The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-05-21
ODD FELLOWS FOR BIMBTALLISM,

In the Odd Fellows Souvenir, the
national organ of the great fraterna
order of Odd Fellows, appeared lately
the following editorial favoring silver
The Souvenir does not handle political
questions, /, e.. from a partisan stand
point, nor Is the question OF finance a
! partisan question in any sense of the word.
IL is, however, a question that vitality
affects the great order of Odd Fellows.
This is great benevolent institution, and
anything that retards the progress of the
order is Il subj CT entitled to the fullest
consideration. contraction of our cur
rency makes money dear, and thus in
creases the burden of our members. If
the purchasing power OF money becomes
great the price of labor and the products
of labor become less valuable; hence. If
the purchasing power of the American
dollar is twice MS great under the gold
standard as it would be under free coinage
OF both gold and silver at the ratio of 10
To /, then IL will be twice us hard for the
members TO pay their quarterly dues I'M
der the present OH standard as it would
be under the free coinage of both gold
and silver. 1t is also twice as hard for
those outside of the order TO pay the price
of admission.
When we look over the reports of the
various Jurisdictions and see the thousands
of brothers who are being suspended from
the benefits of the order by their inability
to pay their dues, it is simply appalling
The order now pays out for relief about
three aud one-haf million dollars annu-
ally. III the present conditions continue
II Is only matter of time when there will
have TO be made sliding scale-this slid
ing scale Will be To decrease the number
OF dollars paid for the relief of members
and families of deceased members or in
crease the dues of bers-that the
present ratio of dues is us high now as
the members can pay goes without say
ing. Then the only thing left will be to
decrease the benefits 1t is argued that
we should have only the kind of money
That will pass in all parts of the world
Nothing can be more absurd. Our gold
eagles AS now coined are not accepted AT
their face in all the countries of the world
aud never have been-never will be. 1t is
more difficult to pass gold money in the
United States than IL is a piece of Ameri-
can silver Another objection urged
against the use of silver is its weight
While silver dollar is much heavier than
gold dollar it is also true that laborng
man can carry home all the silver dollars
he can ever hope to obain for one week S
wages, and if any of om laboring people
should desire to make European VOYAGE
they will not object to paving the neces-
snry exchange for money that will be ac-
cepted or bear the necessary discount at
the other place.
What the American people want is
enough money to keep the aboring classes
employed and transact the business of the /
county, and any money coined bv the !
United States is honest money. and il is |
certainly unpatriotic to stamp any of itas |
anything else. When the greepbacks /
were first issued by the government there |
were those who said il was both dishonest
and unconstitutional. and vet patriotic
people accepted them ms money, After a
third OF century the greeubacl is still |
accepted and no one wants them more
than the banking fraternity. who were the
original DIRECTORS to their issuance. II n
Oil passes the next congress restoring sill
yer To its place ia our currency l. e free
coinage OF gold aud silver at IA ratio OF l6
to l, patriotic people will accept both
Tor all demands and our idle members can
Then IND employment and be able to pay
tues. Every Odd Fellow in Am ,riot
should work and vote for free coinage of
both gold and silver.
When Mr. NJ. f. Dowd, the able
editor Of the Souvenir, was inter
viewed concerning the editorial he
said it was the result of much DELHI
grafton by many of the most con-
sentative members; that the ques-
ion had been under consideration for
more than a year, and the official data
'roves conclusively that the present
monetary conditions arc working great