The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-10-21
BANK NOTES UNRELIABLE.
Something Safer Than They Are Is
Wanted For Circulation.
VOTERS SHOULD REMEMBER THIS,
Open Your Eyes, Rcri, Ponder and Cast
Your Ballots For Your Country
and All You Love at the
Coming Election.
Columbus, O., Oct. Q.

The Hon. Allen w. Thurman, In
q speech delivered at Wellston, o.,
gave expression to the following
thoughts upon the conspiracy of the
banking power The statements con-
tain a startling picture of the evils
that menace the people, and every cit
izen should read and carefully study
the truths here presented:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow-Citizens--
The great danger in the present cam
paign is that the people may not fully
realize what the success of the Repub-
Mcan party this fall may result In, and
thus inadvertently have fastened upon
them during the next session of con-
gress a financial system which they
will be unable to free themselves from
during the next half century, II ever.
The question of the free coinage Of
silver equally with gold is becoming
every day one Of greater moment. Both
gold and silver taken together have
never afforded a sufficient volume OF
money for the needs of modern COM
merce. Everywhere they have had to
be supplemented with some form OF
paper currency, supposed to be redeem
able in either one or both of these pre-
cious metals. Many people believe
that the redemption feature in money
| is wholly unnecessary, but whether we
| can have a scientific money system Is
not now the question, for the belief OF
nine-tenths of the world Is, that paper
money would eventually be worthless
unless provision be made for it's re-
| demption in coin.
This paper currency in all countries
IL issued either directly by the gov
| ernment, through the medium Of
banks. or, as in this country, through
| both of these channels. Gold alone we
| do not believe can ever afford basis
sufficiently broad upon which any re-
deemable paper money system in this
country, whether 1t be issued by the
government or the banks, can safely
rest. Every one who has given this
phase Of the subject any consideration
believes this to be true.
In this connection Judge Thurman
said at the monetary conference in
1881: II believe bimetallism must pre-
vail, for / cannot see how the vast
structure of credits, the most distin-
gushing feature of modern industry
and commerce, can be supported on
gold basis alone. With both metals
its base has often been found too mar
row; but with one it would be, to my
apprehension, positively unsafe"
An Unfortunate State of Affairs.
Important, however, as it is that both
silver and gold should be used as mon
ey Of final redemption, it Is most
unfortunate that the question can not
be definitely settled until after the next
presidential election. This is so for
the reason that 1t Is impossible before
that time for those who are in favor
of free coinage to obtain complete con-
troll Of the government. AS the matter
now stands, those who favor the free
coinage Of both metals control the SEN
ate, their opponents the house of rep
resentatives and the executive depart
ment.
This issue, though, must not for q
moment be lost sight of, for there 10
another question which is SO closely
allied to this one. and which Is now be-
ing most earnestly pressed for an i'm
mediate settlement, that the two cap-
not be separated; and that question Is
not only whether the paper money
now issued by the government Is to be
destroyed and the power of determin-
Ing the volume Of our paper currency
be takea away from the government
and turned over to the banks, but
whether both gold and silver or gold
alone Is to be used to redeem 1t. Ev-
erywhere the people seem to be salts
Ned with the present forms Of govern
ment paper currency.
An interested class though are not,
and this class do not mean to risk an
other congressional or presidential
election before this question Is settled,
II 1t can be possibly avoided, but mean
to press 1t to definite conclusion this
winter when congress meets. As be-
fore stated, they now control the house
OF representatives and the president.
All they need is the senate, and the
elections this fall may determine
whether they will also obtain control
In that body or not. Should they do
80 1t Is certain that such a bank bill
as they desire will be passed. And II
they are successful In this, little will
they care how the congressional cleo
tions go next year or who Is
elected president In 1900, for the
great power of issuing all the
paper money of the country which
| nav0 U0vn surviving aIJef TOT more
than century will have been accom-
plished, and with this secured they will
be perfectly content to let the people
play with the toy called government,
but which they in reality will abso-
lutely control. Under these conditions
II is certainly the duty of every clti-
zen, no matter to what political party
he belongs. to advise himself and un-
derstand what kind OF financial legis-
lation 1t Is thus proposed shall be en-
acted, should the Republicans be sue
sessful IN securing complete control OF
the government.
canafnr Hanna In tq,a o.,aarhes A a