The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-10-20

before you will be called upon to exer.
else the sovereign power granted you
by our copstitution-the right Of sui
ferage.
Before casting your ballots permit
me, as one of your number, to make a
few pertinent suggestions.
The one great fact that stares us all in
the face is that of the wretched and
heart-broken condition of millions OF
CUR fellow-workmen.
How can the awful suffering Of our
people be slieviated is, l know. your
greatest concern.
Reflect, then, for q moment and rea-
son with yourselves as to whether the
distressing condition prevailing are the
result of natural or artificial causes.
A natural cause would be the failure
of our soil to yield sufficient food to
sustain our people. Famine would re-
suit and financial panic would be a
natural consequence.
An artificial cause would be the fail
ure upon the part of the people, in the
event of bounteous harvests, to get the
grain from the granaries.
Now, to obtain our food supplies.
what does modern civilization require
from us? The medium of exchange
money.
Therefore, you are directly concerned
as to the volume of money in circula-
ton, for upon that depends the oppor-
tunity Of exchanging your labor for the
necessaries and comforts of life.
If the quantity of money be limited
as it is in China to say one or two dol
lars per capita, very low state of civil
cation prevails and human beings are
practically transformed into animals
for the benefit of individuals called
mandarines or noblemen. If the guam
tity be greater, as in Mexico, or Spain.
or Italy, or Portugal, a higher state of
civilization prevails and the people are
In much better condition than the
Chinese. If, as in France, a $40 per
capita prevails, we reach n high grade
of civilization and find that nearly 49,
OOO,OO of human beings can exist COM
fortably within that small area of ter
ritory.
Therefore, in my judgment, whether
in this land of fertility our per capita
of money be one dollar or $40 directly
concerns our welfare ADD determines
whether we are to be free men or slaves.
The following resolution Of the Penn
sylvania republican convention of 1895
rs in point here:
I'VE, the republicans of Pennsylvania
In convention assembled, repeat for the
regulation and government OF the national
currency the following principles OF
finance, which were announced TO us al
tour last state convention, and which since
then have received the overwhelming APP
lproval of our citizens:
1--WE favor the expansion OF the circu-
hating medium OF the country until the
same shall amount to $40 per capita OF our
population"
The farmers also. through their Ma
tional alliance, have repeatedly de
manded q circulating medium OF $50
per capita, to keep pace with eur re-
quirements.
If our soil yields us sufficient for our
needs, and representing that need is
a small volume of money, panic is the
result and distress is general.
This is an artificial panic, and the
gamers under such a state of affairs
are the few who become noblemen or
masters, and the sufferers are the
many who, through long continuation
of such a system, become slaves.
Now, let me call your attention to
some figures. .. ... ...
The volume of gold and silver in the
world Is estimated at $1,000 DOC, 900,
about equally divided between the two
metals.
II, As the gold men fear, America
shall be deluged by flood of silver, let
us see what that flood would amount to
in the event Of the fulfillment of their
prophecy.
If the entire worlds stock Of silver
dollars "a, 5OU, 900, o00) were exchanged
for American labor and products, how
much would we get? Fifty dollars per
capita, or mere tribe more than the
volume of money France employs to-
day-a country possessing about one
tenth of our area.
Just think Of it! To accomplish such
a result we must deplete the treasures
of every country upon the face of the
u NiShSC W US Ouf-
half OF it's specie wealth and con tract
it's volume Of money correspondingly.
Mexico, China and India must surren-
der their all, and thereafter do business
upon some other basis than specie
one.
Yet, this is the dire prediction of the
gold standard advocates in the event |
Of the United States adopting BIZ
DO you believe such a result would |
follow our return to bimetallic poll
,y7 And. II you do. would you not be
quick to vote for a financial policy that
would practically give to rs one-bslf
he spsei4 wealth of She world?
Let ~ examine into our stock It
rold. 1hers srs no svailsbls preplh