Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-07-10
THE eoLTERS' APPEAL.

Foolish Reasons Given for Their Action
by the Boiling Silver Republicans.
AT a secret conference of the boiling
silver delegates to the St. Louis conven-
tion an address to the people of the
United States was agreed upon and
given to the press. This declaration of
free coinage doctrine was prepared
after careful consideration by Senators
Teller, Dubois and Cannon and other
silver leaders and may therefore be
held to embody the strongest argu-
ments which can be found in favor of
the silver standard.
The grounds on which Senator Teller
and his associates ask for support are
the assertions that "the basis of our
money is relatively contracting;" that
"our financial policy is dictated by cred
jtor nations;" that 1--WE produce all the
necessaries of life,while other nations
consume our products;" that "the res
toration of. bimetallism by this coun-
try will double the basis of our money
SYSTEM" that failing prices are the
deadliest curse of national life," and
that 'bimetallism will help to bring
about the great hope of every social re-
former" of better conditions for the
human race. On this platform the
voters nominated Senator Teller as an
Independent free coinage candidate for
president.
These claims of the silver republicans
the basis of our currency is steadily in
creasing. The production of gold is
now about $aOo, 900 per year, and Of
this over S13O,O0O,o0O is added to the
worlds stock of money. Our stock of
full legal tender silver has increased
from less than $S0,000, 900 in 1873 to
S5500O0 10000 in 1896.
Our present financial policy was de-
liberately adopted by the representa-
tives of the American people in congress
assembled. The charge that it was die
tated by foreign nations is an unfound-
ed imputation on the men chosen to
make our laws.
The idea that this is a country Of pro-
ducers while other nations are con-
sumers only is too silly for argument.
For every dollars worth of products we
oSii obi odt VIC buy bdSh az SolllC Jllltt d
dollars worth of foreign products,
which we consume. We consume in the
long run exactly as much as we pro-
duce.
The claim that "bimetallism," by
which is meant free coinage at sixteen
to one, will double the basis of our mon
ey system is not believed by the silver
ties themselves. They know better, for
they know that with the bullion value
of silver at thirty to one, the cheaper
metal would drive out the more valua-
BILE. Thus, instead of doubling the basis
of our money, free silver monometallism
would cut it in two by forcing gold out
of circulation.
Falling prices are due almost entire
ly to improved methods of production
by which labor on the farm or in the
workshop can create wealth more
easily than in former years. This
means that the masses can get
more of the necessaries and luxuries
of life, and it is therefore great
blessing, and not curse Other rea-
sons for falling prices are the new
sources of production opened up in
various parts of the world in recent
years. The gold standard has had
nothing TO do with the lower prices.
The claim that "bimetallism (silver
monometallism) will bring about the
great hope Of every social reformer"
would be more convincing if it were ac-
companied by information as to how it
would do it. In the absence of proof
general promises of better conditions
under free silver are altogether
too vague for sensible men to take risks
on A policy which depends on baseless
assertions and positive perversion of
facts can never gain the support of a
majority of the American people, and
the movement headed by Senator Tel
Ter is therefore doomed to failure.