Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-02-05
SOUND MONEY THE SLOGAN.

tuSm On. Al sncSe pOucleS stimulate
industrial development and energy.
the people can be safely trusted to do
the rest.
GOVERNMENT POWER RESTRICTED.
The Government, however, is re-
stricted in its power to promote in
dustry. II can aid commerce, but not
CT ate II. Il can widen and deepen its
rivers, improve its harbors and develop
its great national waterways; but the
ships to sail and the traffic to carry the
people must supply. The Government
can raise revenues by taxation in such
way as will discriminate in favor OF
domestic enterprises, but it cannot
establish chem 1t can make CON-
mercial treaties, opening to our manu-
facturers and agriculturists the ports
of other nations. 1t cannot enter in-
to reciprocal arrangements to ex-
change our products with those OF
other countries. 1t can aid our mer-
chant marine by encouraging our peo
pie to build ships of commerce. 1t can
assist in every lawful manner private
enterprises to unite the two oceans
with great canal. 1t can do all these
things, and ought to do them; but
with all this accomplished the result
will be Intellectual unless supplement-
ed by the energy. enterprise and in
dustry of the people. 1t is they who
must build and operate the factories,
furnish the ships and cargoes for the
canal and the rivers and the sea. 1t is
they who must find the consumers
and obtain trade by going forth to win
it.
There is another duty resting upon
the National Government-.'to coin
money and regulate the value there
of" This duty requires that our
Government shall regulate the value
Of its money by the highest standards
of commercial honesty and national
honor. The money of the United
States is and must forever be unques.
toned and unassailable. If doubts
remain, they must be removed. If
weak places are discovered, they must
be strengthened. Nothing should
ever tempt us--nothing ever will
tempt us--to scale down the sacred
debt of the nation through a legal
technicality Whatever may be the
language of the contract, the United
States will discharge all of its obliga-
tions in the currency recognized as
the best throughout the civilized
world at the times of payment. Nor
will we ever consent that the wages
of labor or its frugal savings shall be
scaled down. by permitting payment
in dollars of less value than the dol
lars accepted as the best in every en-
lightened nation of the earth.
Under existing conditions our citi-
zens cannot be excused If they do OF
redouble their efforts to secure such
financial legislation as will place their
honorable intentions beyond dispute.
All those who represent. as you do,
the great conservative, but progress
sive, business interests Of the country,
owe it not only to themselves, but to
the people, to insist upon the settle
ment of this great question now, or
else to face the alternative that it
must be again submitted for arbitra-
ton at the polls.
This is our plain duty to more than
1000, 900 voters who IS months ago
won great political battle on the is
sue, among others, that the United
States Government would not permit
a doubt to exist anywhere concerning
the s-aniilty and integrity OF its cur
rency or the inviolability Of its obliga-
tons Of every kind. That is my in
depreciation of that victory. What
ever effect, therefore, is required to
make the settlement ofthis vital ques-
ton clear and conclusive for all time.
we are bound in good conscience to
undertake, and, if possible, realize.
That is our commissioner present
charter from the people.
1t will not suffice for citizens nova
days to say simply that they are in
favor of sound money. That is not
enough. The peoples purpose must
be given the vitality Of public law.
Better an honest effort with failure
Il l. q