The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-16

ter to the Country.
z Hon. Alex, Mcvclgh Miller, OF Green.
.brier. county, has torwudsd the fol-
living letter to the chairman OF the
Democratic executive committee OF
that county: ~
ALDERSoN, ". Va. Aug, 81, 1896.
Dr. ), II. Austin, chairman. Lewis
hurg. W. Va.
DEAR Slis:-Please accept my res
ignation rs n member OF the Democrat.
&c executive committee OF iGroenbrIer
county. for the following reasons:
The Democratic platform, adopted at
Chicago, is IN favor OF the free and
unlimited coinage OF iifty.three cents
worth OF silver into legal tender dol.
lar, | am opposed to this II the gov
crnmcnt has the right to make ilrty
three cents worth dollar, who
knows how soon the silver mining
trust VIII demand that ten cents
worth OF silver be made a legal tender
dollar IL the mine owners were act
Ing In good faith. they would ask to
have their silver coined into honest
dollars. containing dollars worth of
silver. Instead OF this, they have the
sail to ask the government to double
their enormous wealth by coInlng
them, free OF charge, two dollars out
OF every one dollars worth OF silver
they take to the mint. More than this,
they want tho government to say that
every laboring man who agrees to do
days work for dollar shall be COM
PEELED 10 take rs his pay his trust
created fifty-threc cent dollar
The laboring men alone will defeat
this great swlndle when they come to
realize that they are being used by
the silver trust to perpctuate this great
fraud on them. | am opposed to free
coinage because no county. on a sill
yer basis, has ever prospered as has
ours on 4 sound money basis. All the
most enlightened countries OF the
world are on sound money basis, and
In all OF them wages are higher than
In the silver standard countries. Yet
In the silver countries the necessarles
Of life are almost double. The free
coinage OF silver vii. benefit no one
but the silver miners OF the west, who
represent one OF the most gigantic mo-
nopulieS the world has everi seen, the
aggregate wealth being s5i5, oO0. 900 90.
In all silver countries the rate OF In
tercst Is very much higher than In
sound money countries. In England
money Is only worth from TO per
cent, while in free silver nations the
rate Is from 10 10 10 per cent. l am
opposed 70 free silver, because In all
silver standard countries gold does not
circulate, but Is driven out OF the
country by silver. II we adopt free
silver. at the ratio OF l6 TO !. we drive
out OF circulation 5000. 900 In gold,
which Is about one-third OF all our
money. This Is the opinion OF our
best financiers.
To replace this with even titty-three
cent dollars. It would require from six
TO ten years of silver mining. with the
mInts running night and day: and long
before this gold could be replaced by
cheap silver, every debtor In this broad
land would be financially ruined, for
money would be 50 scarce II would be
impossible 10 get enough to pay our
debts. All creditors would be trying
to collect at the same time. and no
one willing TO loan. There Is no doubt
that Immediately after the election OF
Mr. Bryan az We should be 50 unfor-
tunate rs 10 elect slml there would
commence the worst financial panic
the world has ever seen, In which
thousands Of business men would be
ruined, and the labOring man would
have 10 face privatlon and want for
himself and his family. Factories
would be closed and the country flood
ed with unfortunate men begging
bread. In manufacturing and mining
districts. where thousands depend up
on their daily labor for 4 living. there
would be bread riots. In which women
and children would be the greatest
sufferers.
II the wage-carners and debtors OF
this country could but see the mine OF
ruin and disaster beneath their feet. to
which they are about 10 apply the
match, they would ice from 1t free
silver as they would from 'pestilence,
death or hell.
Why should the people of the east
and south be anxious to make Million
aires OF the western silver mine own
ers. when the west has already ruined
our markets with her cheap grain and
meats. Making milliOnalres of the
mine owners Will not help us to COM
pete with the cheap products OF the
west
was told by Democratic politician
OF this county year ago that we must
have something besides tariff to catch
votes with this fall. and that free SILL
yer was the best thing we could get.
Is It possible that our people can be
hoodoocd into voting for Mr.. Bryan by
this cry OF cheap money, raised By the
mine owners. and echoed by the place
hunters and Office seeking dema-
gogues? Haven't We already had four
years OF hard times In place OF the
great prosperity promised us by the
wool-tarin reforming politicians.
who now want to stop talking tariff
and free trade and raise the cry OF free
silver?
The Philadelphia Times, an able
Democratic paper. has the Chicago
platform In n nutshell. like this: "They
propose free trade-frce ,silver-free
riot and free HE'LL"
I must, my dear sir, ask to be ex-
cused from helping to bring this great
calamity on. our country.
Very respectfully,
ALIEN. McYEIGH MILLER.