Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-10-24


sta-esmeu of the country They would
bare Ba believe what history doris NOT
support That gold aud silver enjoyed
rgusl privileges ia the minis Of the
United States during all our history
down TO 1873 They assert that the
stopping Of the free coinage of silver 10
1873 WIS THE crime of the century" and
is The cause Of the present deplorabls
business condition of the country They
must know that prior to 1873 we Ind
less than 9.O0n.u0g Of silver dollars in
circulation We have coined since that
time nearly 5000O0es0 Oh silver dollars,
and they constitute part Of the cu--
reney Of the country. They do not tell
US that when the courage of both gold
and silver MAS free in the United States
the per capita circulation in this country
was less than il has been since the 80.
called ''crime of 1873. Why. under
the free coinage Of both gold and silver
in the days of the fathers we had in
1900 a per capita OF S4.99 in 1888 il
was $3.50; in 1852 it was Sl4.63; in 1872
Before the resumption of specie pay
ments, and when we were doing business
with unlimited paper currency il was
SlS.19. In 1894. twenty-one years after
the suspension Of free coinage Of silver,
we had a per capita OF S24SS, and every
dollar was as good as gold in every part
of the world. We have q greater peg
capita in the United States than has
the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
and greater per capita than has Ger
many. The per capita of the whole
world is about S515. The per capita Of
the gold standard countries is SIS. while
the per capita of the silver standard
countrics-of which they want to make
us one--is about $3.50 Even in the
gold standard countries we have more
silver per capita than they have IN the
silver countries of the world. The gold
90 H. %.a.. I.e. In
ton of less than one-third of the worlds
population, have nearly twe-thirds of the
circulation of the worlds currency. The
United States has about 80 per cent of
the total population of the principal
countries of the world yet II has
- 91-100 per cent. of the banking re-
sources and nearly rs per cent. of the
total money supply of the world. France
has a higher per capita. than the Jnited
States, but the bnnking deposits in the
United States are STT.T6 per inhahitant,
or SAB greater for each inha bitant than
the banking deposits of France.
Per Capita Rate Would Decrease.
1T must never be forgotten that the
free coinage of silver at the ratio of 10 to
/ would not increase, but would decrease
cur per capita circulation. 1t would add
nothing to it, but would rob us OF the
good money we now have and put us
where the silver countries of the world
are today--upon q silver basis alone.
There is nothing in our present currency
status therefore, to disturb ms, except
to defeat the party which proposes to de-
base it. 1t is the proposition to dcbase
our currency standard that has created
CONSERVATION in every business center of
the country; has made times hard, has
driven money from active industry, and
put it behind barred doors, where il will
be kept until confidence is restored.
The people will not consent to "A de-
crease of their circulating medium, nor Il
debasement of that medium of exchange.
If by your votes this menace to the mon
ey and credit of the country be dispelled,
and by the same votes you restore the
American protective policy, that will stop
deficiencies in the treasury, and will pro-
tcct American industry, and courage
and confidence will come back again.
Open the mills and the mines of our
country by judicious protective tariff
and you will stop idleness and distress
in the ranks of labor, and you can't stop
it in any other way. What will be the
voice of Maryland ON the Sd day of No
vembcr? (Cries of Mckinley, McKin-
ley.D What will be the voice of the
great city Of Baltimore? (Cries of Nc
Kinley.) How viii that old conservative
city speak for national honor? (Cries Of
BY voting for Mckinley and portec-
TONI
Il thank my old comrades of the war
for their presence here at my home to-
day. | thank my fellow citizens of every
vocation for having paid me this visit,
and ! beg to thank them in the name of
The Rpnullicau marty for thar oce,rr-