Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-08-21
For Congress, toth Va. District,
D. FLOOD, Of Appomattox
81 PROSPERITY GIVING EXPERl
MEN1

49, W HeH any writer OF Spe1heL uu tuc AANO
coinage Issue IN axes g prophecy as 30 The
result Of the triil in this country, he SIM
ply means, if be is honest with the people.
( That that is his opinion. He cannot POSI-
: ply have any precedent to go on, for the
precise situation now Oh view in the
United States Las never been duplicated Ill
The world. With the failures OF ali OF
4 TIE pred ictions IN the past made oy some OF
B tAe Wisest heads, as to TIE effect or certain
sfanancial experiments, and the many
changes of opinion reaching precisely the
E opposite OF those formerly held, man
would be very silly, indeed to mean by .
forecast more THAI that is his opinion.
! Let us look at some Of The predictions frem
good sources
VIM the Bland-Allson bill for coming
from Two to -Four million silver dollars d
month \ as passed in 1878, it was predicted
~ ssyae fir'nciers that it would drive geld
ant gef the ounty. Two hundred raillions
weyis coin. under the act and The gold
All RENAME in the country 'Flle Pladic-
:; On failed,
$3.50 he Sherman Till for purchasing
foL4y half million Of ounces ct silver
s noh.. .-.l issuing treasury notes on II
was passed. it was predicted by Mr.. Sher
naa and the financiers that it would ralsf
The price of silver. 1t did not; silver kepi
sn going down and the stringeney III mon
ey grew How could silver do ether thar
decline when by the very act itself congress
showed hostility to it, and by limiting ltS
purchase stamped it with its disapproval
When the Sherman bill WAS repealed (fol
which special session Of congress was
calied) it was predicted by Mr. Cleveland
and the inanciers, Nj Sherman, himself z
high authority on finance, acQuiescing, tina;
things would he better. Things got
worse.
Is was predicted that If the ST. Louis
Republican N ationaL convention adopted
a gold standard, Europe would begin.pou
inc money into the country That conyen
ton did ADOPT d gold standard. Europe
did not begin pouring any money H.
Thiags got still worse,
1t was predicted that il the Chicago
National Democratic convention adopted
free Silver, Europe wouid stop buying
altogether and the country would gC
staaightSto the devil. 1t did adopt fres
silver. Europe kept on buyias;. The
steady progress Of the country to The deyi
was not quickened 2 single beat
All the predictions given above were
made by firlaucieys who had 5he reputation
of having The largest experiences they
had-aad the wis5st financial beads III tht
land. iss,seile Of the most prominent puolit
men and journals of the country have re
yersed their opinions on the subject. One
Seere sarY Carlisle, whose speeches both fol
and against free silver have been Tar tA'
most effective delivered, has said Of The
characterization IF silver that 1.-The con
suiracv which seems to hare been formed
here and in Europe to destroy by legisa
tiop and otherwise from three-seyenths Il
one-haIf Of the metallic money Of the
world, is the most gigantic crime Of this OF
ANY ether age" Mr.. Elkins, Secretary OF
War under Mr.. Harrison, in speech al
Ei,airmont. w. Va, two years age adyocat-
ad free coinage OF both metals, said
..The time viii come when the silver in the
Treasury will perform the functions OF
money as of old, and the trouble will be
that there as not too mach Of 1t, bat 100
little He is now speaking in West Viz
cinia in support of the gold standard adopt
ed by his party at st. Louis. The Louis
vile Courier journal which is now urging
! gold bolt has been an ardent advocate OF
free silver, and June 10. 1856, said:
/. That the demonstration Of silver which
i has prevailed for some years no to this writ
I. SAG. beth in the United States and in Europe
has had the effest Of advancing gold about a.
per cent.
d. That this has been accomplished by Dc
,,ressinr the value Of all other property to
that eSJs9t
3 Tnat .uo... 20 ger cent. Of the property
and producing resources Of the pao- nave
TINS been transferred r. ? comparatively
small class of men whose sock BE- trade IS
gold investment.
4, That in the exact p; gold 1as
risen the burden OF debt E oeel
increased, and that in plo.
and labor have declined the capacity U. Va.
naonle to pay their debts and taxes has
decreased,
That the silver discount is creating a
bonus Of over so per cent. in favor of the farm
productions of India and Asia, while to that
axtent it cheapens the wheat, Gotten and vari-
ops other productions of the United States
That these lamentable conditions have
heen produced by anti-silver legislation.
This. the sad experience of the country
between 1886 and 1896 proves to be even
trner now than when it was written.
In the midst of this uncertainty and
change in opinions on finance, one may turn
with certainty to a prophecy which has
been fully verified within the experience of
those who read this. 1t is that of James
r. Blaine, made in the U. S. Senate. 1t
sneaks rs voice from the grave warning
this country against proceeding further on
a course that has about ruined its people
and which, if persisted in. will produce
oven greater misery that has already been
caused:
.[ believe the struggle now going on in this
country and in other countries for single
oold standard would if successful, produce
widespread disaster in and throughout the
commercial world. the destruction of silver
as money, and establishing gold as the sole
INIT OF value, must have ruinous effect on
all forms of property except thoSe invest