Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-09-25

quarters. Chicago. September Eff
every voter in the United States were
called upon to-day 20 declare whether
he desired the use of silver as we'll as
gold in our monetary system, certainly
as many as ninety voters out Of every
hundred would answer in the afirma-
tive. and an equal proportion would ia
vor such legislation as tended directly
to bring about the free AM unlimited
coinage Of both metals. If they believed
the TWO metals could be maintained az
par"
Who said this? Was it the intemper-
alta utterance Of some lOng-haired. Wild
eyed free silver fanatic? Was it he dec
,araion Of some political party pledged
in its platform 70 national t.shonor anu
reputation?
No. Il was The official declaration o.
the Republican party, made in the year
Of our Lord eighteen hundred and nine
tv-two. il accurately voiced the sent,-
ment Of that party before il came under
the domination OF the Hannas, the N.Y.
gans. the Be,mOnts. the ROthschi'ts, anu
the confederated banks and syndicatoS
OF the United States
The language above quoted can be
found on page - OF the Republican
textbook. entitled THE Grand Old
Party-L'ncoin. Grant, Hayes, Garfield,
Arthur. Harrison. 1t IS true 20 the
flag" The Republican national COM
mittee gave this document its Official
sanction and distributed 5000 600 OF
them throughout the United States. At
the dictation OF the gold combine il is
now attempting az the expenditure Of
millions Of dollars, squanderei IN lying
pamphlets, TO undo ,he work 20 which
the Republican party c0nsecrated years
OF its honorable existence.
Let me quote more from this text
book entitled The Grand Old Party"
II SAYS:
Until the year 1873 the United
States coined both gold and silver free
" in unlimited quantities; that is one
could take II 10 the minis Of the United
States and receive for il q fixed, UnvaIy-
ing price; but in 1873. by the omission
OF the silver dollar from the coinage
law prescribing the silver coins of the
United States 70 be thereafter coined,
AMI by the limitation OF the iega, ten
der Of silver TO s.. silver was in effect
demousczel. and il has never since
been restored fully TO the position it
held in the earlier coinage system OF
this country. There has been much ir-
90 1r-e 10 NH nr ha-
was done Intentionally and after full
discussion. or accidentally. so far as
the majority OF Congress were concern
ed. and by the artful trick OF certain
persons interested in bringing about q
gold standard Such q controversy
serves no useful purpose. At tia, time
both silver and gold We're at a large
prtuium. specie payments not having
been resumed, and paper money was
the only currency. The impCr,gn- fact
however, Is that silver was GemOne-
tied. and It is OF little service in con
sider.ng how II was deprived Of them.
What do you think Of that. you good
Republicans who are now following the
banner hOis,e1 by Mark Hanna at the
dic,ation Of Wall street? Has anything
happen In the last four years TO give
the lie TO this official declaration Of
your party hardly four years ago? Has
the crime Of 1873 been cOnlOned? WHAT
has brought about this wonderful
change in the Republican attitude to-
wards silver. one OF Am rica'S most val
liable products? Let Us continue these
interesting quotations from the Repub-
lean literature of only four years ago.
The honorable gent man who planned
the document said:
"The unlimited coinage of both metals
had prevailed from the foundation of the
government un.ii JAaJ date, and yet on
jun 30, 1872. there had been total
coinage OF S1,0t1. 93S,551 Of gold and
only Sf62. 425.010 of silver. Unlimited
silver had no, meant the Jeb3sement of
the currency. The scarcity Of the metal
and It's flee employment as money by
az nations except England. had gwen
ii value In comparison with sold that
removed al risk Of its fire. use in our
c0inage. & There is a grave
danger i'm the unqualified adoption Of
the gold standard. For. as silver has
been taken out Of EurOpe's coinage. the
demand Cor gold has enormously grown,
and grown in q proportion much greater
than the supply. Measuring both met
ais by ia standard Of commodities, IL is
substantially true to say that gold has
appreciated more than silver has de-
preciated. In the silver using countries
silver VIII buy almost as much OF
everything except gold IS it would ten
or dozen years ago. and this fact suS-
tains the Gemn for cheaper money.
The advocates Of the gold standard al
lega that the value OF gold IS intrinsic
and that a certain quantity OF gold oul-
lion having a fixed value should be the
standard of exchange. This would be
all we'll enough if anybody were able
10 insure that the supply would con-
tinuallv increase in ratio with the n
creasing demand for it caused by grow
ing population and commerce, but as
Q matter OF fact. il is decreasing N that
ratio. and. therefore, man who ten
wears ago contracted debt which
might then hays been discharged Win
a thousand bushels OF wheat, must To-
day pay many mara than thousand
bushels Of wheat to set himself free.
Jus, as il is true 10 say that he silver
dollar which was exchanged on an
equality with gold fifteen Y ars ago is
now worth but so GEMS in sold, so it is
true to say that an amount Of wheat
that would eXchange fifteen years for a
gold dollar is worth much less to-day.
II any farmer is DESTROYS 10 know why
his wheat is now worth 50 cents buShe'
instead of 81. h IS respectfully referred
to this declaration OF the Republican
party. made only four short years ago.
ANY merchant or farmer who views
with dismay the constantly depreciatins
varre of his stock and goods. and who