The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-01
tween those for and against the resolu-
Dingiey i'm Opposition.

III opposition 10 the resolution. The
pending resolution" he said was not
one which. if passed by both houses,
would have force. If passed. it would
be only an expression of the two
houses.
Its Importance. therefore" continued
Mr.. Dingley, lies in the fact that If
concurred in by the house, il would
legitimately and inevitably be regard
ed not only here, but by the world. as
an expression of the deliberate judg-
ment of a majority of the people as
standard of honor and good faith in the
discharge not only of national but also
of private obligations.
This resolution is not presented for
the purpose of securing an expression
by congress as to the power of the gov
ernment either as to the payment of its
obligations, or as to what may be de-
clared legal tender, No one denies that
this or any other nation has the power
to pay in gold or silver. or paper or
copper, according TO their pleasure.
Payment cannot be enforced against a.
sovereign nation. Its obligations are
measured by its own sense of honor and
good faith. The intelligent sefishness
of a nation which is to live not simply
for a generation but for centuries,
ought to lead it--and whenever a nation
is wisely governed does lead it-so scru-
puiously to maintain its pledges in both
letter and spirit as to preserve its credit
dIu liftIeDy HUI OHtN MANI
1t possible to borrow loans in exigencies
which are sooner or later to come to
every nation. Honor and credit are its
title deed to pefmanence and prosper
ity. The dishonor of the pending reso-
luton is in its tail. And that sting,
well nigh harmless 20 years ago, under
conditions then existing, is made
doubly harmful by the conditions of
today: The detail of this resolution is
as follows: That to restore to its
coinage such silver coins as a legal
tender in the payment of said bonds
(meaning practically all the bonds of
the United States now outstanding). is
not i'm violation of the public faith, nor
in derogation of the rights of the public
creditor
THE declarations of the movers and
supporters of this resolution in the SEN
ate during its recent consideration in
that body throw a flood of light on
what is meant now by the phrase to
restore to it's coinage such silver coins.
a phrase which, in 1878. was with good
reason interpreted by many who sup
ported similar resolution to mean
something vitality different from what
it must mean now
This brings me-, proceeded Mr..
Dingley Ito the consideration of the
vital question as to whether the moral
rights, in other words, whether 1t
would be an act in which the moral
sense of the world would regard in ac-
cordance with the honor and good faith
of the United States to pay it's out
standing indebtedness in dollars OF so
very much lesser value than the dollar
which has been the practical standard
of value since 1864, barring the war and
reconstruction period. and which has
been the practical standard of value
since 1879, and the dollar in which our
bonded indebtedness has been paid
thus far paid by every administration
from Lincoln to Mckinley, towit: The
dollar equal in value to 25.S grains of
standard gold. (Applause.)
Bear in mind that we are discussing
this question from the point of honor
and good faith, and not from the point
of power or technical legal rights; for
l have already said that the govern
ment can do as it pleases. More than
three-fourths of the outstanding bonds
We're. as a matter of fact, issued and
sold after 1878, when the silver dollar
was dropped from the list of coins.
Now, i'm views of these facts. would it
be good faith for congress. now that
silver has so greatly deprecated, to re-
store it's free and unlimited coinage at
the ratio of 16 to l, by this country
alone. when the market value is 81 to
l. and to use such dollars to pay bonds
which we had sold for gold under such
circumstances? / do not think 1t
would ] fear that many of you are
ing of this kind will be done, and ex-
cuslng your vote Tor IL on lhe un-
worthy loea that you are Playing poll-
ties.
faith Oh the Na'ieh'
IF not so, l beg you not to trine with
the good faith OF the nation for any
such miserable end; for rest assured, it
is an expression of opinion of the sense
of the honor of the people of this coun-
try, contemplated by this resolution,
under existing conditions, would seri-
ously injure the credit of the country
and tend to weaken reviving confidence.
1t is, / believe (as does every scientific /
bimetallst in the world outside of poll
tics), that 16 to /, free and unlimited
silver, by this country, would make |
the United States a silver mononletal- |
lie country like Mexico and China, and |
would give us a silver basis that would |
obstruct our trade with gold standard |
countries that now take 80 per cent of |
our exportS and DroXp "A serious men !