The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-07-16
For the Reporter.
The Issue.


The coinage aud use Of silver as money
is the leading issue Of the present cam
paign, the tariff question Is practically
settled Tor The present. Congress has
provided the Nation with nearly $500
900, 090 Of silver money aud surrounded
IL Will such safeguards as have kept it
AT par WITH gold through four Years OF
llnanedl arrangement and business dis
astefi discounted nowhere in he United
State, the people, silver dollar has To-
DAY purchasing power equal 10 that OF
god aud circnlates uDchallenged, while
gold has little Use save "a medium II
foreign exchange.
Tie present s0-called Democratic Ad-
ministration WAS the first 10 dishonor
our silver dollar by demanding iu extra
session OF Congress repeal of the
sherman silver bill and stopping the
coinage OF silver with a flourish ii
trumpets and eondemning silver money
by calling 1t fifty cent dollar; the PEG
pie knew this To be ruse aud lie and
kept right on using the silver dollar az
freely "a ever. The Efforts of the
present Administration To destroy the
silver dollar together with that disown.
ed offspring of tarfl-smashing Demo
cratic Congress, the Wil>on-Gurman 4
Co. tariff law. has brought values of
property and labor down To "a gold basis
and business, paralyzed, demoralized and
bankrupt, waits IN suspense the result Of
our Presidential election
The second blow aimed at the Ameri-
can silver dollar comes also. in the main.
from the bowels of the Democratic
party. the unlimited free silver coinage
child, Matched. fostered and grown to
manhood under the aegis OF the Demo-
cratic party-aye, bone of its bone and
flesh of its flesh, is not only adopted into
the family but is about, TO depose time
honored Democracy and as Wis done by
the Greenback craze, will send it once
more into the wilderness.
The fad" of free and unlimited coin
age of silver. having the inspiration Of
| its life in selhshness pure and simple.
| being no more nor less than a gigantic
scheme on the part OF owners OF silver
| mines to rob the people by getting a
gold valued silver dollar in exchange Tor
the raw material furnished by them
which cost them less than fifty cents,
! free coinage, | repeat, will lessen the
value, the purchasing power OF our
silver dollar, because not only the large
amount of bullion in our own countr,
| but that of Mexico and other silver pro-
ducing countries will come To our mints
for coinage thus increasing the volume
of our silver currency to such an extent
Is To place it beyond the power of the
| Government to maintain il at par with
| gOld.-a crisis, a crash and a financial
collapse will eBsue, and holders of gold
aud gold bonds will reap harvest of
property and estates never before wit
messed in this country.
Our silver dollar is in part fiat dollar,
the prerogative of providing it for the
people should be retained by the Govern
| ment and not given away TO owners of
silver bullion for them TO make 30 per
cent by using the Government fiat. No
international agreement can ever be
obtained authorizing free and unlimited
coinage of silver to be used AS inter
| national currency at any ratio: England
owns all silver and gold mines in her
territory taking royalty from the
miner sufficient to fill her Golfers with
silver and gold and will never consent to
| free coinage. Silver money is too bulky
| for foreign exchange and never will be
obtained.
No tariff law under most favorable
conditions can be ellectual to yield suf-
| icent revenue for our Government till
more than one year from the present
| time when our National debt at the past
and present rate of annual deficiency
will be increased nearly $500, 900, 600.
| What then can be done to save the
| Government from bankruptcy.
| This question is not easy 10 answer
| but confidence il our American silver
dollar can be restored and maintained by
defeating its enemy the free and un-
! limited silver coinage Democracy al the
polls, and by honoring it once more by
It's limited coinage by the Government.
purchasing the bullion not with gold.
but with the silver dollar; au honest,
efficient tariff law will be the next thing
| necessary.
Cur National debt is a standing men-
ace 10 business and to the life of the
| Nation and the liberties of the people.
| The spectacle of a great and growing
| Republic. with boundless resources
harnessed and bound in chains by debt
contracted one-third of "A century ago.
now more than one billion dollars and
| increasing at the rate of 500 900. 900 per
year, such a spectacle ought to arouse
the people to save the country by inn
mediate payment OF the debt. Do you
say it cannot be done? Once it was the
question Of resumption of specie pay
nent, was it accomplished: Who did il.
Who opposed il and said II could not b,
done: Now it i til" question of pay
nent. who is there WHO will dare [,
oppose when the people demand IT,
T.. b. BAREErE
July. IT.. ls96.