamped as
money. the bullion or market values always
to be the same as Its legal or money value"
This was the doctrine Of both Hamilton
and Jefferson. This has been the undeviat-
ing policy of the government under every
administrator and has been the settled
policy of all the great parties of the country
from the beginning OF tae government. BY
the act of July, 1890. COMMONLY known as
the sherman law we INSISTED upon putting
into that law the doctrine Of hamilton that
the parity of the two metals must always
be sacredly maintained. The Republicans
wrote into that law, for bocs branches or
congress and the presidency were In the
hands OF the Republican party, a solemn
pledge which is as binding an argument be-
tween the government and the people as
was ever made Here Is the language: ut
Is the established policy Of the United states
10 maintain the two metals gold and silver
at a parity with each other upon the pres
ent legal ratio or at such ratio as may be
established by law"
This was the act OF the hfty-first con-
gress, passed by the Republican party Tor
the purpose of preventing the free coinage
of silver at a ratio OF 10 to i, but neverthe-
less giving to silver the
Greatest Possible Use ms Money.
and for that purpose providing for the
utilization OF substantially the full product
OF the American mines. This Is not the
only declaration in recent years In support
of the Hamilton idea OF this parity. The
Nfty-third congress. elected In 1892 and
Democratic In both branches. with Presi-
dent Cleveland as the chief executive elect
ed by the Democratic party, also recognized
the doctrine of the parity. President Cleve-
land was so convinced that the coinage or
silver was becoming such a peril to the
country that he called congress together in
extraordinary session Aug. Z, 1893, and
cong ress, at his earnest solicitation. pro-
ceeded to repeal the purchasing clause or
the so-called Sherman law, aud In doing this
wrote into our public statutes this express
contract: "And 1t is hereby declared to be
the policy of the United States to continue
the use of both gold and silver as the
standard money, and to coin both gold ana
silver into money of equal Intrinsic and un-
changeable value, this equality to be Sc
tulNh thAohSh -
by such safeguards Of legislation as will
insure the maintenance OF the parity In
value of the coins OF the two metals and
the equal power OF every dollar at all times
in the market and In the payment of debts"
This was the act OF the Fifty-third con-
! gress under President Cleveland, an act by
a Democratic congress aud a Democratic
president, approved by a Democratic adj
ministration. and endorsed everywhere by
the Democratic press, and l believe by the
masses of the Democratic party. 1t Is true
that we, as Republicans. can take satisfac-
tion In the fact that 1t would not have
passed the senate except for the earnest
support OF Republicans. and none more
prominently than Senator Sherman himself.
But the Democratic party was solely re-
sponsible for your legislation then, and Its
action bound the members of that party
as strongly to the support of honest money
as the Fifty-irst congress had committed
!, the Republicans OF the country to the same
doctrine. With what bad faith. therefore,.
with what disregard for the right for
| justice and honor. can any Citizen now de-
mand that the government shall enter upon
, any settlement OF our debts or scheme of
coinage, the confessed result Of which
would be to destroy the parity between
dollars, drive gold from circulation and re-
duce the value OF silver and paper dollars
still circulating nearly ope-half? Hamilton
and Jefferson. Jackson and Lincoln, or
Grant and Cleveland never taught a doc
trlne so perilous as that. The people OF the
United States will never adopt so discred-
liable and dangerous a course; nor viii they
fail to brand with their condemnation when
ever an opportunity is given them through
the ballot. The idle talk about the dollars
of the fathers and the principles and men
of 1776 Will do no harm; but it will never
convince the honest citizen that Hamilton
or Jefferson or any other Of our revered
fathers or patriots ever viewed with tolera-
tion any scheme of dishonest finance or
contemplated for an instant the idea that
the United States would cheat it's people In
their money or repudiate any obligations
1t ever made. either by express terms or
Implication.
My fellow citizens. 1t must never be writ
ten that this nation either encourages or
| practices dishonesty. Good money we will
continue to have. What we want now Is a
chance to earn more OF our good money.
We never had better currency In the world
than we have to-day. and we never had so
much work In our history as we had In
1892. What we want Is to get back to
those good times and the people are only
waiting for an opportunity in 1896 to vote
back the principles and policies they gave
up four years ago. We want no free trade
In the United States. We want inc Ameri-