The herald., 1896-10-20
DEMOcRACY'S DEMAND

LIE mONsNkAN - OGM MkA IN -
The Democratic party demands the
reconciliation of silver because there
is not enough gold produced to meet the
legitimate requirements of trade and
traffic for money. The natural flow of
the currents of business operations has
been obstructed and hindered by reason
of the withdrawal of silver from the
monetary system of the coun-
try, which operated disastrously
because it reduced the volume
of the circulating money medium by
one-half. 1t is not because silver is sill
yer, nor yet because silver has been rec
ognized as a precious or money metal
in all the ages, that the Democratic par
ty demands it's reconciliation. There is
no sentiment in the proposition. 1t is one
of cold, exacting business and right and
Justice, as between producer and con-
sumer.
Had the tendency of commerce up to
1878, or since, been in the direction of
shrinkage in volume there would have
been ample excuse for corresponding
reduction in the volume of circulating
money. for continuous plethora of
money Is as hurtful to general business
as continuous stringency. But the
volume Of commerce steadily increased
up to 1873, as it has since, and hence in
demonetizing silver the government re-
duced the supply of money in the face
of growing demand for a steadily in
creasing volume. That,is to say. the de-
monetiZation of silver caused the crea-
tion of the circulating money medium of
the country to be in inverse ratio to the
requirements of commerce. Naturally
the consequence was that syndicates
were formed to control the flow of mon
ey in the channels of business. When
the flow was securely under the control
of the syndicates it was an easy matter
for them to inaugurate a policy which
would also place the commodity mar
kets in their hands and in turn give
them control of labor's opportunity to
earn wages, the merchants opportunity
to buy and sell and the farmers oppor-
tunity to market his surplus product
at remunerative prices. In short. the
decentralization of silver operated to
subject every interest of the non-capi-
talist-the masses-to the will and
pleasure of the money syndicates, and
we all know how fat they have grown
and how lean the masses have grown
since the people We're betrayed into their
hands.
Were the supply of money equal to the
demands of the skill and muscle of la
hor opd tho distributors of uoods opd
wares, it would be too large and too gen.
orally distributed in the channels of en-
ployment and trade for the syndicates
to control. Then times would be uni
formly good, except when the forces of
nature destroyed the farmers crops, or
war or pestilence swept the land. Now,
the purpose of the Democracy is to es-
tablish just such conditions of existence
for the people, and since the whole cause
of the, distress of the masses since 1873
is attributable to the reduction of the
volume of the peoples circulating mon
ey medium very far below their money
requirements, it follows as the logical
conclusion that such conditionsscan be
established in no waysother than by the
governments providing an ample vol
ume of money for the cpuhtrys money
needs. Silver, therefores beingHhe only
metal possessing the requisiteAualities
to give the required increase In the vol
ume of money, it requires no great
amount of common sense to understand
that it's free admission to the mints is
the only way of securing to the people
that freedom from and independence of
the money syndicates and spectators in
the industry of the masses which Amer
lean citizenship implies.
That the money syndicates will move
heaven and earth, so to speak. between
now and election day to retain their hold
upon the masses there is no doubt what
ever Every device, scheme and method
that can be thought of to prevent the
putting of a sufficient volume of money
in circulation to satisfy the demands of
the business interests of the masses will
be employed by McKinley's managers.
They know that with the opening of the
mints to silver would come independ-
ence and prosperity to the masses, and
that Is exactly what Hanna and COM
pany do not want to see. They live and
wax fat upon the misfortunes of the
masses and they know that the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver into dollars
would liberate the people from their
greedy and avaricious grasp. The peo-
assert and maintain their rights, and
The Herald's faith in their manhood-in
their purpose to be true to themselves