Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-13

SENATOR JAMES N. JOsNEo'
have not been reduced to keep pace with
falling prices. and, besides these items
there are many more. The farmer mas
thus found IL more and more dnhcut
10 live. Has he not a just complaint
against the gold standard2
The wage-earners have been injured by
a gold standard and have expressed
themselves upon the subject with great
emphasis. In February. 1898. petition
asking for the immediate restoration or
the free and unlimited coinage OF gold
and silver at IS tc ! was signed by the
representatives of all, or nearly all. the
leading labor organizations. and presented
to Congress.
Wage-earners know that while, gold
standard raises the purchasing power OF
the dollar, IT also makes IL more DIM
cut to obtain possession OF the dollar;
they know that employment IS less per-
manent, loss of work more probable. and
unemployment less certain. A god
standard encourages the boarding OK
money, becausing money Is rising; II also
Giscourages enterprise, and paralyZes IN
dustry. Any legislation which lessons
the worlds stock OF standard money in-
croases the exchangcable value of the
dollar. Therefore. the crusade against
silver must inevitably raise the prr-
money value of all other forms Of pro-
perty.
RECONCILIATION OF SILVER.
Our opponents sometimes admit that IL
was a mistake to demonetlze silver. but
insist that we should submit 70 present
conditions rather than return to the BIZ
metallic system. They err in supposing
that we have reached the end OF the evil
results OF a gold standard; we have not
reached the end The injury is a con
tinuing one and no person can say how
long the world is to suffer from the at
tempt to make gold the only standard
money The same influences which are
now operating to destroy silver in the
United States will, if successful here. be
turned against other siver-using coun-
tries, and each new convert to The gold
standard will add 10 the general distress.
So long as the scramble for gold con-
tinues, prices must fall. and a general
fan I'm prices is but another definition
OF hard times.
our opponents. while claiming entire
disinterestedness for themselves, have ap-
pealed 10 the sellshness OF nearly every
class Of society. Recognizing the dispose
tion of the individual voter to consider the
effect OF any proposed legislation upon
himself, we present TO the American peo-
PIE the lIdulAtl pollty ouliiutl III iHF
Chicago platform, believing II will result
in the greatest good to the greatest
number.
on the other hand the restoration OF
| blmetalllsm will discourage boarding, be-
cause when prices are steady or rising,
money cannot afford to lie idle IN the
| bank vaults. The farmers and wage
earners together constitute a considerable
majority Of the people OF rhe country.
Why should their interests be ignored in
considering financial legislation? A none
tary system which Is exclusively advanta-
geous to a few syndicates has far less TO
commend Il than a system which would
give hope and announcement TO those who
create the nations wealth.
APPEAL TO POLICY-HOLDERS.
our opponents have made a special APP
peal to those who hold fire and life in
surance policies, but these policy-holders
know that. since the total premiums re-
ceived exceed the total losses paid, q
| rising standard must be Of more benefit
to the companies than TO the policy-hold-
/ ers.
Much solicitude has been expressed by