The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-29
aLTGELD--C9RLISLE.
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR MAKES
AN ABLE REPLY TO
CARLISLE.
The Goldbug Orator Hauled Over
the Goals in a Caustic
Manner.
Some Interrogatories Which the Wiley Ken
lucky Financer Should Answer at
Once or Close His Vacuum.

Springfield, H., April 26.-Secretary
Carlisle has been answered by Gov. Alt
geld. In pointed open letter made public
today the governor replies to the address
on the money question which the secretary
recently delivered at the Auditorium. Gov
Altgeld's letter is as follows:
"a teacher should be willing to answer
questions. At the close of Mr.. Carlisle's
speech number of gentlemen arose and
asked for further information, but he
turned his back and stepped off the stage,
ard, by direction Of his managers, the ques-
toners were hustled out by policemen. He
could have made himself very interesting
on a number of points which he persistently
ignored. In 1873, when discussing the.
money question in congress, ne expressed
his convictions in the following language:
81 shall not enter into an examination of
the causes which have combined to depre-
ciate the relative value of silver and to
appreciate the value of gold since 1873, but
l am one of those who believe that they are
transient and temporary in their nature and
that when they have passed away or have
been removed by the separate or united
action of the nations mostly deeply inter-
ested in the subject the old ratio of actual
and relative value will be re-established on
a firmer foundation than ever. know that
the worlds stock of precious metals is none
too large and l see no reason to apprehend
that it will ever become so. Mankind will
be fortunate indeed, if the annual produce
tion of gold and silver coin shall keep pace
with the annual increase OF population,
commerce and industry. According to my
view of the subject the conspiracy which
seems to- aXe--been formed here and in
Europe to destroy by legislation and other
wise from three-sevenths to one-half the
metallic money of the world is the most
gigantic crime Of this or any other age. The
consummation of such scheme would ulti-
mately entail more misery upon the human
race than all the wars, pestilence and fam
Inc that ever occurred in the history of the
world. The absolute and instantaneous de-
struction of half the movable property of
the world, including horses, ships, railroads
and all other appliances for carrying on
commerce, while it would be felt more SEN
sbly at the moment, could not produce any
thing Ike the prolonged distress and disor-
ganization of society that must inevitably
result from the permanent annihilation of
one-half of the metallic money of the world.
John G. Carlisle.
FEB. 81, 1873"
1t will be seen that this language is clear
and emphatic and has none of the sophistry
and pettifogging about It that are found in
his Chicago speech. HIS awful predictions
made in 1878 came to pass. He not only
saw his own prophecy fulfilled, but he saw
the misery of his country become even
greater than he had predicted. Finding
that his views had been correct he continued
%n ho1d tot thoy, ~ ho onto
lands cabinet, when in some mysterious
manner there was a change Of heart, but
for some reason he seems unwilling to talk
about it. There are two other members of
the cabinet, Hoke Smith, of Georgia, and
Herbert, of Alabama, who, like Carlisle,
had made their voices heard for nearly
lifetime in denouncing the great conspiracy
that struck it down; and strange to say
when these two men entered Clevelands
cabinet they underwent change Of heart,
and, Ike Carlisle, avoid talking about it.
When Saul of Tarsus saw great light and
changed mis- views, he was anxious to tell
all the world about it; but these three
statesmen seem to be ashamed to discuss
the manner of their conversion Why did
not Carlisle throw little light on these
things?
Second, all of these men now denounce
those people who are opposed to the single
gold standard as being scoundres and luna
tics. Yet they are only following the doc
trines which Carlisle and company preach
ed Are we, then, to infer that Carlisle
and his two cabinet associates were scoun-
drels and lunatics until they got to be old
men, and that when the tinsel of the cabinet
position not only made them honest but
gave them brains? If not. then how are
we to know which end of their career was
honest, intelligent and patriotic? For in
the absence Of any explanation some of us
might think that they were honest and pat
riotic when in the vigor of their manhood
they were standing by a wronged people
and that It is the latter end of their career
that IS destitute of honesty, intelligence or
patriotism. Carlisle should have told u.s.
Third-Mr. Carlisle should have explain
ed why it was that for 200 years gold and
silver held the market ratio of about 151b
to l. The ratio fixed by law was Is to in
some countries, 151a to in most countries.
and for a while 16 to in our own country;
In other words, the market ratio, as shown
by the tables, remained practically the same
as the statutory ratio during all that time.
If the two metals cannot stand together.
how does it happen that they do so without
serious fiuctuat:on for 200 years notwith-
standing the fact that the annual produc-
ton of each metal varied greatly from time
to time?
Fourth-If only one of the metals can be-
a STANDARD and measure OF the value of
things. and if combined standard of both
god and silver is as impossible as it is to
have two yard sticks Of different lengths,
why was it that some of the greatest finan-
c:ers of the world, and particularly Baron
Rothsclild, stated in 1869 that t was the
sum of the two metals taken together winch
formed the measure of the value o. things?
No matter which metal might for a time