Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-10-02

He said the national debt was bigger
today than it was at the close of the
war, which is a surprising statement,
inasmuch as the facts are that up to
Cleveland's administration about one
sixth of the debt of the United States
had been paid and the interest account
had been reduced about onc-half.
Senator Pettigrew thought that
those brave men who thought enough
of their country to 'bare their breasts
TO the southern bullets" or words to
that effect: those patriotic veterans
who We're then willing to tight that this
country might be preserved for them
selves and their posterity. receiving
only 40 cent dollars. were now mag
nanimous and big-hearted enough to-
he willing that their pensions should
be cut i'll two if needs be. for he said.
"soloiers do not now desire more of
human TOLL as recompense for their
services than they used to get. He did
not explain this statement very fully
though plainly admitting that 16 to
would reduce the pensions of old
soldiers, at the same time endeavoring
to show that the price of labor has
reduced, which is not true.
The senator held up Il silver dollar
and declared that "that dollar hasn't
thing behind it in the world-has
only 53 cents worth of silver, and yet
that dollar is as good as gold; and all
we want is to issue some more exactly
like it; all we mean by free coinage is
to coin more of them.' But hedid not
explain that the reason that dollar was
as good as gold was because they had
not been issued in such unlimited
numbers as to make it impossible to
keep it at "a par with gold. That silver
dollar is as good as gold because silver
dollars have been issued only in sufti-
cient number to warrant their being
kept equal to gold dollars, the two at
all times circulating together at par,
one eXchangeable for the other, both
as legal tender.
Aud another thing, the government
has made whatever profit there may
have been between the bullion value
and the coin value, instead of the mine
owner making the profit as MIR. Petit
grew desires. So that with the govern
ment buying and coming silver upon
its own responsibility and making the
profit-seignorage-it is legally bound
to maintain those dollars us good as
every other dollar, and it can afford to
do SO; while with Pettigrew's plan the
government merely coins tine 53 cents
worth of silver and hands it back to
the owner as one dollar.
When Pettigrew says he 'wants more
just like that dollar he doesn't pro-
pose to have them coined as that dollar
was at all, and when he should have
this nation coin all the silver of the
world free he would not have silver
dollars that will "be good as gold" Ii
his proposed silver dollars should
prove to be as "good as gold" wherein
would anyone be benefited according
TO the lG to theory: for if they were
just as good they certainly will be as
hard to get.
Senator Pettigrew closed his disioint-
ed discussion by dciouncing
the railroads. but failed to
state that he himself is railroad
skiing" and came out here from Omaha
on pass good to Deadwood, and tried
to work the conductor to pass him
from Minnekahta to this place on the
strength of his Deadwood pass. He
can ride on passes-but how lie docs
hate railroads aud corporations!
Senator Pettigrew's speech was very
rambling and disconnected, though
from a demopop standpoint it was
probably good. for he pounded the
party he has always worked with, al :.
the laws he has helped to make, Ia
the way from '73 to '96. He hasnc
ready become as prolific in calamoa
bowling as the rankest pop in the cole,
try. m. @
The inconsistencies above plall..y
shown in Senator Pettigrew's argument
are no less inconsistent than the dem
opops who have ecirculated "reform edi-
tions" endorsed by Freeman Knowles,
demopop candidate for congress. This
''reform edition" gives quite a history
of various "crimes" that have been
committed, but principally concerning
the Taylor defalcation, in which they
have Senator Pettigrew playing an i'm.
portant part. The Edgemont Advo
cate, for instance of whose edit ors
was in this city and heard Pettigrew
and was one of his loudest applauders
that newspaper on Sept. Sd, even