The Dickinson press., 1897-08-14
THE OHIO DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
It's Assertions and Arguments Consid.
cred and Answered.
PART IL.

DIT llSCAl says ia oPSSAllS lSAaAAo
that "this act shall not be con-
strued to affect any act done,
right accrued, or penalty incurred
under former acts but every such
right is hereby saved" thus clear
ly stating that it did not demone-
tie any of the coins authorized
prior to that date, while every one
of the four hundred and fifty mil
lion standard silver dollars coined
since the passage of that act is
and has constantly been a full le-
gal tender, and none of them is
or has been demonetized.
The act of 1873 was not passed
without the knowledge and ap-
proval of the American people"
as the platform asserts. 1t was
submitted to Congress in April,
1870. printed thirteen times, dis
cussed at intervals until January
I, 1873 (nearly three years., the
debates and discussions filling 144
pages of the Congressional Rec
ord, which was published daily
during the session in which it was
discussed. The American people
had ample opportunity to know
all of its provisions, and that there
was no popular disapproval of it
is shown by the fact that liz of
of the Members of the House
which passed it were reelected,
many of them continuing to serve
in Congress to the end of their
lives, while several are still men,
bers of that body, notably, Will
liam M. Stewart of Nevada, who
voted for the bill and who, in a
speech delivered on June IL, 1874,
said: 1.-THE laboring man and the
producer is entitled to have his
product and his labor measured
by the same standard of value
that measures your national debt
You require from the laborine
man gold to pay the interest or
your national debt, which is right
which can not be avoided if you
mean to save national honor; but
then give him the same money
with which to pay that debt. The
question will never be decided
until you determine the single
question whether the laboring
man is entitled to have a gold dol
lar if he earns it, or whether you
are going to cheat him with some.
thing else"
1--WE declare that the act of 1879
has resulted in the spprecia'
tion of gold"
It has not resulted in the ap'
probation of gold," because golc
has not appreciated. Any article
appreciates" in value only wher
there is an increased demand fol
it either because of the reduction
in the quantity or an enlarged
need of it in current affairs of life
The figures of the best statisti
Clans show that the gold coin o
the world and a total money o;
the world have increased mucl
more rapidly than the population
since 1873, hence the absurdity o
the claim that it has appreciated
in value, as the amount for eacl
individual in the world has great,
increased since the passage of tn,
sact in question. The gold none,
of the world has more thai
doubled since 1873, the silve
money of the world has nearly o
quite trebled in that time and tn
paper money has also increase,
largely, while the population o:
the world has increased only 2
per cent in the same period. l
IS thus evident that the tota
amount of money for each ind
vidual in the world is much great
er than in 1873 and that there ca,
thus be no increased per capt.
demand for gold and hence n
appreciation" in its value. Will
the fact that q large proportio
of the business Of the world is no,
performed with checks, drafts an,
other forms of credit without til
direct use of money further r.
duces the demand upon gols
The mines of the world produe
more gold today than they PR
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