Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-10-03
The Issue with England.

Those who think that the question
OF double or single standard of value
is between the United States and all
the countries Of Europe are mistaken.
1t Is an issue chiefly between this
country aud Great Britain.
1t ought to be admitted that Eng
land is our best customer and that we
have no quarrel with her people But
she takes more than hal! our exported
surplus, and hy doing 80 sets the price
of our wheat, corn, cotton, provisions
and other articles, on which we chiefly
rely to bring rs in cash from abroad.
II the prices Of these articles are
forced down, we cannot keep gold in
this country, because it will be drained
out to settle the adverse balances -
that is, 10 pay an increasing debt in
England.
On this point the whole controversy
turns. On the gold basis, the more
we trade with England, the deeper we
are likely 10 get in debt to England
and the more gold We are likely TO
have to part with in payment.
When England puts up the price of
gold, it puts down our cotton, wheat,
corn and provisions articles without
which English manufacturers and
English business in general could not
90 on. If we did not supply these
articles, if the supply failed for ten
years, at the end of that time England
would be utterly ruined. Ii must
have them from Ms. 1t is dependent
on us for them. But If it shall con-
tinues to dictate the terms of the
exchange, as it i doing now, we will
he ruined Ii cannot 90 ON ten years
longer without utterly bankrupting
America and overthrowing Republi-
can institutions
The condition existing at present is
briefly this; O. We supply England
with food and with raw material for
lis principal manufacturers % BY
establishing the gold basis against us
by forcing the price Of gold continually
higher and higher England forces
continually lower and lower the prices
of what we have TO sell. 90 Our
stock of gold Is thu, continually
drained out of the country in increas-
ing quantities rs the price OF wheat,
corn, cotton and provisions 90 lower;
for if we do not pay for what We get
abroad by giving our products at good
prices il we are obliged TO part with
them for low prices we must make
good the difference in cash and if
gold be alone recognized as cash-we
must pay in gold only.
Hence it is England's interest to
force up the price of gold, year by
year. With splendid ability its Tory
fnanciers have been doing it, They
have had the backing of political and
financial agents in New York and
other American cities who are thor
oughly familiar with our politics.
Through these England has sought
to dictate the platforms of our con
ventions and TO control the elections
of our presidents.
Under such dictation we have
grown more and more in debt, until
it is how estimated that we owe Eng
land from two to five billion dollars
ON which she demands payment,
principal and nterest-not in wheat,
cotton, corn. provisions, silver or any
thing we might easily pay, but in
gold only, as by paying only in gold
We will force gold still higher and
higher and everything we have to sell
still lower.
If we have grown NJ once imbecile
and servile. We will accept this dicta-
ton If we are Americans, possessed
of common sense and maniness to
back it, we will show in the next five
weeks that we are not afraid to make
Il stand for our rights. and the per-
manency OF our institutions. Ameri-
cans should never consent to allow
the United States to become the finan-
cial dependency, the trade tributary
of England November will show.