Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-29

: would be by very simple tests. You ca
buy TWO Mexican dollars today for on
dollar OF the United States, and IL yo
Went to the silver standard your dolla
. lhe the Mexican. would then pass a
us bullion value, and where you noy
i. a VI for a barrel Of flour, you woul
then pay W, or even more, as you woul.
, now be obliged to do If you tried [,
Duy a barrel of lour with Mexican dol
lars.
rake another test. Today, If yo,
want to send a sum of money abroad
you pay In round numbers for an Eng
ilsh pound. IS. Unde free silver yo,
would pay $9.43 for an English pound
and If you desired to send money t,
rance or Germany you would pay
twice h we do now for a mark or
franc.
The boy orator says that the trou
BILE with the gold dollar is that it ha,
been constantly getting fatter. In tn,
process it has certainly not affected
wages adversely, for the wage rate ha:
risen steadily since 1873. Therefore. un
der the gold standard, labor Isl gettin,
more dollars tina ever before and of g
higher purchasing power. 1t is diff
cult to see why labor should wish t.
make the money which it saves and
earns thinner than it now is.
1T must also be remembered that
When the currency is deprecated the
bad money or the cheap money finds
its way most surely into the hands of
the w~orkingman, and it is on them that
the loss falls. When the great paper
imitation of france collapsed at the end
or the last century the worthless as
signats were in the hands OF the peo-
pie. and especially of the workingmen
The spectators escaped with fortunes.
The ruin and loss fell on the working
men, the business men and the manu-
facturers of France.
The fact is that the economic areu-
ment against free silver or any form of
cheap money is irresistible in the case
Gf the wage earner. and for that rea-
sen the advocates OF free silver have
abandoned reason and argument and
substituted therefor appeals TO passion
ard to prejudice.
one Of these appeals is that the gold
f;andard makes us dependent on Eng
land.
j do not think that | shall be sus-
1ected of advocating any policy which
could lead the United States to de-
pcndence on any foreign country but
this cry for independence of England |
comes with a poor grace from men who
in the same breath propose to sacrifice |
L industrial independence by givingl
ear market TO England and 10 Europe
Under free trade and vast profits to the |
silver mine owners. who are largely |
English.
The independent nation in money |
natters is the nation of high credit. |
md sound currency Is the essential con-
4ition OF good credit. The man with |
GOOD credit is not the slave of his credi-
tors; it Is the man of bad credit who is
he slave Of the money lender.a nd what
$ r Of men is equally true ofnations |
rhe nation with high credit is the
strong and Independent nation. The
alton with the bad credit is the de-
pendent. Countries like the United
states and France and Germany are in-I
dependent. because their currency is
sound and their credit high. Guate-
naia, Brazil n Mexico are dependent
N the foreign money lenders because
heir currency is unsound and their
-redit bad. | want the United States
. rank where h belongs and not sink
down TO the level of Guatemala.
The other appeal that is made is farl
worse than this attempt TO arouse preju-
nee by declaring that we are dependent |
IN another country. This is the effort to
induce men TO vote for the silver candi-
Iates by raising the cry of the masses |
against the classes. 1t is as vile an at
Tempt as TO endeavor to awaken section
al feelings. |
The man who attempts to create class
teeiins IN this country is an enemy of the
public veal. He is the worst foe OF
american institutions and American
prosperity. We are all masses here andl
Ne are all equal in the eye of the law.
20 drop argument ana seek to set one
american against ANOTHER is" to ENTER on
he road which. in France. ended in the
horrors Of the
\ falser appeal was ever made than
hat which urges the employed to vote
3ther' me prosperity of the country
rests on the prosperity of the wage
Garner. II the wage Garner is not pros
9erous, the business man and the EN-
2loyer are not prosperous. The ruin of
The employer means the ruin of the en-
ployed. 1t would be as reasonable 10 say
department 10 protect the great n
factories Of New York. Manufacturing
plants buildings and workshops belong
10 the employers of labor.
suppose on the theory that the inter-
sts OF the employers and of the en-
ioyed are hostile. You gave up your fire
apartment ana burned down every mani
itacturing establishment in New York.
The employer would he ruined. but
Tow much would labor benefit? The en-
ployer would lose his dividend. but the
%orkingman with the factory gone would
lose his dinner.
TO support a policy in regard to the
'lurrency on the ground that it will ruin
The capitalist. is as bad rs to put the
torch to every mandatory on the
sround that the employer wanted il pre-
served and ii therefore must be to The
of the w~orkingmen to DESTROY il.
II have spoken thus far on what may
% called the selfish aspects of this ques-
ton. hut there is another side. more i'm
portant than any selfish or economic in
terest.
The American people have shown BIZ
the war for the Union that they were
OF the greatest sacrifices for a
sentiment and for a belief.
fhey are the same, todaY. In this
campaign there is involved Il great moral
question. We have borrowed money as
q nation. Within the last three years we
have borrowed more than 500. 900. 0O. and
compelled the lenders to give us gold
1t is now proposed by the silver party TO
pay that debt in silver. There is no ques-
ton OF political economy in that. This is
dishonesty: il is repudiation. That
would be an indelible stain upon the ma
tional honor.
The United States has never swerved
the path of honor in dealing with
The public debt. Poor and weak. we paid
all the debts of the Revolution, dollar for
dollar. Rich and strong. we have paid
debts of the Rebellion in the same
way. Our honor has been without STAIN: