Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-09-25
DR.. BROOKS,
Talks on the Money Question.
our Marc" Comes Back and De-
liVe.S a Rousing Speech.

large and attentive audience, at the
Republican Club headquarters, Tuesday
evening. The talk was plain, practical
and convincing, dealing very largely
with historical facts, which nobody is
able to dispute. Below we give few
thoughts from the many valuable ones
set forth by the Doctor
1--WE are here this evening as parti-
sans, l suppose, but it shall not be my
purpose, to enter upon any TRADE, "a
gainst those who think different than
we do, nor shall | say that they are un-
true to their convictions.
l can understand how two men can
differ on the doctrines of Free Trade and
Protection, but | cannot see, how man
can be very intelligent and believe i'll
the free coinage of silver, at the ratio of
| Is TO /, while the real value of silver is
30 to /.
That money is a measure of value no
one will dispute, and money is necces-
sary to facilitate business transactions.
OF course, if we had no money we might
take our potatoes to market, and ex-
change them for merchandise, but that
would be inconvenient. Then, if money
is measure of value, there must be
some standard of value, and what is
that Standard"
Here the Doctor gave a splendid illus
tration of how the standard yard was
obtained, showing the necessity Of hav-
ing but one standard yard in order that
business transactions be carried on with
out friction.
"Can we have two standards of a
yard, can we have two standard of a
pound and use which ever we wish:
Can we have two standards of a dollar?
The thing is absurd it is not possible.
If the government has agreed that six
teen times as much silver shall be placed
in silver dollar, as gold in gold dol
lar, it will work all right at home, but
when we deal with other nations, they
will not accept our secondary standard. I"
"At present gold Is our standard, and
silver is a secondary standard. But we
hear of bimetallism and so, let us in
quiIe, what is bimetallism: 1t is the
use of two metals as money, and it is
necessary for convenience that we use
both, silver dollars being to heavy to
carry III large quantities and the smaller
denominations, as the quarter, would be
too small if made of gold. We have
bimetallism, have had it, and will CON
tinue to have it, unless legislation shall
distroy it, If silver is too plenty, gold
will depart, and we shall have silver
monometallism. The assertion was
made over two hundred years ago, and
remains an undisputed fact TO this day.
If there are two kinds of money in the
currency at one time, on an equal basis,
the poorer money will drive out the
better"
He next cited in a telling manner, the
clipping of the coins i'll England, and
how finally, the government was com
PEELED to redeem them with at enormous
loss, and then he said, IF we shall flood
the country with a deprecated silver
currency, don't know how we shall
redeem it, unless we borrow the money
and increase our national debt, or else
make direct tax upon the people"
"You hear people talk of silver being
1 IL, in, h,,f = oil fa1g
for to demonetize a metal is TO deprive
it of its power TO purchase, or its power
as money, and this surely was not done
The free coinage was simply stopped on
that date, and why should the govern
ment coin silver without being paid fo1
it? Do take my cloth TO the tailor and
expect him to make me a coat for moth
ing. No of course not, then neither
should expect my silver coined foi
nothing"
DIR. Brooks next quoted statistics
showing that prices of farm products
did not decline after the alledged crime
of 1873 but rather rose in price. I'll
spite of that terrible crime, in 81 w,
had nearly twenty times as much silver
coined as in all our history as a nation
prior to 1913.
If we open our mints to free coinage
of silver, who will own that money afte
it is coined? The man who brings i
of course, not the people. 1t is no
strange to me that the silver min,
owners are in favor of free silver fol
now they sell their silver at the ratio o
30 TO /, while then it would be Is to
And soon they will be able under tha
law to double their wealth.
Men, who are interested in the Chicag,
platform, know that gold is superior t
silver, so Governor Atgeld makes hi
loans, as well as the interest on them
|, payable in gold.
| Who is it that has the money investe,
! in mortgages, and similar security. Th,
widow and the man of limited means
Free coinage means the cutting of he