The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-17

rency was good; 1t was made as good as the best on the globe. We made sound money, and we also made an honest protective tariff to go with it. Sound money and an honest protective tariff go hand in hand together, not one before the other.
 The very foundation of a sound cur rency system is a solvent treasury. If the people doubt the integrity of the treasury they will question the sound ness of the currency Recognizing this fundamental fact the republican party always provided ample revenue for the treasury,
 When in the last half century of our history did the democratic party advocate q financial policy that was in the best interests of the American people? Look at its antebellum cur rency record.
 Consider it's hostility to the currency rendered necessary by the eXigency of war; and later it's efforts to initiate the currency in a time of peace by the issue of greenbacl1s. Witness opposition to the efforts of the republican party to resume specie payments. But four short years ago it declared for return to the old discredited state bank cur rency.
 "The republican party has not been unfriendly to the proper use of silver. It has always favored and faVors to- day the use of silver again as part of our circulating medium. But it faVors that use under such provisions and safeguards as shall not impair it's pres ent national standard.
 "The policy of the republican party is to retain both gold and silver as a part of our circulating medium, while the policy Of free coinage of silver leads to certain silver monometalism. It is an immutable law that two moneys of unequal value will not circulate togeth- CT, and that the poorer always drives out the better.
 "The republican party, desiring fairly to secure a large use of silver, pledged itself in favor of an international agree ment. Harrison, true to the pledge of the party, took the initiatory steps, and invited an international monetary con- ference at Brussels at which the true object Of an international coinage agreement was ably and profltably dis | Cussed. The democratic party was al- l so committed to international bi-meal- | lism, but when it came into power the work which has been so auspiciously | begun by the republican party was abandoned. It was so absorbed in it's | efforts to break down the Mckinley law | and empty the treasury that 1t had no 1 time to promote international bimetal- ism.
 Those who profess to believe that | this government can independently of | the other great commercial powers open 1 its hints to the free and independent coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1, when the commercial ratio in all the | great markets is 30 to 1, and at the same time not drive every dollar of gold out of circulation, but deceive them selves.
 Great and splendid and powerful as our government is it cannot accomplish the impossible.
 Tt cannot create value. It has not the alchemists subtle art of transmut- ing unlimited silver into gold, not can it. by omnipotent fiat make 50 cents worth 100 cents. As well undertake by a resolution of congress to suspend the law of gravitation as attempt to com pei an unlimited number of 50 cent dol liars to circulate with 100 cent dollars at a parity with each other, An at tempt to compel unlimited dollars of such unequal value to circulate at a parity is bad in morals and is vicious in politics. Sound thinkers upon the great question of the currency know from the beginning of the experiment how miserably and certainly it would fail The commerce of the country