West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-02-04
Written for Tn. kSous

NOilCCb 70 i've tOONc
questions, will clear up much of the
eonfusiop and misconception winch
has led so many into error regard
ing the free coinage Of both gold
and silver. There ire great manv
men in the United States, and in
other countries. who are greatly
benefited by the suppression or
demonstration of one of the M oney
metals, and patriotism does not en-.
ter into the calculation with them
at all. Thousands of gold stand
ard advocates know full we'll, that
the answer to the questions that
head this article, should be Ne. -.
But being largely profitted. person
0ity. their Unsuitable avarice and
greed prompt them to ignore facts,
and suppress the pla;nest principles
of logic, without the slightest re-
gard to the welfare of tho great
body of the people, who are less
favoraby circumstance. This
class embraces bankers, boudhold
ers, u'surers, money-lenders, and all
those whose business it Is to traffic
sn money. Now, any argument
however sophistical. that viii sat
1sfy, or mislead the ordinary voter,
Is the ono used.
Many of the soplrstries of the
gold uronometallists = arguments
they cannot fairly be called-are
plausible, and we'll calculated to
mislead. This is not wonderful
either. when we stop moment to
consider who compose this class,
very largely. They are, in the
sense of accommodating wealth, our
very shrewdest men. The history
OF the last thirty years, proves this
conclusively. The politicians out
side, and their henchmen and part.
hers inside of Congress, have, for
over thirty years, shaped and con-
trolled legislation in their own IN.
terests. And by means Of legisIa
ton thus procured, they have been
enabled to amass fortunes, such as
the world never before witnessed.
New York to-day, as the result of
Shfrty years OF vicious legislation,
contains more millionaires than
were In the schole aoorld, at the be-
ginning of the civil war. And not
only so, but the cards have been so
dextrously "cut and shuffled," that
the people at large were not aware
OF what was going on, until. | was
going to say, it is now too late. II
may be. Money is hard to fight.
Shrewd J Yes indeed. Exceedingly
smart they are. "Making brick
without straw" was regarded as very
difficult by the Jews, IN Egypt, but
1t was easy compared with the work
OF the single gold standard man
making an argument without logic.
and against experience, history and
facts. The Presidential election
was carried by noise and money.
Thousands Of honest, well.meaninp
voters were alarmed by the fearful
prophecies of stump orators. In
the excitement and mad hurrah OF
tne campaign, they were made to
believe that only a few crazy fa-
natics, fools, anarchists and eranks
were advocating the silver cause:
and without stopping to investigate
for themselves, they entered the
great swirl and by their votes en-
dsrsed al the vile ISLANDERS and
nonsensicial twaddle Of the hired
"spouters." And amongst all the
foolish staff that was dished out to
their audiences, by the gold men
none was more transparent, or more
devoid Of logic, than the assump-
zion that good dollar, worth 1Oo
cents, could not bo coined out OF
silver bullion. selling in the marke,
az commodity. or mere article Of
commerce, for 80 to 60 cents an
ounce. And Of the same kind, we're
the assumptions that fthe cost Of
producing silver bullion, and The
profits Of the mine owners ought 70
control The value Of The silver dol.
Tar under free coinage" 'that the
parity Of the two metals, gold and
silver, could not be maintained, be.
cause, for the time being, the pre-
ductioh Of silver bullion was in ex.
cess Of that Of gold; that II free
coinage we're adopted, al the gold
would be driven out Of the country.