The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-18
ROBERTS FOR
SOUND MONEY
UNITED STATES GREAT NEED
All VIC kSnt II That the Busiasss Eater
phsss u the country Have al Honest
Dollar TO Deal With. sad Rest
From Disturbing hamOrN.

Tho New York Commercial Advertiser
prints an Interview with Robert u. Rob-
ertn. president Of tho Pennsylvania rail.
road. on the business situation.
Tho great need Of the business world
Just now" SIR. Roberts said. "iH a sound
currency system. I canno emphasize
the Importance OF thia statement too
much We must get a sound money
basis ~ soon A. possible. business iagS.
commerce drags-ln short, everything
seems BlmoAt at a atandstiil There IL a
mHrytiuuA unrest IN the country. which
Ii reflected Ia overy branch of business.
The free silver cry skaters confidence
and credit at home nnd abroad, and
parnlyIca all prospects " a revival OF
trade
business started out tplrndidly last
fall. aud We h0ped That tho country was
about 10 enter upOn another long period
Of prosperity But our Joy was short
lived Congress convened. and that wns
the nrHt blow 10 The business world
Next came the silver craze with It's
c~nlanlioua career IN the senate. And
lastly. an n 90 cap the climax. came tho
everlasting agitation Of our for IGN rela-
lions The Venezuelan message started
TIC BAH rolling. ana since then we've
had the Monroe doctrine. Armenia. Eng
land. Spain and Cuba What lH neGtY
In on c~ycfybody's lips No wonder pros
perity lnRn and business drRgs. The
frvrr seems 10 have Infested tycry line
Of business It's unrest, uncertainty
everywhere.
business II unsatisfactory as a con.
sequence Things started on after the
last bond issue In a way TO Justify our
highest hopes But trade and trafic
began 10 get bad Immediately after the
Venezuelan message. ana its going from
bad to worse. You can read the story
only too plainly In the business 81 our
system. There IL Nc reason under heaven
why our country should not be enjoying
tho largest prosperity AZ present. There
II nothing the matter with our material
condition. Enterprise and capital are
ready 10 strike out az any moment when
something definite Is known. but. with
the silver craze and the war fever ram
pant. who IL willing TO take any risksl
II repeat, the trpt thing necessary for
the nation IL a sound money system. The
great political conventions should take
the bull by the horns and come out
squarcly against silver monometallism. |
Lrt them aay honestly and plainly that
they indorSe the gold standard. and
then tho nrpt step will have been taken
toward tho turn o. the tide. I tell you
again that We should BE- the most pros
porous country Ia the world today were
II not for the feeling OF uncertainty In
foreign circles as to what We viii do,
English or continental gold win not
come here for investment untfi some as
surnnoc Is given that our gold standard
will remain unchanged. and h a sold.
and not silver. viii DO returned when
wanted. Sound money Is at the bottom
OF business, II il the pivot on which
prosperity turns. In the coming on
MENTIONS at Chicago and St Louis Il II
not 80 much n question OF candidates rs
Il II o question OF currency,
II admire President Cleveland person.
ally. lie has made a splendid record
In mRly ways But the Venezuelan
message was one OF the greatest mis-
takes OF his NE. But the business world
will forgive him II he viii promise 10
make no more plumbers In this respect.
Look at the action OF congress a day or
two ago on the Cuban case. Why. all
hat will be tclegraphed to the four
winds OF heaven. Every foreign capital
will discuss the news. and each one put
his own construction on the probability
OF peace or war. Even now the Euro
pcan are full OF Il. Does
such action invite conndcnccG VIII Il
stimulate commerce. Do you imagine
trade will increase two hundred fold as
a between the two hemis-
phercAg What has congress done, any,
way | agree with President Jim Hin. /!
OF the Great Northern road. that II ought
to adjourn for ten years and give the
country a rest"
How 1901 do you think business will
lmproveg" Mr.. Roberts was asked.
1T viii improve the minute the st.
Louis convention puts a plain but positive
plank In It's platform for sound money.
so that people every where can under
stand Il, And then, II the Chicago conven-
ton does likewise. We shall have a splen-
did beginning for n revival Of business.
Such q declaration OF principle would be
the best kind OF a tonic TO trade, Rust
ness would begin to boom right away
Such u platform would be a political
chart by which every politician would
steer his craft, II d~emagogues and de-
Chalmers should her spout about free
silver thoy would bo promtly called
down by the party platform.
"a straight sound money plank would
he u notice to Europe Of what we intead
to do 1t would he a declaration in ave
OF the gold standard. the worlds stand
ard, with but few exceptions, Conf
dence would be restored. credit would
improve and commerce would be bcne-
lted In all channels, Let the two ma
tional conventions thus declare them
selves In favor OF sound money. n the
effect would be perceptihle everywhere.