The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-28

httN VI ltS cultoTlll ClluInnb Tor some
time past II gnrblcd extract from Il
speech made by James G. Blaine In 1878,
by which our contemporary tries to
make Il appear that Mr.. Blaine was In
favor of the currency proposition which
the popocratIe platform OF this ycar re-
clarcs for
In yesterdays issue the Register, "ln
response to requests" published an cx-
tract OF the speech FROM which the quo
tutIon Is garblcd.
Readers OF the paper who have been
led TO believe that Mr.. Blaine was IN
favor OF the free nnd unlimited coinage
OF silver at the ratio OF l6 to !, mdcpcnd-
ent OF the action OF other nations. were
doubtless surprised on reading the last
named publication, to find that Mr.
Blaine occupied no such position, but
that, on the contrary, while he opposed the
dcmonItt2ation OF silver and favored bi-
mctallism, he was only In favor OF free
coinage under such terms us would keep
silver and gold at a parity. and declared
that to undertake the free coInaEc OF
silver without international agreement
would. in his opinion. oc dangerous
undertaking, since II would drive our
gold from the country. aud result In the
flooding OF this country with dcpre-
clated currency.
In other words, Mr., Blaine took almost
the same position in this much talked of
speech that the Republican party occu-
pies to-day and has always occupied.
and the speech which. In an unguarded
moment, the Register has been induced
to publish, shows clearly that were Mr..
Blaine now living he would be In line
with his party for an honest dollar
Here Is an extract from the speech in
question. which the Register should, In
Justice TO Mr.. BlaIne's memory. krep
standing along with the CARRIED extract
1t Is making so much OF.
''ThO question before Congress. then
sharply DEFINED In the pending house bill
Is. whether II IL now safe and eXpCdicut TO
olter free coinage to the silver dollar Of
1I-fs bIAIIlS Win Lue minis OF lhu Latin
union closed and Germany not permitting
silver 10 he coined rs money. At current
rates OF silver. the free coinage OF II dollar
containing il@is grains. worth in gold
about y cents. gives an illcSilmatc profit
to the owner OF the bullion, enabling him
to take o. cents worth of II 10 the MIN
and get II stamped nS coin aud force hts
neiShbor TO take II as Il full dollar. This Is
nn unfair advantage which the govern
ment has no right to give to the owner OF
silver bullion, and which dcfrauds the man
who Is forced to take the dollar. IL us-
suredly follows that II we give free coin
age TO this dollar OF inferior valuN and put
II In circulation, we do so mt the expense OF
our better coinage In gold: and unless We
expect the invariable experience OF other
nations TO be In some mysterious way auS-
pended for our peculiar benefit, we inevi-
tably lose our gold coin. II will flow from
US with the certainty and force OF the
tides, Gold has indeed remained with us
in considerable amount during tho cIrcu-
latton OF the Inferior currency OF the LEGAL
tender; but that was because there were
two great uses reserved by law FOR gold
the collection OF customs and the payment
of Interest on the public debt. Eut II the
inferior silver coin ia ulso to he used for
these TWO reserved purposes, then gold
has no tie to bind II TO U.S. What gain
therefore, should we make for the clrcuIa-
ton medium. II on opening the gate of sill
yer to flow In. We open II skill wider gatc
for gold to fox out? II were to venture
upon dlctum on tho silver question. l
should declare TINT until Europe remunc-
tiZcs silver we cannot afford 10 coin q dol
Jar MS low as ilgia grains. After EUSoDe
remonetlzCS on the Old standard we can
not afIOrh 10 coin dollar above 800 grains
II VIC coin too low dollar before general
reconciliation, our gold will leave US. II
We coin too high a dollar after general re-
monetiZAtIon, our silver will leave us II
Is only an cquatcG ValuC before and after
general RECOMMENDATION that will preserve
both gold and silver for u.s."
II there IS any difference between this
position OF Mr.. Blaine In 1873 regarding
the, wisdom o: entering on the expert
ment which the free silver men propose
and the contention of the sound money
men OF to-day in that particular. we
would like the Register to point It out.
At the time Mr.. Blaine spoke the market,
value Of the silver IN the silver dollar
was o. cents; to-day 1t Is only a fraction
over 81 cents.
II Mr.. Blaine could see the danger OF
entering on free silver coinage when the
value of the metal In 4 silver dollar was
30 much nearer the value OF gold dol
lar, how much more pronounced against
the experiment would he be now? Our
free and unlimited silver friends will get
poor comfort from pcrugal of the en-
tire speech OF Mr.. Blaine, and will gain
nothing by dishonesty garbling Its
statements.
The person who asked the Register to
print Mr.. Blalne's speech must have set