Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-10-16

the convention Of Chicago. 1t is the In
ternationap of Europe, now taking body
in America. OF this one can not but be
convinced when. the movement is closely
observed, the shibboleths of its adherents
Listened to. the discourses of its orators
carefully examined. The war Of class
against class is upon us. the war of the
proletariat against the property holder.
No other meaning than this can be given
to the appeals to the common people. :
to the laborer,' and to the denunciations
against 'plutocrats' and corporations,
and money grabbers and bankers
Many adherents of the movement do not
perceive it's full meaning; but let them
beware. They are lighting torches which.
borne in the hands of reckless men, may
light up in the country the lurid fires of
a commune
America, heretofore has been free
from socialistic hatred and warfare; 1t
has been country of opportunities for
all men, and it has given to the la borer
livelihood higher and better than it At
forded him in any other country In The
world. Is this all to be changed? Is SO
c.al chaos, gioating over ruins, to be the
method of social elevation of the masses?
There may be room in some things for
peaceful amelioration through well-in-
formed public opinion and orderly legisla-
ZION. but class hatred and angry p aasion
never lead to aught but general misery
and suffering.
THE people of America must today
look warily around, guard against catch
words and misleading war cries, avoid
giving any countenance to socialistic or
anarchistic tendencies. and know that The
first condition of prosperity to any nd
all classes of people is a peaceful COM
monwealth and surety of social order
THE monetary question is indeed a Sec
ordary issue in this campaign. l have,
however, my convictions In this matter.
The free and unlimited coinage of silver
dollars at ratio of Is to 1 by the United
States, independently of the other great
commercial nations, into dollars which
shall be made legal tender, will disturb
the whole business of the country aad
bring upon it financial depression far
beyond anything which we are now expe-
riencing.
THE question before the people of
America today is the coinage of silver by
this country independently of the great
commercial nations of the world at the
ratio of 16 to l. This ratio Is double the
present commercial value of silver The
| consequences OF unlimited coinage in
| these experiences are easily expressed.
| The one hope Of the silver party is that
| under free coinage we will raise the 'alue
| Of silver to $1.29 an ounce, measured in
| god. On what authority is this said? On
| The mere word of men who make the as
| sertion. The experience of our own coun-
| try contradicts the assertion. The pur-
! chasing of $50, 900 worth OF silver bull
| Ion per year under the Sherman act was
| not able to prevent the fall in the value
| of silver from over dollar an ounce tc
| its present low value. Common sense is
| against the assertion. Silver Is now pro
| 1uced in such quantities at such small
expense of production that it's value car
not be kept up to it's former standard
| And is the whole business Of America tc
| be imperiled by leap into an experiment
which those very men who advocate Il
| confess to be only an experiment, ant
| which experience and common sense con
denim?
I'VE have had hard times under the
| gold standard. That is true, and what is
also true is that under the silver stand
ard we shall have much harder times. Ii
IS the great fallacy of the day to be at
| tributing our hard times TO the god
standard. The craze for free silver as a
| cure for hard times is explieable on the
| same theory that q man who has been a
| long time sick, despite the attentive care
of physicians, win call for any quack who
| advertises to cure all the Ills of human
| ty. Hard times have come through the
| severe and resistless working of econom-
| c laws, which so their way in spite OF
| local enactments of parliaments or con-
crosses.
zone of the chief causes of hard times
| today is the agitation for a change in the
currency of the country. If the American
| people put down by an overwhelming ma
jority this idea, bury it out of sight, the
chief cause of hard times will be out of
| the way. There are hundred aspects OF
| this question which do not touch upon;
L merely throw out some few thoughts
| which show reasons for my own present
| political faith, and which may be of some
| benefit to others in forming their own
| judgment"