Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-05
OUR STRENGTH AND OUR DUTY

entire fairness. however conscientious
men may be in the expression of their
opinions. They are-often imperceptibly
to themselves-swayed from the justline
of argument. We may attribute such
alteration to undue passion rather than
to dishonesty.
1t is now barely six months ago that
they declared the "silver craze" to be
dead, and that it's death was due to re-
turned business prosperity. Time showed,
on the contrary, that the silver craze was
by no means dead, and was not even dy-
ing; and that the revival of business, in
stead of being healthy and vigorous, was
simply the natural and necessary output
of labor that must continue to work and
yield it's fruits no matter what may be
the condition of politics or commerce.
Every discerning man understands that
labor and whatever money we have can
not stand still. Every man must do
something to feed his family, and hence
the wheels of labor must be kept con-
stantly in motion. The farmer must
make his cotton and grain whether times
are good or bad, and the mine and fur
mace owners must keep their plants at
work whether their profit Is large or
small The volume of business is no cri-
terion of it's value. Population is con-
stantly increasing, and new hands must
be kept at work and new mouths are to
be fed. 1t is idle therefore, to bubble
with each other over facts that do not
touch the matter in dispute.
The country needs more activity in bus
mess and better prices. This much can
not be gainsaid. The question that con-
Germs us, therefore, is how can we best
regain our normal condition of prosper
ity? The more this question is consid-
cred the more evident it is that we are
suffering from currency congestion.
In no other way can our present condi-
ton be explained. Along the lines of the
gold standard party every prophecy has
been downed. Not a single beneficial re-
suit, promised by the repeal of the silver
laws, has been fulfilled, and it Is now
three years since the prediction of mme-
date prosperity was uttered In the face
of such false prophecies the silver move
ment has grown. 1t offers the only solu-
ton of our troubles. because it offers us
better prices and greater business activ-
ity growing out of an enlarged volume
of standard money. The experiences of
the world and the teachings of all the
great POLITICAL eCOUOfllStS VI Tile Woiit
go to prove that an enlarged volume of
standard money is invariably followed
by increasing business and expanding
confidence.
The silver men do not want dishon-
est dollar. AS Judge Crisp said at Au-
gusta if he believed that free coinage
would cause gold silver and paper to
part company he would not advocate it.
But he believes that free silver coinage
can be maintained alone by this country,
just as France maintained it for seventy
years against Great Britain. The re-
sources of this country are so enormous
that long before our minis could coin
enough silver to raise our per capita or
standard money to that of France, we
would find every commercial nation of
the world Fastening to initiate our. exam
pie. Otherwise we would snatch from
them the trade of South America and
of the orient. The London Times has adj
mitted that free coinage In the United
States would deprive Great Britain of
her most valuable trade. The statesmen
of England, Germany and France under
stand this, but they hold aloof In the
hope that we may not have the courage
to set their precedents at defiance and
establish a natural policy for ourselves
If France could for such a PERIOD defy
the policy of Great Britain in this respect
it is manifest that the United States
can successfully initiate her. The emf
nent statesman, Mr.. Mulhal1 In the June,
1895, number of the North American Re-
view informs us that In the period OF
thirty years, between 1860 and 1890, "the
new wealth added to this country in a
single operation was no less than
40 millards of dollars, which sum
Is l inillsrd over the total
wealth of Great Britain" Thus, in one
generation, we have acquired more
wealth than Great Britain has heaped up
in 1000 years. of her history. He tells
us also that the working power Of the
United States. an reduced to foot-tons.
is much greater than that Of Great
Britain, saying: Here we see the
United States possess almost as much
energy as Great Britain. Germany and
France collectively. and that the ratio