Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-06-03
OPEN THE MINIS TO SILVER.
[By Cyclone Davis. |

Ig NN NSAAA OSpN6 W lllC
United States.
The constitution of the United States
declares that congress shall have power
to declare war and conclude peace. We
asked no other nation if we could wage
war on the inhuman Spaniards. The
constitution also directz that congress
shall have power to coin money and
regulate the value thereof and of the
foreign coin." Our great republic is Just
as tree and supreme in its rightful func-
ton to regulate its policy as to war or
peace as the nation is to regulate its
coinage. We are under nc more obliga-
ton to ask the consent OF Europe in the
coinage matter than we are in n war
measure we may be justly compelled to
wage to a successful end.
As declared by Ben. Franklin when
the constitution was being made, who
ever controls the money of the country
controls the destiny of the country. Our
torefathers intended the people should
have full and complete control of the
coinage of the United States, thereby
controlling their own destiny. Gold and
silver as money of the constitution were
expected to be coined in unlimited GUAM
ty, II found in such quantities. The
states were prohibited by the constitu-
ton from ever making anything a legal
tender in payment of debts excepting
gold and silver coin which has been reg
ulated in value by congress.
DR.. Franklin also stated that whoever
had the power to pull the purse strings
against the people would have the power
to pull the heart strings of the people,
and hence it should be the duty OF this
government to see that no combination
or monopoly should have the W to
pull the purse strings or the heart strings
of u people.
The sum total of our debt-the ma
tlonal, state, municipal, county, city,
school district, corporate bonds and mort
gage indebtedness0is more than $500 a
a head to every man, woman and child
III the nation. | consider it not only I'M
just out a crime that this debt, contract
ed on the basis of gold, silver and paper
legal tender, should be made payable in
gold only.
Our national debt, as made by Abra-
ham Lincoln, was a debt payable in law
fui money, but tfie neutrality-suspicious.
acts and refunding acts destroyed more
than one-half the paper money which
was legal tender and changed the con-
tract with the bondholder and agreed to
pay the debt in coin, and upon this con-
tract we stand. Ii also bound us to pay
this debt in coin of the then standard
weight and ~tineness, which was 4l2b
grains OF standard silver to the dollar,
and % $40 grains Of standard gold to the
dollar, making Il ratio OF Ii to |, this
ratio being the ratio OF the contracts.
Mr.. Davis clearly showed that the
yearly interest on this vast debt, the
most OF which ir held by foreigners, is
more than $25 to each inhabitant in our
union. This gives our creditors the
power to price our commodities, for it is
a physical impossibility to pay them in
money, for there is less than $25 per
capita OF all kinds OF money in the Uni
ted States. The Rothschilds and Euro
pean creditor class issue the bulletins
and price currents which set the price
on all our commodities, and each days
quotations foom London control our
prices in the remotest city and village in
u union. BY these prices we ship our
wheat, cotton, wool, ETC., to pay the in
terest and principal of the debts they
hold against us. Therefore these credit
ors are interested in having ''dear dol
lars" ''sound dollars" and ''honest
money, so that we will be forced to turn
loose more of Of commodities each year
to pay the debts they hold against us;
and this class is now interested in de-
handing that the American people shall
change the contract once more and bind
themselves to pay the debts in gold.
When this is done the increased pur-
chasing power Of the gold dollar will
continue to absorb more and more of
our staples and commodities in
Of interest, and, it being impossible to
pay the debt in gold, the debt will be
perpetuated, and the interest will enable
them to take all our surplus staples each
year without paying one dollar to our
people.
We should stand by the contract of
our patriot fathers, open our minis and
freely coin both metals at the ratio of
the contract.