The San Francisco call., 1896-10-01
Propounded to Senator
James ]. Jones by a
Democrat.
Sophistries Of the Chicago Plat
form and It's Candidate
Mercilessly Exposed.

RSAN-~~>~SS
lowing communication from William L.
Mitchell, Democrat OF that city. adj
dressed to Senator Jones of Arkansas,
chairman of the National Popocratic Com
mittee:
You are a Senator from Arkansas which
State mas given 10000 or more majority for
the Sia.e Democratic ticket, and probably will
give the same amount for the revolutionary.
reputation National ticket, with the boy
was to be expected from State that, in 1929,
borrowed 900 of the United States being
tund bequeathed by Smithson; an English
man, to the United States. Arkansas never has
paid the principal or interest, which to-day
would amount to SO 100000. You repudiated
the above honorable debt then; you propose
now to repudiate one-haif your debts by pay.
ing % cen.s on the dollar If free coinage OF
silver is q success. Your State is consistent, l
might add, as your policy is to attack and de-
stroy the credit and wealth OF the North, that
enough of this. You deceive the people will
fully and wickedly, as follows
1. You know that Is TO l was the first ratio
in the United States, when silver was COM
mercially worth as much as gold. You now
advocate ratio of 10 to 1, when silver is
worth one-half of what it was then. Is this
not intended to deceive? Do you state this to
the people?
2. You know that from 1892 to 1873 (the
criminal epoch) only about 8, 8,000,0 600 OF silver
dollars were coined by the Government and
coined since 1873; that no one would take
these silver dollars, and silver certificates have
been issued in their place and used as money
by the people to pay dues and debts, private
and public, and are received by the Govern
ment for taxes, debts, etc. Do you state this
to the people?
tion. by his order the coming of silver dollars
was stopped, and for thirty-ive years, up to
and during Jackson's administration, not a
silver dollar was coined. Do you state this to
4. In 1884 the ratio was changed to 10 to l.
the commercial value of silver being little
less than gold, 80 silver disappeared and gold
became the standard; and in 1888 silver was
further demonetized in the subsidiary coins
and we have been on a gold basis ever since.
Do you state this TO the people?
5. In 1878 and for twelve years before-i e.,
from 1S61-the commencement of the rebel
lion, not silver or gold dollar was in circula-
tion, and not one for five years after 1873
nothing but paper money was seen. DO you
8. In 1878, when the ''great crime" was
committed, as you say, while imposing upon
the people, no silver being in circulation, 1t
was considered of so little consequence that
the discussion for two years of the act which
passed In 1878 attracted little or no attention.
As early as January 49, 1874, Mr.. Stewart said:
measure of value-gold." February 20 he
says "Gold is the universal standard of the
world Every one knows what dollar
is worth" On June IL, 1874. referring, doubt
a
must come to the same conclusion that all
other people have that gold is recognized as
the universal standard of value" On April 1,
1874, Senator Jones said. 81 believe the sooner
we come down to purely gold standard the
better il will be for the country. Did any
country ever accumulate wealth, achieve
greatness, or attain high civilization without
a standard of value7" And what but gold
could be that standard?
Here were two .'silver" State Senators that
not only knew of the "crime of 1S73," but
tod fnr 4. at q n q
people. say it was done secretly and was con-
spiracy with England, etc. 1t the crime) was
not thought of until years afterwerd when
silver was declining on account OF the demone-
tization of silver by every civilized nation and
the immense production caused by the dis
covery of almost endless silver mines in the
United States. Do you state these facts to the
people9
z. You say, through your boy orator, that
silver by free coinage will again be worth
81 % per ounce and make the silver dollar,
with free coinage, worth 100 cents; that is,
make silver, which is worth only in every
market of the world to-day 66 cents an ounce,
almost double its presen value. Do you be-
leve this? Why, in 1890 to 1898, while the
Sherman act was in torce, the Government
paid $50, 100000 (mostly In gold) for silver
bullion under the act yearly to the owners of
the mines. Silver declined from III to 80
cents an ounce during that time. How could
silver, then, without the aid of the Govern
mant, double its present value by free coinage
when it declined on limited coinage when
purchased by the Government? The Govern
ment lost $3.50, 100000 in the purchases un-
der the act of 1873 and 1890. Do you state
this to the people?
8. In 1878 the circulating medium, gold,
silver and paper, amounted to less than
$50 millions. 1t is now more than double that
amount. Do you state this to the people?
8. You say the people want more money
therefore, must have free coinage of silver.
The silver production of the United States and
OF the world amounts to about 200 millions
year. You have in the United States 600
m m
national bank N otes and other currency, max
ing 81 900, 600, 600; all this would disappear
in the twinkling OF an eye If free coinage
takes place. Banks and holders would not
exchange q gold currency for deprecated
silver money, a 50-cent dollar. The mints
coin 40.000,O0Oa year; it would take twenty
years to coin as much money as you have to-
day on a gold basis, and all that would be in
silver 50-cent dollars. Do you state this to the
people?
10. The manufactures the great business
houses, all engaged in commerce and trade in
the United States, are opposed to free coinage.
The men who are carrying on all the great en-
terprises ana improveme ats IN the States are
opposed to free coinage, believing 1t will pro.
duce bankruptcy, anarchy and ruin. Do you
state this to the peoplef
IL. If all these business men who employ
millions of men are crippled and fail on ac-
count of the panic caused by the timidity and
withdrawal of capital what will the millions
Of idle men do? Will notthe suffering be ter
rible in the extreme? Would it not produce
revolution and reign of terror? Do you state
this to the people?
IL. Do you say you can revolutionize the
finances OF this Government without panic
that compared with former panics would be
like q cyclone to summer breeze, which
would bankrupt the people and the Govern
ment? Do you say this to the people?
13. Do you say 1t is right to rob the creditors
to relieve the debtorsi Who are the creditors
and debtors of this Nation? They are as
follows:
(a) Vast estates of widows and orphans in
vested in bonds.
(6) The banks of deposit are the debtors
5000 millions.
(c) The 1000 savings banks are debtors to
their depositors 1900 millions.
(d) One million of pensioners are creditors
(e) Risks in fire, marine, life and casualty
amount to over 25, 600 millions.
u The laborer is creditor for each days
labor, amounting to millions every day. All
these deposits and premiums were PAID in gold
or its equivalent; you propose to pay back in
50-cent dollars. suppose you bankrupt those
debtors by a panic, so they cannot pay at all.
Do you tell the people this?
Ia. You tell the farmer you will raise the
price of his product but if you do you will pay
him in 50-cent dollars. You say you will raise
the wages of the laborer. How? Why, the
farmer says no; the planters say the wages are
too high already: the railroads cannot raise
wages unless they double the fares; the mer-
chant says he cannot pay his employees more
unless he marks up his merchandise and
makes his customers pay more; the manu-
facturer says he cannot pay his operators more