The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-05-26
The Best Money,

soundest and most stable of al
moley. r he constitution of tht
United States provides that silve
shall be money equally with gold
The first congress that ever con
vened under the constitution made
the silver dollar, containing 3711
grains of silver, the unit of value
and provided for coming both gol,
and silver for the people on equa
terms, the only dollar being the
silver dollar and the gold coins be
ing made to conform to ii in value
The same congress made all the
coins of gold and silver full legal
tender in payment of debts from
the time the mint was established
and for over eighty years the silver
dollar was the unit and was pre-.
eminently "sound and honest
money"
When the greenbacks. were is
sued and the bonds to carry n.the
war were sold they were all made
payable in silver dollars Of the
same weight and fineness as the
first authorized at the option of the
government. The weight of the
gold coins has been changed, but
that of the silver dollar has never
been change d, "not even 10 the di
viding of hair or the twentieth
part of one poor scruple." Every
treasury note, every greenback,
every outstanding bond of the
United States is payable at the op
tiOn of the government in silver
dollars.
In 1878 when the congress was
deceived into passing law to dis
continue the coinage of silver, il
was worth more than gold, so it
was not at that time "unsound
money" From this it follows that
If it is not sound and honest now
it Is because this dishonest legisla-
tion has made it otherwise. If the
effect of legislation is dishonest the
legislation itself must be so. What
has happened since 1878 to make
silver money dishonest or unsound,
when for over eighty years it was
the cornerstone of our monetary
system?
What reason has even been Civ
en- for the act os 1878? What men,
ber Of congress has ever had the
face to acknowlc dye that he knew
anything about it or soiled his
hands with it? Inasmuch as those
who inspired and maneuvered this
legislation have always concealed
themselves and their motives, we
are justified in concluding that
and their motives arc dishonest.
fthey had had any good motives
they would have been in haste to
to avow them and to defend their
act,as one done in the interests of
the. public. They have never.done
1t and do not dare to do it,. 1T is,a
tnaxim OF the law that ihan ia
presumed 70 intend that which is
tie. natural and logical result Of
what he does. The natural and
logical result of the act of 1878 was
to diminish by one.half the volume
Of our coin money in which our
debts were payable. To do this
was to double the value of the
bonds which they held-and to re-
luce by one-half the value of
everything which we were com.
PEELED by our industry to produce
and sell to pay these debts. AS
-his'was the direct effect OF this
act of 1873 we must presume that
bis was the object in view in pass
ng it. The intent was to wiring
from the people Of this country.wo
lays labor, two bushels of wheat,
Two barrels of pork, two ounces or
liver, where they only promised
o pay one. The intent was TO
make money scarce and hard toI
get and thereby swell the Golfers
If the bondholders with the sub \
tance OF the taXridden people of |,
his fair land. The intent was toll.
lestroy the right Of the people to
'ay according to the of the CONTRACT
II 100 cent dollars and compel III
hem to pay in 200 cent dollars. I
Apd their president aud secretary
'ithe treasury are today and for h
ears have been paying out to
hese creditors S2j grains ofsilycr I
'here they have promised to take {
~! grains for every dollar Of debt I'd
ischarged. The authors of this III
ystem had no higher motives THAI, \
0 make money scarce and to make
high. Men who would do this,
'oild. If they could, make bread
rarce for the same purpose. The
eOplA of This country ara ton infaI.