The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-07-10

stood on the Chicago Platform.
Thomas Jefferson was a patriot and a
statesman of the highest order. 1t is
proper for all true democrats TO cele.
brate his birthday April 13, and to
tiles; but why should those who voted
in 1896 to r~epudiate debts and to cheap
en- our dollar by attempting to fix an
artificial ratio between gold and silver
widely different from the market ratio
meet to honor, or dishonor, Jefferson's
name? Is there anything i'll his writ
ings or his conduct to indicate that he
would have been a cheap money or re-
pudiation democrat?
In 1888 Mr.. jefferson wrote:
1.-THE proportion between the value OIL
gold and silve- is a mercantile problem al
together. : Just principles will lead
US to disregard legal proportions altogeth-
er, to inquire into the market price of gold
in the several countries with which we
shall principally be connected in COM
merce and to take an average from them"
Does this sound like the silver plank
in the Chicago platform?
In a letter to Mr.. Hamilton in Feb
ruary, 1892, Mr.. Jefferson expressed his
opposition TO cheapening the dol
lar or reducing the monetary unit. He
said of the dollar:
IT very much doubt a right now to change
the value, and especially to lessen il. It
would lead to so easy a mode of paying OF
their debts. Should It be thought,
however, that congress may reduce the
value of the dollar, l should be for adopt
ing for Il unit, instead of the dollar.
either ore ounce of pure silver or one
ounce of standard silver. so as to keep the
Unit Of money a part of the system of
measures, weights and coins"
The original characterization of sill
yer" was effected by the following or
der from Thomas Jefferson:
Department of State. May 2. 1SO6.-Sir:
In consequence of a representation from
the directors of the Bank CT the United
States that considerable purchases have
been mad OF dollars coined at the mint
for the purpose of exporting theEi, and as
II is probable further purchases and ex-
port2tiors will be made, the president
CThomaS Jeffersoa) directs that all silver
to he coined at the mint shall be of small
uNE.OAlAl-A6l4SaIo, 81 ALdG ~ NdllC VI Tx
largest piece shR net exceed half a dollar.
JAMES MADISON.
ROBERT PATTERSON. Esq, Director
Of the Mint
Except l,CC3 pieces, no more silver
dollars were cciacd till after Andrew
jackson retired f-.m the presidency.
1t is c.cd: fIsil o,i.erson's writings
that he favored the use of both metals,
but only at their natural ratio in the
worlds markets. lie seems to have
had an instructive fear that people who
wished an easy node of paying off
their debts" would attempt to fix our
coinage system Independent: of the
worlds markets. His policy at ali
times was to stick close to the natural
ratio.
His desire to ascertain the market
ratio between gold and silver and adopt
that US the legal ratio is shown again
in his supplemental notes, Works,
edition of 1858, volume l, page 10, writ
ten in 1888 or 1884, when he suggests
that the committee of the states be in
structeG:
ITO appoint also proper persons 70 in
quire what are the proportions between the
values of fine gold and fine silver at the
markets of the several countries with
which We are or may probably be connected
commerce, and what would be a proper
proportion here. having regard to the av-
eraga of their values at those markets and
to other circumstances, and to report the
TO the committee. by hem to be laid
before congress"
Jefferson framed and had passed by
the Virginia assembly 4 law by which
the value of the paper money of Amer
lea was settled lin sterling money or
the lawful money Of England"
If jefferson had been compelled to
choose between the w metals, he
would undoubtedly have taken gold. In
his Notes" lie observed that the high
price which Spain paid for gold had a
tendency to draw away gold and to
us only silver. He thought, there
fore, that Eve might with safety lean
to Il proportion somewhatab above par for
Free silver democrats are not Jeffer-
son democrats. They should either
abandon their false doctrines or wor-
ship a. another shrine.