Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1896-06-10
SENATOR DANIELS SILVER
SPEECH

1 will be specific in stating not only
what I am against, but what am for.
1 am against gold monometallism,
ss Democracy has always been. and
regard it as Mr.. Carlisle did when he
was a Representative 81 the people.
a great a curse as war; pestilence, or
famine'-a proposition which since
then he has well-nigh demonstrated
I am against withdrawing the five
hundred millions of ~greenbacks and
Sherman legal tender notes, because
that would involve a contraction Of
about one:tHirfdiof all American mon
ey. to reducing the prices OF land and
commodities and wages at least 80
per cent more than they are now,
would increase the burdens Of debt
and taxation. and would ultimately
produce a panic, involving land own
ers, laborers, merchants, manufactur-
ers, and agriculturists in widespread
ruin. I am against the increase Of the
public debt by borrowing gold to dis
charge greenbacks and Treasury
notes which are payable in silver as
we'll as gold.
No government a have any high
er ideal before it's mind than the con-
ception of what an honest, just, and
intelligent citizen would do. There
is not an honest, just, and intelligent
citizen In the United States to-day
who yves silver or gold and who
would tolerate for one moment the
demand of his creditor that he might
designate the com which he should
exercise the privilege to pay.
l am against attempting to build up
again the national banks by providing
u public debt in order to accommo-
date them. In short, / am against
the contraction of the currency of the
people in any way, shape, or form.
/ am for:
1 The free coinage of gold as it
now exists.
2. l am for the free coinage of
standard silver dollars just the same
as we have issued from our mint from
1892 to 1895, and such as were freely
coined from 1892 to 1873.
B. 1 am for retaining in circulation
all existing greenback legal-tender
paper money of the United States.
4. L am for repeating the Federal
tax OF 10 per cent on State banks-a
wal measure "a measure against
which Democracy with one voice pro-
claimed, Il measure which destroys
and dries up the local energies Of the
people and helps to destroy self-help,
me great help Of oil self-respecting
and self achieving nations.
In short, 1 am for aliberal supply of
money to meet the wants of the most
energetic, progressive, aud inventive
people that ever lived.
Mr.. President, l am also in favor
OF an international agreement be-
tween the great nations Of the earth
regulating the power of exchange be-
tween their gold and silver coins and
providing for the free coinage OF both
metals; but / am not in favor OF watt
ing to put out the conAagration of
ruin in my W country until Queen
Victoria sends us q British hose som
pany to help to do it. When gentle-
men declare the benefit of an inter-
national agreement they acknowledge
how great an advantage it would be
TO the world to get silver money re-
stored. But with what face car we
Insist that other nations whose inter
est is against 1t shall lead in the mat
ter whan the great supply producing
nation OF the world, which has more
TO gam by it than any other sits gu
pinely and proclaims and adyert1ses
it's ~helplessness to a waiting world?
The leading nation Of the world.
the greatest Republic that ever exist,
ed in the world, could not place it,
self III a more snbseryient attitude