The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-16
Sec. Carlisle Addresses the Worklngmen
Of Chicago on the Currency Question.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR,
Hhall labor be Deprived OF Perrnn.
nent Employment or be Partially
Employed and InadequntcIy Paid
Arc Questions Directly Involved
In the Demand Now Made.

ium was filled tonight with people
who came to hear the address of Secre-
tary Carlisle on currency and finances.
Several hundred people stood through
the entire address and several hundred
more went away being unable to gain
admitance. The Secretary received a
nearly welcome and was loudly cheered
upon entering the hall. The stage was
occupied by about 200 officers of Chlca-
COS trade and labor assemblies at whose
invitation Mr.. Carlisle came o Chicago.
NJ. j. CAIRO, editor of the Eight Hour
Herald. presided. Mr. Carroll said that
It was the desire of the laboring people
Oh Chicago to hear some plain. intelligent
truths regarding the currency question
ants that the Secretary of the United
States Treasury had been selected as
,he most fit person for giving the infor-
nation wanted. He then introduced
Nir. carlisle who after expressing his
pleasure at meeting such Il large as
semoiage OF Chicago people, spoke as
follows:
MT President and Gentlemen:
am here this evening In response to
communication received several months
uGo from number of gentlemen conect-
cd with various labor organizations of
this city. inviting me to address them
ana their fellow worllingmen upon the
currency and financial questions which
thsn ana are still aEitating the minds of
our people in all parts OF the country.
Whethef the general business of the
money or bad money, whether the wages
OF labor shall be paid in n sound and
stable currency. with fun purchasing
power In the markets where they are en-
changed for the neccssarics of life, or in
a depreciatcd and huctuating currency,
having no fixed value and therefore bear
Ing no permanent relation to the current
prices OF commodities. are questions
OF every home and the peace and pros
perity OF every community. While all
are deeply Interested in the settlement of
leg inf nrfti al, ,lN.,
case that all will not he equally effected
by an erroneous decision upon them. The
lated property or boarded money. is al
ways exempt from many OF the most
duStrial disturbance, He has both means
and credit, and while he may be sub
jecied to much loss and inconvenience,
neither he nor his family will be pinched
by munger, or compelled to go without
raiment or shelter. 1t is the poor man
and the mas of moderate means the
man who has not been fortunate enough
TO accumulate property or money. but
VINO depends upon his wages or upon the
products of his own labor for the means;
OF supporting himself and his family.
that always feels the first and most
nust,ihi oppression, no matter whether II
results from Il deprecated and iiuctua-
ting currency or from other causes. Such
man has nothing to dispose of but his
labor: and nothing with which to sup
port himself or his family hut his wages
or the proceeds of his own labor, and
any policy that even temporarily suspends
or obstructs the industrial progress OF
the country. by diminishing the demand
for the product of labor, must be IN
furious TO his interests and inflict more
or less suffering upon all who de-
Whether we shall or shall not have a
long period Of financial, commercial and
industrial disturbance in this country
and whether labor shall be deprived OF
permanent employment or be partially
employed and inadcquately paid. are
volved in the demand now seriously made
by many OF our fellow citizens that the
United States, without the co-opcrat tion
or any other government in the world
and in opposition to the established policy
OF every other great civilized and com
mercial nation. shall authorize the free
and unlimited coinage OF fun legal tender
silver at the ratio TO IL to !. notwithstand-
two metals is about 81 to |: or in othrr
words. that the United States alone shall
declare by law that ID ounces of silver
are equal In value TO one ounce of gold
when II Is an indisputable fact every,
where recognizcd that in all the markets
OF the world. in silver standard coun-
tries as well as In gold standard coun-
tries, IL ounces of silver are worth ONLY
about one half as much as one ounce Of
OF gold and will purchase only about one
half as much as one ounce of gold and
will purchase only about one-half of the
tion Is that the United States shall coin
at the public expense. for the exclusive
benefit of the individuals and corpora
tions owning the bullion, all the silver
that may be presented ut the mints into
dollars containing 31li4 grains of pure
silver. or il2ia grains of standar silver
worth intrinsically about 81 or ~ cents
deliver the coins To the dcpositors OF tho
bullion, and compel all the other people
In the country to receive these coins at
n valuation OF 100 cents each i'm the pay-
ments of debts due them for property
sold for labor and service of all kinds
for pensions to soldiers and sailors and
their widows and children, for losses sus-
tained under policies issued by life and
other insurance companies, for deposits
In savings banks, trust companies. buld.
Ing associations and other institutions
Tor debts due to widows and orphans by
guardians, executors and administrators
or dcccdentS' estates and other trustees
Tor sa aries of all civil. military and naval
officials, and the COMPENSATION OF prl-
yate soldiers and seamcn. and. in short
Tor every kind of obligation recognized
by the laws of the land. except only I'm
taken the precaution in advance TO con-
lent.
The attempt to maintain what is called
the double standard of value, that is, the
attempt to keep the legal tender coins
or the two metals, gold and silver, in
use as money at the sam6 time. upon a
ratio OF value fixed by law, has re-
peatedly been made by kings and parlia-
ments I'm every civilized country In the
world. and II has failed again and again
In every one of them: and II requires no
81ft of prophecy to forcsee that II must
continue to fail SO long as self interest