The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-21
DISHONEST DOLLAR
The Rev. John 1. Scudder
Denounces the Free
Silver Doctrine.
SHOULD THUNDER AGAINST IT
Women in India Discussed in
Simpsons Pulpit-serVices
in Other Churches.


The Rev. ohm L. Scudder preached the
last night. His subject was. s'Dishones-
tyss Dollar. A large congregation
heard him say
IF honesty is a part of religion, the
pulpits of this country should thunder
against this threatened reputation of
Individual. corporate and national debts.
This free silver doctrine was conceived
by avaricsous mine owners, and if ever
put into practice it would be a gigantic
swindle. virtually confiscating a portion
Of every mans dollar, be he rich or poor.
The secret of this crazy movement is
the determination of millionaire miners to
keep up the price of their special COM
modify on a declining market. For over
a decade they have agitated through
newspapers under their control, through
literature thrown broadcast, through
plausible and loquacious -demagogues, un-
til at present they nave deceived multi
tudes Of people who honestly believe that
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
at the artificial ratio of 16 to 1, is the only
panacea for hard times. For the people
thus led u~nwillsngly astray by these
astute politicians, 1 have no word of
condemnation. Many of them are as
conscientious as they are fanatical. But
for the tricky leaders who have system
atically duped them, l have a cordial con-
tempt. for they care little how much
they deceive the people or dishonor the
nation so long as they can fill their W
pockets. The history of this silver move
ment is the record of a bold conspiracy
of wealthy mine owners to blur Con-
gress, befog the people, and bolster up
the depreciating product of their mines.
III so-called crime of 73' is one of their
political cafchwords, which in truth was
no crime at all. The real crime consist
co IN their wheeling the government into
month, pil;ng up the unnecessary coin in
the treasury, and entailing a loss to the
government of Sl45, 100000 This was the
biggest Piece of political trickery and bull
doing ever perpetrated in this country
But they have gone from worse to worse
fhetr .mpudence has increased with their
E0.ossal fortunes When at last in 1898,
our government became alarmed and nut
q stop to this reckless folly; when It re-
FUSED TO purchase any more of this ever
uepTeclatlng silver, then the mine owners
force the government to take, not two
thirds of their silver product as herefo-
Iere. but coin the entire amount and
stamp 1t with a fictitious value
bullion is worth. Their doctrine i tbat
II the Government will not take a parf
49, LIS tdhG @uG whole. MAS aUar q
more stupendous fraud launched upon
an unsuspecting people? | fail to see how
any ntelilgent man acquainted with the
t ~ can glye II a moments support. If
tIe owners OF silver, by persistent falsii-
cation and appealing to prejudice ana
passion, can make the people believe that
nara times have resulted from the failure
e I'll ene tbe Gopernment to buy UP all the
tnis election on this fraudulent issue fhev
VII grow still richer at public expense
ana succeed in humiliating this nation
before an astonished world. If the neonle
oy their ballots should carry out fheir
Quixollc programme. this great and
nitherto respected nation win go on record
past If this Government sho,,id i Nc
stamp one dollar on so cents. or even n
cents worth of irredeemable silver II
mouta Pc guilty of both falsehood and
fraud. lhe lapel would belle the value of
the coin. And to make a present Of "a
cents on every dollar come 10 these nl,,s
5ocratic mine owners, would be a piece
OF Injustice and subseryiency ~ ~
money power unprecedented in xmerican
history. 1t would be 1egislating against
the masses in favor of a class already 81
n ab5Idit q s,,a . De a menace to the Re
wicked discrimination. why single ont
this one commodity? Why not eive )
similar bonus to the poverty stricken
tatoes ne may raise? If any fayoritisr, =
70 pc shown let it be to those who baya
suIIerea the most. But the eyes of the
Peupls arg beginning to open. Education
IS doing its work, laying bare this great
conspiracy. s.ea
Again, if free coinage should ever take
pace, this country would force a dis
honest dollar on the people and force
them 70 pc dishonest. Gold would vanish
and both government and nriyate ;ndil
viduals would pay their debts in a de-
preeiated currency and thus violate their
contracts. What unlimited opnorf,,nitv
for debtors to cheat their creditors. fas
banks to pay their deposftors in chean
slyer when they. made their deposits ii
goid or It's equivalent: for Insurance. corn-
panies TO defraud the insured; for Gov
ernment to cut down the pensions IF
crippled soldiers: for widows 70 fnd .
large fraction Of their slender in1ame
gone; for these United States of America
e sWinaie every one who lent it money
IN time of need, and every municinaiify
70 CHEAT those who purchased its bonds
Inls, indeed, would be the most ire
mendots and astounding rasealfty OF IN.
lssneteenth century. May God deliver ~
from such direful calamity and wholasais
dfCprane - W1lO4Cnd1t