Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-07-10

Out increasing his burden. W hen you
make debt YOU are counting it in
dollars; you are counting on selling
your property for dollars to pay il
with the debt calls for dollars. You
did not count on falling prices, except
by honest means; nor on having tina,
by which You measure your property
rise in an ever increasing scale as II
has done since 1873.
What has been the result? Men
ran out OF money and went in debt
They contracted debts they never
would have contracted If it had no.
been for selling their property at low
prices. From about six billions of dol.
lars, the people OF this country were in
debt in 1873, it has grown to about forty
billions Of dollars, and it now is af-
Getting millions of people of this coun'
try and the property with which they
are to pay it, declining in price all the
time. How are they going to pay it.
1t means annually an interest OF over
$1,000, 100000.
The present financial system, based
on enhancing gold, has forced ma
jority of the people in debt and the
machinery OF the law made for the
collection OF debts is coniiscating the
property OF the people. 1t is trans
ferring the property Of the people into
the hands of the few as effectually as
the feudal laws of Europe transferred
all the lands into the hands of the
few.
DISTURBING CONFIDENCE.
They say we are agitators and dis
turb confidence, and are injuring bust
ness. That is an argument that has
been made by every selfish despot in
the world. Ostracism, and an attempt
to suppress free speech by means of
ostracism, should never find sympathy
in Republican form of government.
1t is not Republican; it is intended to
drown the voice of the people; it is
not the argument of honest men. An
attempt to suppress free speech, is
treason in republic.
INCREASED SUPPLY OF GOLD.
They tell us that the increased pro-
duction of gold is going to supply so
much gold that it will be cheap and
wheat will 60 back to $l.3O per bushel.
The fact is that these men who have
deceived us for 20 years, lied to us in
party platforms, used every form of de-
ception. as it became necessary to meet
unanswerable argument and allay the
clamor of the people, are now resorting
to falsifying the statistics. Those who
committed the crime of 1873 and who
have defended it since then by the
weapons one would expect such men
to use, have now graduated in the
school of falsehood and are increasing
the supply of gold-on paper.
But let us follow them up and admit
for moment that their statement is
true and see where it will leads us.
All the gold they claim there is in the
world will 60 in the space of 90 feet
each way. All the gold they claim to
have been produced in the last year,
converted into one foot cubic blocks,
would not afford seats for one-tenth of
this audience. Measure $40 piece, if
you can find one. and make this calcu.
lation for yourself. Prof. SUISSE, of
the University of Vienna, has pub
lished report giving letters from the
watch factories and others using gold
in the manufactures, and he shows
that the arts and sciences, including
dentistry and other uses, consume the
annual supply of gold, with q small
exception which he thinks goes into
the war chests of Europe. He esti-
mates that the annual production of
gold adds nothing to the stock of gold
for monetary purposes.
THE SILVER BULLION OWNERS.
They say the free coinage of silver
is in the interest of the silver bullion
owners. Ask them if this is true, in
whose interests is the free coinage of
gold? We now have the free coinage
of gold-have you heard anyone say
this was in the interest of the gold
bullion owners? Money is not local.
Its use is demanded by civilization.
The question to decide is, out of what
do we want to make our primary
money? And when that question is
settled, it is fixed for the benefit of all
our citizens and without reference to
those who may dig it out of the
ground. 1t is fixed, or should be fixed,
for the good of civilization.
INDEPENDENT ACTION.
They say we cannot 60 it alone.
Do you want to 60 it alone on gold
any longer? There is nothing to fear
by the reconciliation of silver. When
a great government like the United
States throws its minis open to silver
and says to the world: 1--WE have
established bimetallism, and anyone
can bring 3714 grains of silver or
1922 grains of gold to our minis and
coin them respectively into dol
lars" then no one is going to take
less than dollar for that guam
tity OF silver. Neither will the for
eigner part with his silver for less than
dollar. Why? Because" he rea-