The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-05-02

600, 600 of legal tender silver. It is a
well-established fact bat France is
not a borrower of money, and also
that sheYpaid her immense war debt
to Germany out of her W resources,
and yet she carries more than twice
as much silver at par with gold as
both England and Germany combin-
ed. l.quote again from the report
of director of our Mint before referred
to: "E'ngland, silver, s10O,0O0,O 900;
Germany, s21O,O00,0OO; France,
S7OO,O0O,0OO; United States, $685.
100000" If the United States
carried as much silver per capita as
France does, we could safely carr,
twice the amount we now have.
When any measure of government
policy, financial or otherwise, is bas-
ed on mere opinion, where the test,
of time and trial have been had, men
may and do honestly differ. Blu,
when these tests have been made and
the results published to the world, it
is not wise to ignore them. 1t is an
undisputed fact that while we were
coming the product of our silver
mines business in this country in all
Legitimate branches was very prosp-
erous. But in an evil hour we
listened to and adopted unwise coun-
sells, placed silver on the retired list,
and thus deprived thousands of honest
laborers Of employment, and filled
the land with an army Of tramps and
beggars. In view, then, of all the
facts which confront us as a nation, is
it wise to continue this fight against
silver? The gold gamblers in
Europe and America are loud in
their applause and approval Of our
present silver policy, because they
are fattening or the results, while
the honest toilers in the shops and
fields of this country are reaping
the sad and bitter fruits of this un-
wise policy.
In expressing these sentiments /
must not be understood as viewing
this question from an agrarian or
communistic standpoint. What little
of this worlds goods or property l
have is mostly in cash investments,
and therefore my individual pecuni-
ary interest would be best subselved
by making money scarce, and conse-
quently dear. ! view with alarm,
however, the strong tendency among
corporations and some individuals to
centralize the money power, notably
in u large cities, regardless Of the
consequences to the common people,
who compose the toiling millions of
the nation. 1t ought not to be for
gotten, however, that while a very
large majority of those who perform
the common toll are honest and we'll
disposed, yet there are those among
them and outside of them who would
rejoice to have some plausible excuse
for melting riot, pillage, and blood
shed. Many pages of the worlds
history bear evidence of this fact,
and it is therefore the part of wisdom
to heed and profit by the history of
the past.
The production of silver is one of
our industries. 1t gives employment
to thousands of our people, and is to
them victuals and clothes and house
and home, and the silver they pro
duce is by our Constitution and laws
part OF the coin money of the country.
While we were coming it we we've
prosperous. Since we ceased to coin
it we have had trouble all along the
labor line. While we were coming
it we were paying our national debt.
Since we ceased to coin it we have
been increasing our debt every hour
of every day. These statments are
not mere theories; they are solemn
facts of the most stubborn kind. If
a public debt is a public blessing, as
some pothouse politicians sometimes
declare, then we are now rapidly APP
preaching a degree of national fin
a%ncial happiness that ought to salts
fy the most wild and reckless opera
tor in puts and calls. Sober.minded
and careful business men laugh at
one of Dickens financial heroes, who
was always joyfully happy when he
succeeded in navinv an old note nv