Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-03-20

Spokane. Wash, March 15
The Auditorium hall was crowded
Saturday night by O'Clock to hear the
speech of Hon. Willis Sweet of Moscow.
Idaho, who spoke under the auspices of
the Friends of Silver. on the financial
question. 1t was about 90 minutes af-
ter when Judge J. r. Mcbride, presi-
dent of the club, introduced him, call
ing attention to the fact that he was
not new, having once been a resident of
this city. and man whose silver stand
ing had always been known and ably ex-
pressed. The audience was a happy
one to speak to, cheering the remarks
OF Mr.. Sweet as some word struck their
fancy, and enthusiastically applauding
the names of Senators Teller, Mantle,
Carter, Cannon and Dubois when he
referred to them as men who had the
manhood to stand up for the principles
as enunciated in their party's platform.
Mr. Sweet spoke for a little over an
hour, during which he said >.
If there Is a question that needs care
full attention before one speaks upon 1t,
that question is the financial one since
1t affects and controls all the people,
and especially the common people, as
Abraham Lincoln referred to them.
There are. however, some things well
known, some facts established that are
never questioned For instance, that
each and every one before the law is
equal in his right and his opportunities;
in the labor which he is entitled to do,
and the receipts he should receive there
for. There Is nothing that so much af-
fects these rights as the financial sys-
TEN. If now, we have gold enough for
the transaction Of all our business, we
don't need silver; If we haven't enough
for this, we need something else. Have
we enough gold? 1t Is generally ad-
mitted that we have not. Lord Sails
bury, prime minister of England, made
the public statement a number of years
ago, and made 1t again during the last
campaign in England, that the volume
of gold was not sufficient to transact
the business, yet he did not suggest a
remedy. Perhaps it will be said there
is credit. Yes, and there is limit to
credit, be 1t of nation, state, county, city
or individual. If that is true, and none
say 1t Is not, then there is limit to
the credit of every ounce, every dollar
of gold.
1.-THE question may be asked If the
combined gold and credit Is not suffici-
ent to transact the business, not of this
country or that, but of the whole world,
and | dare say ii is conceded that there
is not sufficient to transact the bust
ness. We have, believe, nine different
kinds of credit money in the United
States, and all redeemable in gold Is the
gold able to sustain this great burden?
If not, then We need a remedy. Whenev-
er the people who hold the silver, or the
greenback, or the national bank note,
believe that the government is not able
to meet Its promise to redeem in gold,
that moment do we have a panic To-
day every kind of money used, except
gold money, Is credit money and its
value is deprecated
mo question can take the place of BIZ
metallism, none is greater or of more
Importance to all, and for that reason
am l ready to stand by Teller, Cannon,
Carter. Mantle and Dubois for the stand
they have taken on the subject. The
fight is on: let us have 1t out
Let us go back to the first and great
est man who ever discussed this ques-
ton before the people of this country
Alexander Hamilton. He laid down two
principles necessary to carry on com
merce-first, we must have something
to sell that some other nation wanted
to buy; and, second, we must be in a po-
sition to accept the money the pur-
chaser has to give We stand at the
gateway of the nations of the Orient,
who have arisen to civilization so sud-
denly that 1t seems almost like dream.
We want the trade of Japan, China and
the Pacific islands, and when we get
that the Pacific coast is the great com
mercial center of the United States. We
have wheat and pork and other produce
to sell, but what have they to give us?
Only silver They have no gold, and
so we must say: We can not trade with
YOU You want to sell; l want to buy.
You come to me with so much wheat.
and | offer you five silver dollars. You
won't take 1t. How, then, can you and
| trade? How, pray tell, can We trade
with the Orient If we can't take her
moneys? q
We owe more in gold than I dare to
measure, and If our products are to be
measured in deprecated currency, more
than we can ever pay. They are all for
gold, those We owe; and positively they
don't know the color of 1t. They never
see 1t, never handle it, and yet cry for
1t. Why, I had friend from Idaho
come back, while I was at Washington,
to visit me. One day we took a hack
and drove out to Arlington. When ne
got back he reached down in his poke.
and drawing out a SIS gold piece handed
1t to the hack driver, and the driver
FASTENED off after a policeman to have
him arrested for passing counterfeit
money. This is marvellous, isn't ito
NOW. what we nua ua ,,,,,.t 49,.
yes, every dollar of 1t, for / don't be-
heve In reputation. We ought not to
pay in a produce measured by an APP
preciated currency, but we should nav
In produce measured in the same way.
and by the same currency, as we meas
ured the debt when we contracted II
The gold movement can only benefit
few. Those with incomes on money
loaned out payable in gold are bene-
fitted, for as the gold goes UP It takes
more wheat, more pork and more of
manufactured articles to buy the gold
to pay the debt.
Il am not the man to abuse President
Cleveland, nor am 1 going to; but / do
not blame him, for 1t is his environment
that made him. No man is free from
his environments. Cleveland not so
many years ago was a LAWYER, and not
very good one. in Buffalo, N He
was also good poker player. The TOWN
was republican, but some of the demo-
Gratis thought that If they nominated
Cleveland for mayor, with the full
strength of the democratic party and
what poker players there were in the
republican party, he could be elected.
and he was From these circ,met