Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-10-23
REPUTATION AND DISHoMoR.
Part of One of Henri Ward Beecher'-
Best Sermons.

iaft Oh Onc ot HENRI ward Beecher's
Best Scrnons.
During the i Hol,y a..d unlimited
paprr currency C-c tgErrt al iSft ,i..
Beecher dcliyc.tu famous sermon on
Thankssi1 :, Of t''@t year on TIE pa,iis
of the day 81. i.t sd This language:
Whenever III any nation there is
such an .tioWpt ~ tUWpCr with stGud-
ards THAI ilr moral sCrre Of man i he
wildered ana liberty is given 10 unr4 ia.
cipled men AT largo 10 cheat. 20 be Nh.
faithful TO ob!igl Ons, to refuse tic
payment of honest dehts-whcnover that
takes place, il Is II the worse if done
with the permission OF the law. | hate
the devil riding on law worse than |
do the devil riding without law under
him. Whoever hampers with established
standards hampers with the very marrow
and vitality of public faith $40 Tire
danger into which we are running s.
hidden under the mystery of finance and
the currency. All money is but repre-
sentative OF property As now, bv facil
ity of intercourse, all the world is one
open market, the need of one and the
same standard of money, uniform, uni
versal and unalterable becomes imperi-
GUS
Gold is the worlds standard. Gold
Is the universal measure Of value. Other
kinds Of money there are-silver, cop
per. paper-but they all must conform
TO gold and be measured by il and be
interchangeable with it, in fixed and
a. ORR f,11 l..
commerce. All other money must rep
resent gold. No vote of legislature can
change the nature of commerce, the ma
ture OF property, the nature of its repre-
sentative IN money or the relative supe-
riorty or interiority of different cur
rencles. Gold came TO its supremacy as
a representative of property by the long
established consent of mankind. Con.
gress cannot change il for the world,
nor even for this nation, except upon
past transactions. 1t may give impu-
nifty TO men 10 cheat confiding creditors,
but 1t cannot rule the value of currency
III all future transactions
The CRIME OF paying debt in IA cur.
rency inferior in value to that in which
1t was contracted, base at all times aud
anywhere, has IL deeper guilt and
bascr lEtamy IN our case. When in our
mortal stru2- le capitalists were solicited
TO lend t-t.l .nonoy 20 us on the faith Of
the uauon, ve were too glad, most
grateful, - q aid. Then they were
not grhsi ID swollen usurers. Oh,
no! They Veg, o. nefactors. We reioiced
IN thrir b,un,y aud gave thanks Tor
then cuifl"I2 faith in our nationa
honesty. Now, our dangers past, we re
vile them, finding no cpithets too VIC.
lent aud strive to pay them, not gold
for the gold they lent our misery, but IL
Ia dishonest measure of an inferior
metal.
In the court Of the commercial
worlds conscience we shall be convict.
cd of endeavorng TO cheat the men who /.
came TO our rescue in the dark day.
This congress would not have existed
nor any government of the United /
States but for the strength given to our
armies by foreign capitalists, and now
to return their aid by base treachery
Is to deserve an infamy as deep as the /
lowest depths of hell But woe TO those /
men, bull headed, without eyes, who are |
attempting 10 undermine the integrity
and simplicity Of the nation -