People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-04-02
Was II wtinLerinr wi,h .ho .o-,e -

and ruin to millions, or was it the de-
mOnetization Of silver?
1t matters not. Both parties are
equally criminal before the people.
The fact is, the destruction of silver
in 1873 by the republicans, and the
repeal Of the Sherman act in 1893 by
the democrats was exactly the same
thing the same cause produces the
same effect. Gold monometalism was
established at both periods. The
conspirators had the same object in
view then as now, only they were
more cautious in the former case.
There caution was well founded, for
inside OF period Of five years the
people reiustated silver by passing the
Bland-AllisOn act, which restored its
legal-tender function. The passage
of the restriction act" prevented
the government from going further
in the destruction of our greenback
currency and left 346 millions in
circulation, which practically has
done the business of the nation,
especially among the farmers, labOrers
and the average business man.
The greenback is the money of the
farmer, the business man and the
wage Garner. 1t saved the nation,
paid the soldier, fed and clothed the
widows and orphans, placed the flag
upon our forts and institutions of
learning, and made it possible for
Cleveland to reach the dignity of his
present position. The greenback is
the poor mans friend. our nations
emblem, and should be as sacred as
the flag; and he who derides or stabs
our greenbacks is an enemy of the
masses. They were dedicated to our
nation and baptized in the blood of
thousands of the best men 10 America.
Old soldier, listenl The money you
risked your life to make good, suffered
on teldsOf battle for, starved in prison
cells for, is now charged by the presi-
dent as a criminal. The conspiators,
whose business is pilfering from the
people, and who are giving the priv.
lege of lOOting the treasury at will,
seem tohave influenced the admins
tratiOn to make war on this form of
our currency, by charging that the
greenback is the cause of our hard
times and distress, and they demand
their destruction.
The same power, same outfit, same
president, made the same charge
against silver only two years ago and
succeeded in demOnetizing it. He
again says we cannot have prosperity
while we have the greenbacks and
treasury notes. So they, too, must 20,
and a gold, Understanding bond be
issued In their stead. He CONVEYS
the idea that the treasury notes and
greenbacks must be redeemed in gold,
and on that account ruin and distress
are inevitable.
The treasury note isredeemable in
coin, and not gold any more than sill
yer. The greenback is not redeemable
in gold. No man can find upon a
greenback bill, or in the law that
created it, even as much as promise
to redeem it in gold. This base de-
cept!on is set up by gold gamblers for
the destruction of our currency, which
has been a thorn in the flesh for them
for 30 years.
Suppose we admit, for the sake OF
argument, that the United States
treasury notes are a debt and payable
In gold. BY the policy of the govern.
ment would it be any easier to pay
the same debt when transformed into
a gold bond, bearing interest? The
notes are the life blood of the nation,
and bear no interest. while The bond
is an eating cancer--a mortgage upon
our homes and .our lives, the means of
in all ages.
Shylock has demanded a safe invest
ment for his funds. and our chieftain
proceeds to prepare the way for him.
Is freedom sick? Is patriotism sulk-
ing in its tent? Are farmers to lose
their homes, and the masses to be
made slaves? Are not these conditions
upon US? What does it mean? In
short, it means that the gold owners
of England and America propose to
go into the government business, and
issue, control and own the paper
money Of this nation. Then they can
draw the interest in gold on their
bonds, evade the taxes, and arrange
through our government an issue Of
paper money, dollar for dollar for they
hold, on which they can draw inter-
est from the people, thereby doubling
their fortunes, or drawing interest on
two dollars where they only own one
dollar. 10 this way the money power
will have complete control Of the gov
eminent. and the DeOple. and the