Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-09-09
ohio DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Its Assertions and Arguments Con-
sidered and Answered.

lion names silver and gold together as the
money metals OF the United States.
This statement is inaccurate and inten-
ionally misleading. The only place In
which the constitution names silver and
sold together" is where it declares that
Sno State shall make anything but gold
und silver coin a tender in payment of
kebts." 1t does not say that silver and
old shall both be coined in an unlimited
banner or that either one or both shall be
s,oined at all, but specifically gives to Con-
y,ress the power TO determine what the
..oinage Of the United States shall be, both
IFS to the metals used and their relations,
hy saying in explicit terms in section 3:
wThe Congress shall have power to coin
honey and regulate the value thereof
/ does not ''name silver and gold togeth-
or" as the platform says, but names gold
:, md silver together, pointedly giving the
reference to gold by saying in section
r'iD: mo State shall make anything but
publd and silver coin payment for debts
Fw anything is to be inferred as to the re-
ton which il intended that the two
"DETAILS should bear it is clearly that gold
as TO be preferred, since it is first named
the only place where the metals are
entioned. If the trainers Of the platform
Wanted to be frank, why did they not
anllow the wording OF the constitution in
areir statement and say gold and silver"
stead OF reversing ii and saying silver
held gold?"
roThe first coinage law passed by Congress
lder the Constitution made the silver dol
the money unit and admitted gold TO free
Tlnage at ratio eased upon the silver dol
r unit
IThe first coinage law clearly made gold
Cstandard by first naming all the gold
t ms which, it said, should be of the
I'm lue Of given number of units, and said
SCAT the unit should be "of the value of
Spanish milled dollar as the same is now
trent, and to contain 416 grains Of
lndard silver" If the advocates of
aiver insist that this act interpreted the
oraning of the constitution and that this
eeerpretation must be followed, why do
" now insist upon n standard silver dol
h, with only 1922 grains of silver in
lad Of the 41G grains which the act
politically names? BY their own propo-
ion they demand a violation of what
ely claim is constitutional requirement..
lis act which they claim is an interpre-
pIion Of the constitution on this ques-
M provides that every fifteen pounds
eight of pure silver shall be of equal
y. ue in all payments with one pound
~ VI pure SOlu. II lnlS is an inter-
utation Of the constitution why do these
iklers for its observance propose to vio-
e it by saying that every sixteen
nds' weight Of silver shall now be
6sal TO one pound Of gold? Would there
be equal authority for saying that
rry seventeen or eighteen or twenty or
rty pounds weight of silver shall he
'ial to one pound weight of gold? BY
Sr own proposition to change the ratio
~ admit that neither the constitution
the first act passed under it is binding
BIO the future relations of gold and sill
: as money. The fact that this act spe-
peally said that every fifteen pounds
light of pure silver shall be Of equal
ne with one pound weight of pure gold'
Gates that gold was intended to be
measure Of value, for had the trainers
his act intended that silver should be
measure they would have said that
spound of gold should be equal in value
Fifteen pounds Of silver. Alexander
;tnilton, who was one OF the trainers Of
constitution and whose report to Con-
IS was the basis of this act said of
alleged unit, the Spanish dollar, chat
lies of coin has never had any settled
standard value while gold
a fixed price by weight with an eye
as fineness. This greater stability of
eyalue Of gold coins is an argument Of
e for regarding the money unit as hav-
bean hitherto virtually attached to
rather than silver
u the trainers of this platform insist
I the first coinage act pissed under
Tconstitution is an exact Interpretation
ne meaning of that instrument. why
] they and their party always insisted
protective tariff is violation of the
stitution when they know that the
= first act passed under that constitu-
Pdeclared that the tariff duties which
e'ied were "for the support Of govern.
y and the encouragement and protec-
of manufactures
4 declare that the act OF 1879, demonetlz-
oliver without the knowledge and APP
al Of the American people, etc.
e act of 1873 did not demonetize sill
Bias is claimed by this sentence Of the
form. The act itself says in specific
IS that this act shall not be con-
I'd to affect any act done, right ac-
I'd or penalty incurred under former
but every such right is hereby saw
thus clearly stating that it did not
tnetize any Of the coins authorized
pi to that date, while every one of the
hundred and fifty million standard
al collars coined since the passage Of
act is and has constantly been a full
!. tender, and none OF them is or has
demonetiZed.
K act of 1873 was not passed with
hlhe knowledge and approval of the
e-ican people" as the platform asserts.
ols submitted to Congress i'm ApriI
printed thirteen times, discussed NJ
,,als until Jan. /, 1873 (nearly three
D, the debates and discussions filing
abages Of the Congressional Record.
n was published daily during the Sos
b in which it was discussed. The
.ican people had ample opportunity
sow all Of its provisions, and that
! was no popular disapproval of il is
n by the fact that 112 Of the mem
pf the House which passed II were
ccted, many OF them continuing to
I in Congress TO the end of their
Ri while several are still members of
Body, notably William NJ. Stewart
ievada, who voted for the bill and
hin n speech delivered on June 10.
! said THE laboring man and the
ocer is entitled to have his product
rs labor measured by the same stand
{ value that measures your national
You require from the laborfng