The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-04-29
Scion Chase's Wisdom.

and it is safe in the hands of the people.
The free coinage of silver at 16 to is as
much of the Omaha platform, as no
further extension of slavery was of the
Abolition platform. The claim of the
South to extend slavery in the territories
was the weak spot, and the demonetiza-
ton of silver is the weak spot in the
rdmparts of the money lending fraternity.
The act of 1873 destroyed one-half of the
primary money, doubled the value of the
other half disturbed the eqity of deferred
payments and time contracts by increas-
ing the burden of all debts 1t was done
by stealth when the greenback was the
standard of value and when gold and
silver cut no figure as money in this
country. The law that killed the silver
dollar was struggled through. Congress.
The clause in the bill that demonetized
silver was covered up so that it was not
discovered until yea afterward. When
it was know: that the monetary func-
ton had been taken from silver some
concessions were made to silver, but they
did not put silver in competition with gold
as primary money.
The money lenders managed the lead
ers of the two old parties until 1896, so
that square issue OH the silver question
should not come before the people. In
1896 the Democratic party declared for
16 to /, and was born again. That is
why it has been reinforced by host of
new recruits. Bryan is big, but IS to I is
bigger than Bryan. When the new Dem,
ocratic party declared for Io to gold
Democrats went out and silver Repub-
licans came in, but many silver Repub-
licans staid' in the Republican party
because they believed international BIZ
metallism was very probable. Inter-
national bimetallism is now a back num-
Der, and the Republican party stands
pledged to 'more thoroughly establish
the gold Standard" which means that
our government by the people, and for
the people, will perish from the face of
the earth, and ourselves and unborn gem
erations will be governed by bond
holding aristocracy.
Throughout the ages both gold and
silver have proved inadequate as primary
money, and at all times more or less of
the nations of the earth have been OIL
paper money basis, and now it is proposed
to double the strain OH gold and measure
the property of the people and their
debts with growing dollar from genera
ton to generation. The money question
IS now the paramount issue Goldbug
devils are cast out of the new Democratic
party and silver saints are cast out of the
Republican party. The public eye is now
focused on the money question. That is
what have been working for for the last
twenty-five years What more can old
Greenbackers and Populists want?
Our grievance is the appreciation of
gold. There is one common sense way to
diminish the value of gold, that is to
make silver a competitor with gold as
primary money. The bed rock on which
is based the opposition to I6 to is not
the fear that silver won't rise but is the
fear that gold will fall If gold should go
to premium at first that would only
show that gold was falling and everything
else rising. When gold is quoted at a
premium it is really at discount, because
it will buy less. Gold is really at pre-
MUM when gold prices are falling,
because it will buy more. After IS to l.,
gold obligations will be paid in gold the
same as now. The gold dollar will be of
standard weight and fneness but there
wont be so much hog in the gold dollar
as now.
The free coinage of silver is the first
step of new departure that will bring
such progress and prosperity to this
country in the coming century as has not
been dreamed of in philosophy. The
question of absolute paper money is not
here yet. The Supreme Court has decided
that Congress has the right to issue legal
tender paper money. 1t is for the people
to say when that power shall be used.
Comparatively few say that the time has
come when that power should be used,
but o,5oo,ooo are on record to open our
minis to silver at I6 to I.
When the idea that gives birth to a
new party is not worked up and is a
forlorn hope fusion is fatal, but when the
idea of the new party is worked up and
divides the country as the slavery cues.
ton did in 1860, and as the money ques.
ton does now,I lit is no time to fight fusion
Our "middle-of the-road'' friends who
ignore the silver question and stand out
tor absolute paper money are losing sight
OF the substance and grasping the shadow.
The money kings of Europe, who hold
the gold bonds of other nations, know
that after the free coinage of silver at Is
to in the United States the ounce OF gold
will diminish in purchasing power so per
cent the world over. They are trying to
eliminate the silver question from Amer
lean politics, because they fear the gold
standard majority in the House of Repre-
sentatives will be wiped out this wear.
That fear is we'll founded. The slogan of
10 to is running in the hearts of the
people. Old methods will not work. Gold
Democrats will have no more following
in the Republican party than pro-slaverv
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