Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-02-17
FREE SlLNERlrES ISSUE AID
DRESSES THEIR PARTIES.
JONES, BUTLER AND ToWNE
They Sign the Addresses on Behalf of
the Democ ats. Populists and Free
Silver epublicans--Muoh Criticism
OF the Administration on the
Financial Problem

behalf OF the democratic, populist and
silver republican parties which are
the result of conferences that have
been in progress among the leaders
of these parties at the capital the
=, PAST few weeks. were issued Tuesday,
/ They seek 20 unite the members of the
three parties in future elections upon
| the financial issue as the question of
! paramount Importance and are sepa-
rate appeals to each Of the parties to
consolidate all along the line for this
purpose. The address to the demo-
Gratis is signed by Senator Jones of
Arkansas, chairman of the democratic
national committee, and endorsed by
the democratic congressional COM
mttee; that to the populists by SEN
ator Butler, chairman of the populist
national committee, and by twenty
five other populist members of the
senate and house; that to the silver
repblicans by Chairman Towne, and
by the silver republicans in the SEN
ate aud house and also by ex-senator
! Dubois, The democratic address is in
part as follows:
ITO the people-The surrender Of
the republican party to the advocates
of the gold standard and monopoly is
at last complete The present admin
istration, called to power upon the
solemn pledge Of the republican ma
tlonal convention Of st, Louis 10 pro-
mote himetallism. has formulated and
sent to congress bill. the leading
purpose of which, the honorable sec
rotary of the treasury avows, is to
commit this country more thoroughly
| to the gold standard The country
has already, for twenty-four years,
been so thoroughly committed to this
standard partly by law and partly by
usurpations of the executive branch
Of the government, that its effects
are seen and felt on every hand; wages
are reduced; work is harder to get;
the weight of debt Is doubled: the
value of land and other property is
! reduced one half or more, until the
lives of the people are made bitter
with hard bondage. 1t is certainly
not in the interest of humanity to
have this condition of things more
thoroughly established, The con
tinued rise in the value of gold. or
which is the same thing, the continued
fall of prices. must inevitably trans
fer the property of all those engaged
in active business, the actual creators
of wealth whether by hand, brain or
capital, to those who, avoiding the
risk and effort of active business, only
draw interest.
The repression oil lie and hap
piness, which i3 inseparable from a
long course of declining prices, has
now checked development and, If con
tinued, will ultimately stiie ciyilza-
ton. The eminent American, Presi-
dent Andrews, sume years ago said
Our national debt on Sept 2mber j, 1865
been paid OIL with eighteen million
bales of cotton, or twenty-five million
tons of bar iron. When it had been
reduced to billion and a quarter
thirty million bales OF cotton, or thir-
ty-two billion tons Of iron would be
requl cd to pay it,. In other words
while a nominal shrinkage of about 8.
per cent. had taken place in the debt
il had as measured in either Of these
two staples, actually been enlarged by
some SO per cent Although morf
than half the principal OF this enorm-
Gus debt, and every cent of accumulat,
ed interest, has been pad by labor OF
the United States, the holders Of
bonds still hold claim for more OF
the labor of the people than they held
before these enormous payments had
been ever begun. This cruel contis-
cation Of lives and liberty of the labor
ing millions Of this country is the most
stupendous crime that has been com
mitted in the annals OF civilization,
and unless the government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie has persisted from earth, surely
the present boldly ayowed scheme not
only To continue but to increase these
evils Will not be permitted.
In addition TO this purpose OF more
thoroughly establishing the gold
standard, the plan Of the administra-
ton is to retire the paper money Of
the government to issue gold bonds.
and to increase the power, privileges
and profits Of national banks. We are
I frankly told that lawful money will
he made relatively scarcer than II Is
Now and that 1t Is intended that
under its operation II will be easier
TO get gold than lawful money. Prac-
tically all the money In The hands Of
the people. the secretary distinctly adj
mits, ii silver. chiefly in the form Of
silver certificates; the ayowed purpose
Of the bill Is to make It hereafter more
difficult TO get these than gold. The
monetary commission selected by the
executive committee Of the self-eon
stitnted Indianapolis convention.
which assembled for the express pur-
| voaa ~ establishing u synId standard