Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-01-14
sevuDle1ion Auy pis-oNoR
Fart OF One OF Henry Ward Beeehsrs
Best Sermons.

Dcring the fit II ouey and unlimited
papcr currency C-ci,emCnt of 1871 Mr.
F9echer delivered "A famous sermon on
lhaul. giving Of that year on the porils
u t,o day. In it ne used this language:
Whenever in any nation there Is
such all attempt TO tamper with stand
ards that the moral sense Of man is be
wildored and liberty is given TO unprin
ciplcd men at large 10 cheat, 10 be I'M
faithful TO obligations. to refuse tie
payment of honest dcLts-whenever that
tai; place, il Is all the worse If d0ro
with tie permission of the law. hate
the devil riding on law worse than
do the devil riding without law uiluef
him. Whoever Hampers with establlshec
standards hampers with the very marruT
and vitality Of public faith. - The
danger into which we are running Is
hidden under the mystery Of finance and
the currency. All money is but repre-
sentative Of property. As now, by facil.
ity of intercourse, all the world is one
open market the need of one and tire
same standard Of money, Uniform, uni.
vorsal and unaltorabie, becomes imperi'
Gus.
"Gold is tho worlds standard. Gold
ia the universal measure Of value. OthcI
kinds of money there are-silver, cop
per. paper-but they all must conform
TO gold and be measured by it and lie
Interchangeable with il, in fixed and
definite proportions Gold is king in
commerce. All other money must rep.
resent gold No vote Of legislature can
change the nature of commerce, the ma
ture Of property, the nature of its repre-
sentative in money or the relative supe-
yiority or inferlority of different cur
rencles. Gold came to its supremacy as
u repre- sentative OF property by the long
established consent of mankind. Con-
gress cannot change it for the world,
nor even for this nation, except upon
past transactions. 1t may give impu-
nifty 10 NEIL to cheat contiding creditors
but il cannot rule the value of currency
in all future transactions.
'"TAe crime of aging debt in IA cur.
rency inferior III value TO that IN which
il was contracted, base at all times and
anywhere, mas deeper guilt and g
OhS'i liAl az III Jul OhSt' W Htu III Jul
mortal siru. H. capitalists were solicited
| to lcuu Tia. money 10 US ON the faith Of
| the u.lGi were too glad, most
gratetaI, z aid. Then they were
not glasl4L, Il swollen usurers. Oh.
! no! IhUy We, uen6 factors. We rejoiced
in their bounty and gave thanks fol
| their contC-Lg faith Ill our national
| honesty. Now, cur dangers past, we re
vile them, finding no epithets too VIC
! lent, and strive to pay them, not gold
for the gold they lent our misery, but il
dishonest measure Of aD inferior
metal.
''In the court Of the commercial
worlds conscience we shall be convict.
ed of eudeavoring TO cheat the men who
came TO our rescue in the dark day
This congress would not have existed
nor any government of the Unitec
States but for the strength given TO Oul
armies by foreign capitalists, and Dow
TO return their aid by base treachery
is 10 deserve an infamy as deep IA tht
lowest depths of hell But woe to those
men. bull headed, without eyes, who are
attempting 10 undermine the integrity
and simplicity Of the nation.