Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-08-29

lead to the RAPID collection of debts; the
sacrlnce oi property and deepen existing
financial difficulties growing. out Of insuf.
hcient revenues for the national, as well
as for many state governments.
IL Is sometimes said OF creditors that
they are bloodthirsty shylocks, aristocrats,
bloodsuckers N extortioners. Ii may be
there are among money lenders some men
who merit such ep.thets, but the great
body OF the creditors of our country are
among the thrifty, industrious and inteIli-
gent men and women of every Communities
one great body of creditors here is the
10000 union soldiers. their widows and
States TO the amount OF $40, OOO,O 600 a year
for services and sacrifices in the union
army. 1t would be an act of perfdy and
meanness beyond expression for this great
country TO pay them with money OF less
purchasing power than gold coin merely
because the overproduction OF silver In the
uH;,ed states Sixs. hSi reduced the inarks.
yer dollar. To take advantage OF this de-
cline In order to reduce the value of the
p.ttance to those pensioners Is worse than
TO rob the graves of the dead.
There is another class of creditors that
the free coinage or silver will greatly in
jure. 1t Is the depos:to.s in savings insti-
according to official statistics, number
nearly 100000 people. whose deposits
amount to more than t.soo, ooo,e 900. VIII
and purchasing. power OF the dollars they
have deposited?
Free coinage will also wipe out nearly
one-half the value OF life insurance, which
provident people of the United States have
pad TO secure, In case Of their death, some
support and protection TO wife and chill
d!en.
1t will affect !njuriously the multitude of
clerks and who employees depend upon
monthly pay. and VIII reduce the purchas-
ing power Of all salsr;es Of officers and
United States, and every state, county,
city and township in this broad land.
But by far the greatest injury. resulting
from the free coinage of. silver will fall up
IN workingmen. Their wages. are now
lased upon money OF the. highest value.
upon gold coin of standard value. Under
rec coinage of silver the value of the
silver dollar Will fall TO SO cents In gold, or
as | have already said. the 100 cents OF the
gold dollar wiz be worth 1874 cents Of the
Nvery workingman can and Ought to de-
mand enough silver for his daily wages to
be equal to the purchasing power of his
present wages In gold. The struggle be-
tween workingmen and employer VIII then
commence. and no one knows better than
the ~workingman how difficult II Is to get
an advance of pay. We have strikes and
strife enough now, but what will be the
condition when the workingman Is paid in
cheaper money Of the same nominal
amount, but of less purchasing W
Every sentiment Of justice will be on the
side of the w~orkingman in this struggle
for good money or increased wages In
cheap money.
OF all the evils which a government can
infict none can be greater than cheap
money whether of co!h or paper, That
dollar i The best dollar that buys the lHrs,,
dollar is the gold dollar, for 1t buys more
food and clothing than any other dollar
and will also buy a silver dollar for 50
cents If the coinage of silver is made free
at the ratio Of 16 to, / Of gold. Experience
has shown that the United States can
make the silver dollar buy as much as
the gold dollar, but 1t can only be done by
the government buying silver bullion as
needed and coming 1t into dollars on gov
eminent account This has been tired.
Every country OF Europe, except possibly
Russia, republics and monarchies alike,
maintains the gold standard and silver
coins at parity with gold at even a less
ratio than the United States, and now RUS
s!a has boarded over $500, 0C0, 600 of gold in
preparation for the gold standard which
she VIII adopt.
to the government over 379. 600. 900 silver
dollars, represented by certificates, and
also silver bullion costing over Sis, 1900
in treasury notes in active circulation and
maintained at par with gold at the ratio
Of 16 to /. The free coinage OF silver is an
invitation to not only the American MN
ers. but to all miners or holders OF silver IN
minis OF the tinted States and receive In
exchange therefor a silver dollar for every
4121a grains OF standard silver deposited.
But that silver Is worth in the market only
So cents. Why should we receive this bull
ION from the owners Of silver mines at
double It's market value when we nave
s such h, Z y With 1 dHinnnfcSuity at par With gold?
The only object and effect of this meas
ure will be to degrade the dollar, to lessen
enable debtors TO pay their debts at SO
cents for a dollar and TO cheat the public
should be adopted the United States
will take its place among the nations of the
earth as a bankrupt. closing Its business at
50 cents on the dollar.
There ia annthnr alarnant nf rpaannnCG m
this free coinage of silver. The United
has always pad Its bonds In gold
,oin or its equivalent. In the darkest hours
the civil wal we stipulated our bonds,
and interest, in gold or its equiv
ssEs. sat We sSsstsa Sfo% ySs SafsnSE !
frs of these bonds gold coin or it's equiva-
lent, even while our notes were below par
IN coin. About sSi7, 900. 900 Of these securities
are now outstanding, Of which s262, 10000
was sold by this administration and pad
for in gold coin. IL was one of the objects
OF those who advocate the free coinage OF
silver to force the government TO pay
these bonds IN silver coin reduced In value.
1t Is harsh to express this opinion or q
measure favored by many good people, but
I cannot regard It In any other Light but
az both a fraud and a robbery. and all
and free people. A citizen who should
commit such an offense would be pun
ished by the courts or denounced as d.s,
honest, but a nation Ike ours Is beyond
~ ~ e's
and God.
Now. fellow citizens. I have said all I
desire to say at present on the free coinage
of silver. | have the confident hope that
the great body Of the republican and DEM
ocratic parties representing the conserva-
tive elements OF our people WI stamp
their rebuke upon this measure or infamy
and thus preserve intact the honor, the
credit and the glory of II great coun-
try.
This matter of the free coinage of silver
and the degradation of the standard OF
value involves not only questions OF
money. but of honor and good faith. When
fan to respond. They have complied with
every promise and paid every debt con-
tracted since the date of the national GOV.
eminent as It became due. They have pad
four-ifths of the debts contracted during
the civ.l war and the prospect was hopeful
that all of 1t would be pad before the close
OF this century, but THIS reversthg our
at night, startled and alarmed our people:
Let us settle Ii by following the action or
Washington. Hamilton, JEFFERSON. Benton,
tain silver and gold at par with each other
at the legal ratio OF 16 to ! until a CONFER
ence among nations can prescribe common
standards OF value. In the meantime let
no act be done, no policy be adopted. no
expedient resorted to that will tarnish the
honor of this great republic.
Senator Sherman's speech was frequent
ly Interrupted with applause. When Gov
ernOr BUSHNELL ItAt
elect Foraker. there was deafening ap-
plause. The audience was expectant and
Senator Foraker was alive to the situa-
ton. His speech swayed the immense audi
ence at his will.
The crowd at the meeting at night was
the largest ever seen at a political meeting
in this city. Every foot OF seating and
standing room in the immense tent was
occupied. Hon. Stewart l.. Woodford OF
New York was the speaker OF the evening.
His speech provoked much enthusiasm.
Red Pepper on Ice Cream.
Kansas City Star.
Two women, talking together very
earnestly and confidentially, went into
Morton's ice cream parlor the warmest
evening this week and sat down to a
table. The eldest paused long enough
In her conversation to order vanilla ice
cream for two. When 1t came the eldest
said to the walter:
"Bing me the red pepper"
The waiter looked amazed a moment
and then ben his head nearer the table
and asked:
"Beg pardon. ma'am. what did you
ask for?"
"Red pepper"
The waiter looked puzzled; he stood
and shifted his owe from one arm to
the other. But the oma was not look
- = H. che ma % III, 10. 90 x,o.., ---.lv.