West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-07-02
SILVER THE FIRST MONEY.
An Able Article on the Financial
Question and Good Platform
TO Run ON.
From Tho Barbour Democrat.

The Hon. Wm. Il. Brown, OF
Kingwood, who is a candidate for
Congress IN this district. IN writ
ing to friend IN Randolph county
upon the subject of silver, some
weeks since, among other things,
discusses the question as follows
"Silyer is the first money men
toned IN sacred history, for it was
for twenty pieces Of this precious
metal that Joseph was sold into
Egypt. since which time it has con
tinued to be money in all the ages
and among all the nations OF the
world; although it has entertained
different ratios with gold. at differ.
ent periods, but nowhere aud at no
time has that ratio been greater
than 16 to /, until it was demon
etized by our friends, the Republi.
cans. in 1878.
"In Persia, according to Herod
otus, which is as far back as have
been able to go, the ratio was 118
to /; in Greece, near the same
period, it was 13 to l; in Greece,
at another period, it is given by
Aenophen as being 10 to i; IN
Rome, in the days of julius Caesar,
it was q to /; under the reign of
Claudius, Tacitus gives 1T as 124
to /; under the reign Of Constan-
tine the Great, the ratio was I0t to
l. Turning to English history, we
have the ratio under Henry Ill,
% to /; during the reign of good
Queen Elizabeth, IL to 1; and
during the reign of George L., in
l7l7, the ratio was 153 to l. The
Congress of the United States, in
1892, fixed the ratio at 10 to 1,
which remained standard to 1884,
when it was raised to 1G to L. where
1T remained with slight variation
until after it was demonotized by
act of Congress in 1873, the true
history Of which is shrouded in
darkness aud mystery. and which,
IN my opinion, was one Of the most
daring and infamous pieces Of bus
lness ever engaged in by an Amer.
lean Congress.
Gold and silver are, and were
intended to be-, the monies of the
constitution; they were the only
monies recognized by the first laws
of Congress, passed pursuant to
that clause OF the constitu tion
which provides that Congress has
the power TO coin money, ETC., and
their values made interchangeable
at Is to l. May | enquire of
gold man, what great change has
taken place to render the retire.
ment of silver, as cion, necessary I?
Was there too much of it in circu-
lation ? Was it not on parity
with gold ?
"The financial condition Of this
country is deplorable we are with
out money to meet the demands of
trade.
eff my possessions were all in
money, and extreme selfshness
overcome any patriotic impulses /
might have, | would be for gold;
but my interests are largely in
lands and connected with the
farming and grazing industries and
are therefore in common with the
great grazing interests Of this
country which form a majority not
only Of this State but all the other
agricultural States.
"Restore silver to where it was
before 1873 and you will increase
the value Of everything Of value
except money.
"The friends Of gold argue that
it would be selfish and unpatriotic
for the farmers ard property.hold-
ers to vote for silver and thereby
increase The value Of their own
property against the interests Of
the people having money. This
can best be answered, like the
Yankee, by asking another ques-
tion In whose interest WAS the
law passed making the debt Of this
government, which was created in
currency, redeemable in gold In
whose interest was the law passed
demonetizing silver and thereby
greatly increasing power Of gold (?
Who were most interested i'm cstab-
fishing The gold standard, and who
90. q. ,.,- ~T~1..ts.... "a tI-.