The Indianapolis journal., 1896-07-28
GOT THE INFORMATION
IMPROMPTU POLITICAL MEETING
ADDRESSED BY JOHN LINCK.
ScOttsburg Sends Names of Prominent
Democrats Who VIII Sup
port Mr.. Mckinley.

81 Tecial to the Indianapolis Journal.
ROME CITY, Ind. July 27.-The Hon.
John W. Linck and party of friends from
jefferson county have been rusticating
among the lakes of Lagrange county for the
past week. Some of the citizens. learning of
Mr.. Linck's presence and knowing that he
had given the currency question careful
study. invited him to give them some in
formation on the subject. Mr.. Linck spoke
to a large and enthusiastic audience for
nearly two hours, showing the many falla-
cies of free-silver theories false state
ments and erroneous deductions. explaining
what money is and what it has been prov
ing that gold and silver were not the only
money that many other articles had been
used as legal tender, sucn as coon skins
cod fish, tobacco. cattle. wampum and
cowry shells. and that the Chinese had
used leather money. making il a death
penalty to refuse to accept il. He called
attention TO the fact that while we are en-
tering upon one of the most momentous
periods since the civil war the Democratic
party had put in nomination a man for the
highest office-not a man of age. eXper-
ience and wisdom. but young and enthus-
iastic man who had never shown any abili-
ty or capacity as a statesman. Mr.. Linck
admitted that he was an orator, and be-
cause of his fiowery language and splen-
did rhetoric had been employed by the sill
YER kings to deliver lectures to the people
throughout the country: that he had been
failure as a lawyer. mad been tolerably
successful newspaper correspondent ana
editor. and had served two terms in Con-
gress. during which time he made two very
radical speeches in favor of Populism and
free silver. Because the Democrats would
not take up with his ideas he renounced his
allegiance a a T.
ant PoDulist. Mr.. Linck also reviewed the
laws on the money question from the time
of the Continental Congress down to the
present, showing that the Constitution did
not confine the right of Congress to make
gold and silver only the money of the gov
ernment; that the States alone were pro-
hibited from making anything but gold
and silver legal tender that the first
laws establishing the United States mint
mentioned gold before it did silver in fix
ing the value of the unit; that for conven-
fence the silver unit was fixed at the size
of the Spanish milled dollar then in circu-
laton in the United States. That later. as
these Spanish mlled dollars became worn,
the new coinage from the United States
mint. being heavier. went out OF circulation
and In 1904 President jefferson ordered the
further coinage of silver dollars stopped
that in 1894 gold had become more valuable
than silver. and. under what is known as
the Gresham law. had gone out of circula-
ton. and to keep gold money in circula-
ton the ratio of 10 to had TO be changed
TO 10 TO /. Later experience proved that this
ratfO was 100 nlgn. ana SILVER became more
valuable than gold; that in 1854 the COIN
age of silver dollars was stopped and the
subsidiary coin was made lighter to pre-
vent silver coins from being exported and
being used by manufacturers, silver dol
lars having all gone abroad. From that
time down to the commencement of the
war a silver dollar was seldom seen, and
at that time necessity compelled us to go
upon a paper basis He showed that the
cause of the fall in the price of silver was
because of the enormous increase of its
production. jumping from $3.50. 900 in 1860 to
tor Jones, of Nevada, in a speech in the
United States Senate in 1876 we had been
on a gold basis since 1884, when the ratio
changed from II to l to 16 to l. Mr..
Linck argued that the standard made no
difference as far as business con-
cerned that a yard stick being three or
four feet longer would not effect the trade
in calico or silk ribbon; all that was re-
Quired was to have a fixed and definite
standard of measurement. Mr.. Linck
showed that the free coinage of silver
would not increase the amount of money
in circulation. but rather diminish IL from
half to two-thirdS by causing gold to cease
circulating to the amount of $500 .0O0 and
depreciating paper and silver money to
nearly one-half of it's present value. Mr..
Bryan admitted in his speech in Iowa
that free coinage of silver would bring on
a panic: the great leaders of both parties.
tried men and true, all agreed that it
would bring disaster and ruin all hon.
est men know that it would be partial re-
pudiation. at least of all then existing pub
lie and private debts; that ii would bring
disgrace and dishonor upon us as ma tion
and a people. What we require is re-en-
actment of the protection and reciprocity
laws and the re-estabiishment of confidence.
NJ. Inck closed with an appeal TO the peo-
pie to uphold the honor of the flag and
their country