West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-05-28
STOP AND THINK
THAT is WHAT You SR0UR DO.
Col, II w Monroe Writes Another
Ringing Article on the Financial
Qaestion. t.t
sroF A MoMENr AND TANK !!

in the past. in reference TO tho
monetary system of this country.
stop a moment, right now, before
the turmoil, and noise, and heat of
the presidential campaign is upon
you; before the bitterness Of party
rancor closes your minds to every
thing but mad ambition to win;
stop and consider the gravity of the
situation. Never in the history OF
this country has there been ques-
tion before the voters Of the United
States for solution, that was so i'm :
portant, SO far reaching in its oon-
sequences, so fraught with danger
to the well being and liberties of
the people, as the monetary issue
that you will be called upon TO de-
eide, so far as your votes are oou-
cerned, in the approaching prosi-
dontial election. Many have not
studied this question; others arc
considering it only from partisan
standpoint-only conside ri n e
whether this or that plan will be a
winning card" in this campaign,
without thought of the future. The
politicians are trying to belittle it,
and dismiss it, as a matter of seo-
ondary and trifling importauoe.
They call those who, by study and
observation, conscientlously believe
that the money question is an all
important one, at this juncture in
our national life, "oranks," "enthu-
siasts," "populists," anarchists, 4"
"fools;" and every other arpro-
brious epithet, nearly, is applied to
them. Those who oppose gold mono
metallism, may be "cranks," they
may be men OF mediocre ability. II
they are, this country is ia great
danger from them, for there is an
immense army of them; much lar
ger thah the Persian army that
crossed the Dardaneles. Harsh
terms. and insulting epithe.s, how
ever, amount to but little, il not
accompanied by argument. 1T goes
for nothing to accuse man Of ad-
vocating a policy IN opposition to
gold monemetallsm becauso it
will enable him to cheat his oredi-
tSrs, by paying his debts in ''de-
preoiated currency"-"50 OF. dol
lars"-unless at the same time,
some argument-not mere asser-
tion-but logical argument, sensi-
BILE, intelligent argument be pro.
duced, or rational reason be given,
to prove that the accusation is true.
1t devolVes on those making such
assertions, and preferring such
charges, to show how this result
Will produced, il an opposite policy
be adopted. This they have not
done; this, by fair argument, they
cannot do. We all know that, as to
the money in use now, and which
is almost exclusively Of silver, silver
certificates, greenbacks, and nickel
five cent pieces and cents, the as
sertion that any Of it is "degraded, Z"
unourrent, or dishonest" is ab.
solutely false. Whore is that $50
cent dollar?' that dollar that tho
poor laboring man is compelled to
take in exchange for his labor; the
dollar he gets for his hard days
toll, and can get only 80 cents for
Iit? Where is it? Have any Of
you that dollar? venture the as
sertion that mB trouble, is the
trouble with most Of y0u-you
haven't enough Of them. Nor Of
I "N'' -" HN'N5 JuN nave Let
groenbaok, treasury note, silver Ger.
tifcate, silver dollar, half dollar,
quarter, dime, nickel. or copper, OF
the coinage Of the United States,
Rew or old, il enough Of it remains
by which TO determine its genuine
ness and denomination, that You
oanpot get IaH value for, and buy
just as much, cent for cent, and
dollar for dollar, with it, as any
man can with gold. Where then,
| / ask again, is tho dishonest"
dolIar--the $50 cent dollar?"
Now, no ono can deny what ]
( have just said. You all know that
You can take twenty niokels, oi
fity two cent pieces, or one hun
/ drod copper or bronze cents, and
buy just as much with them as
could with a gold dollar, IL I haC
Iit-you haven cot it either hav,