Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-08
kennebec.
READEIELD.

The first political meeting Of the cam
paign here was held here by the Repu3-
iicans Saturday evening at Gle nan.
The attendance was good, and the re.
marks of the Hon. Herbert NJ. Heath OF
Augusta, the speaker OF the evening
we're listened to with the utmost atten-
ton which under the circumstances was
a great compliment for the speaker, as
he did not attempt to embelilsh ms re-
marks with any fancy or display utter
ances. but kept steadily to the great Is
sue of the campaign going TO the very
root of the currency matter ana Keeping
there, and keeping the attention OF ms
hearers fixed during the entire length OF
his speech. The TWO points Whlch ne
sought most particularly to impress were
these: First that no country ever couid
or ever can maintain a RATIO between lhe
metals at variance with that established
by the markets of the world. and that
when it is attempted the dearer metal
is invariably driven out of circulation;
second. that limited quantity OF money
may be maintained above its bullion
value for currency purposes solely pc
cause it is limited quantity. pr. Sal
lagher. president of kents I'M Sem
mary. introduced Mr. Heath. Here are
some of the strong points which ne
made: From personal STANDPOINT
am entirely disinterested in this cam
paign. | never accepted any office and
never shall. but there are things which
ought to arouse any man to disinterested
patriotism. Too many cranks are loose
in the land and too many factories nave
gone Democratic tApplause') H Sr,!
have continued four years. -Four years
ago when the country was prosperous
the Democrats told us that prices were
TOO high and now that hard times have
come under their rule they tell us thai
prices are too low. Mr. Bryan spent
more than half of his time at his Mad
ison Square freezeout in telling the peo-
pie that his solution of the money ques-
ton would bring good times Mr.. Bryan
starts out with the assertion Sc; that these
standard money in the country. Now if
that is so why is it that in % when we
had nine dollars of standard money per
individual prices were high. but now
that we have twelve dollars of standard
money per head prices are low We
have added nearly 5000. 0000 600 of silver
and 5000 600 900 of gold and only lost about
81 900 000, 900 in paper etc, since that time.
Prices depend on the amount of the
crops. on cheanening transportation, on
improved methods and machinery on
wars and rumors of war and on many
other things. Founded upon the teach
ings of all those men who have made il
Il special study, it is proposition which
cannot be gainsaid, that there is still
another element which has still greater
effect on the depreciation of prices and
that is credit. and that is where they
have already dealt blow Il prices which
they claim to be striving to uphold: Now
1t is not the quantity of money in any
measure whatever that regulates prices.
but they are to certain extent. however,
regulated by the amount of active money
and if money is largely idle or locked up.
we have hard times But what has
stopped the flow of money? / will tell
you. When man is sick he viii take
the first natert medicine offered and then
Il ~trugglt between nature ana the
met. me. QaughterD Well there are
laws of society deeper lying than the
laws of legislation. Because Il great nat
ural law no nation ever did or ever could
maintain the metals at a ratio which de-
fies the facts in regard to their actual
value. Once, are told in the earliest
days of which history makes record the
ratio of gold and silver was one to one
for they were of equal value weight for
pire the ratio was nine to one. At the
beginning of this century it was u TO
one. and there it remained. varying be
tween that and 16 to 1 till about 1870
because the production and demand for
the metals varied but little in that pc
of a cent above silver it left the currency
and direful the result you all
know. Silver in its turn has done the
same. Every Democrat who has studied
this subject must acknowledge that such
Il measure as Bryan proposes would
mean silver standard ANY man who
Most of them do know that it would de-
base our currency and dishonor our
credit but they will not acknowledge that
this is their real object. When Mr.
Bryan was in Congress where men are
more candid than they sometimes are
when candidates for high Offices, he said
we never have had in this country any
thing but a single standard except in
theory Today Mr.. Bryan tells us that
We enjoyed bimetallism from 1872 till
Sunday, there was no service at either
church in this village.-There was quite
heavy frost on the low lands in this
vicinity Saturday mornng.-Most crops
have proved success here this year
The corn crop is good and if we can have
this month without killing frost it will
prove well. Fall fruits are abundant and
winter apples will be an average crop
Some have been offered one dollar per
barrel bat will hold for larger prices
from Water[illP is
ing into the Manter house.-Many of our
people attended the far at Lewiston last
week.-John Ryder. teacher from Bos-
ton, came here last Thursday and he and
his mother are visiting his brother in
Bangor .--Mae Williams and Mertie Fisher
are at home from Massachusetts for their