Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-08-19
THE CAMPAIGN ISSUES.
To the Editor Of the Register.

To the Editor Of the Register.
Marques, w. Va, August ID hope
a few words upon the coming campaign
issues viii not be out of place.
The people are beginning to think
for themselves, independent OF party.
Quoting Lincoln: You can fool all
the people part of the time. Some OF
the people ali the tine. But not all
the people all the time" So upon the
tariff question. that has been used TO
fool the people from the far more
greater issue getting the people hot
over the discussions and the shylocks
laughing at the trick. Cleveland was
elected upon an issue of tariff reform.
Congress was called together. His
great work was to repeal the purchas-
ing clause of silver, placing nothing in
its stead. thereby contracting the cur
rency. then to wrang,e and quarrel over
q tariff bill to hoodw.nk the people.
We say all necessaries of life that
can be produced in abundance in Am
erica. place a sufficient tariff upon Il,
including all luxuries. But all that
cannot be produced in sufficient guam
titles. let it come in free. But as the
shvlocks and gold kings have been eX-
posed We WI drop for the time minor
questions and fight the tyrannical and
destructive power Of the non-producer
or concentrated capital that is combin-
ing. regardless OF party, TO make slaves
of all labor or producers. The money
lender TO squeeze products and toll,
that he may continue to roll in wealth
by legislation, TO the ruin Of his VIC
tins.
Mckinley failed thousands of dollars
in debt. Rich friends settled his bills.
Now. whoever knew capital to do such
q charitable act. unless It had tall
10 4. And now 10 formulate cam
Daign cry in the banks to whoop up
the masses for high tariff, honest mon
ey. sound money, reputation or which
sounds well to blind the people to the
combined schemes. To fool the peo-
pie. that they may better rob and grind
10 poverty by a policy to enrich the
few. L is claimed that the entire pro-
duct of gold in the world could not
transact The worlds business. In the
wear 1874 silver fell below gold in this
ratio Of Is to 1. the first time for thirty
four wears. and since that tine it has
steadily decreased. What has been It's
effect. Has wealth become more even
" distributed or has the rich grown
richer and the poor poorer. II 1865
ninety-seven cents in silver would buy
one dollar in gold. This was when gold
had an average premium of 100 cents
above paper money. It IS imagined by
some that gold at that time was at
premium with silver. It will be seen
that It was not. but that silver in the
established ratio. was worth more than
gold. and never till after its demoneti-
eaton in 1873 was 1t worth less. The
question of gold and silver. then, simply
resolves itself thus: Can we. as the
tOilers. transact our business to an adj
vantage with a gold standard? The
spaculator. the banker, the bondholder
end he millionaire. claims we can.
Again t is claimed that if silver is
coined on the Is to 1 basis. the dollar
OF this metal would degenerate into the
sO-called dishonest. or fifty cent dollar.
It never has. and It is said that history
repeats itself. Now. If their claim is
correct. so good. If not, the toiier and
producer VIII be the sufferer.
DEMOCRAT.