The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-10-28
THE SILVER PROBLEM
Some Of the Resul:s Of is De-
mOnetizatiOn In the Interest
of BOndhOlders.

Wealth Has Been Concentrated In the
seus-Woinen aud Children Forced Into
Factorie. tn Assist In Supporting III.
Labor.r'. Family.
The con. piracy entered into by men
In the United States and in Europe &
demonetize silver and establish the gold
standard. means more and far more
than the depreciation of silver. IL
means the absolute control o. the
money Of the republic by virtue OF
which those in the control of the money
will eventually control the business OF
the country, control congress. legisla-
lures and the courts, and there Is not III
the land an intelligent patriot, one capa-
BILE OF comprehending cause and effect,
who does not utter notes of warning.
II is not expected that events which
cast their dark shadows in advance will
come as cyclones come. but will do their
work as Jefferson affirmed would lie
done by the incroachments of the gu
preme court. which he pronounced "a
subtle corps Of sappers and miners
working underground" and like grav-
ity gaining little today
and little tomorrow" until their pur
pose is accomplished. The mariner in
midocean, with clear sky above, with
out a cloud from horizon TO zenith, Is
not satisfied that he is to have continu-
Gus fair weather. He consults his ba-
rometer, and If that gives no indication
Of q storm. he filings out more canvas
and sails on. Not so. however. if the
barometer tells him storm is brewing.
in which case vigilance Is the watch
word and the ships crew stands ready
to take in sail and reef topsails that the
ship may escape disaster. The demone-
tization Of silver came upon the nation
like clap of thunder from a clear sky.
1t was as adroit an act OF treason to the
nation as was ever concelved-and
worse, a thousand times more infamous
than the treason of Arnold-and has
been fruitful of incalculable ruin.
"Bimetallism," says Hon. John T.
Osborn Of Wyoming in congress, has
been thoroughly tried and has never
failed to keep this body polite sound in
wind and limb. We are
told, however. that the republic has
more wealth today than IL had in 1873
True; but who today owns the wealth of
this nation? Under your system Of con-
fiscation large portion of the earnings
Of the masses has been misappropriated
by the few. Four yer cent Of our peo-
pie have been permitted under this sys-
tenn TO absorb mere than 80 per cent Of
the nations entire wealth. In the states
of New York and Massachusetts,, where
the greatest wealth is concentrated. we
find existing the greatest proportion of
poverty. In these states. around which
an insurmountable wall of protective
tariff has been erected. one-third of the
support Of families falls upon helpless
women and children. who ought 10 be
at homo by the fireside. They have
been driven into the factory and sweat
shops, because husbands. fathers and
food and raiment for those dependent
upon them"
The wealth Of the country has passed
into few hands, because of vicious
legislation on the money question, and
the trend continues in that direction.
Before the resumption OF specie pay
ments," says Mr. Osburn: "When we
had neither gold nor silver in circula-
ton, we had no trouble in settling our
trade balances with foreign countries
and in retaining their confidence. Dur
ing that time our growth in wealth. in
population. and in commercial import
ance was without a parallel in history
Just think of it. This great nation.
with its industrious and enterprising
people, Q nation whose productive ca
pacity OF all the world needs is only
limited by what the world demands Of
us, a nation which Gladstone tells us
has the foundation for the greatest con-
tinuous empire ever established by man.
nation which. we were told by Cen
eral Grant, could support SOC, 900. GOO Of
people, and yet today. with but 10000.
700 Of people. l0.0OO,0O0 of them are
su ering for the actual necessities Of
hfe."
One Of the vicious reasons assigned
for the war upon silver is that to re-
monetize 1t and accord it the rights at
the mints given to gold would benefit
the silver mine owners Referring To
this objection. Mr.. Osborn says:
The privilege OF prospecting and min
ing In the western country is not monop
olized by CLOSE corporation, AS is the case
with aoine Of the leading industries In the
east. But do you know, sirs, that in the
state OF Colorado. our greatest silver pro.
ducing state, and our greatest gold pro
ducing state, too. by the way-I say do
yod know that In the state of Colorado
the value of her farm products Is double
and the value OF her factory products Is
more than quadruple the value Of hcr en-.
tire silver oLtpnty While II silver had
never been dcmonctized the mine owners
would have realized during the last 81
years something like SEQ 0N,0D moro
than they have realized, during the same
time the cotton Planters would have real.
lied not less than - 0NOUoODJ more aud
the wheat grower not less than ~, 900 0J0,