Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-02-18
The Duty of the Hour

rnom.s p. Baysrd's strong ra.r,ncv
T.. pnrnsed words on '"'
question D.t,ware OK
.', S,,,os Senator. ex-secretary Vi
s,ate and ex.ambassador to Ens'anu, ., n~,
wr,,,en letter on the currency que','Y -
and ,he duty of Congress in regard 10 II III
which he says .-,,in condi-
~ &c ,bo currency of the country Ihe
iations of Congress thereto auu and boldly
lalionI roiled in its language, ana Doluy
avowed by many of the au' yea, 81 Con.
"Teller" resolution, OF the TIL, Cor the
oress at will to substitute sI''I g,s balsfu.
55oId standard, which casts l.s oro.
Shadow over all business transac.loHo, 80.
vents daily labor from securing ,' It'd se,
ward and impais that sense VI w a,.ory
crri,v which is the very Ded'rocA VI ,.i,t,.'
honest. human effort to advance .,, nas1nl
tion-and this depressing anu u.s. ',iI 10
condition of affairs will continue unv,'
sober second thought OF an hohesv li". nd
instructed by intelligent reIlecllo -
onided by an instructive sense OF seIl li" 70
ss,'a,ionH shall lead them las they WIN W
raiec, nositiyely and finally the counsel9
Of Wild and passionate ignorance anu ulI s
informed ambition, which, IT they pre-,
vailed. could only end in anarchy anu
widespread misery. ,oo olaorlv
Congress cannot too soon or 100 cleaIly
comnrehend the profound Importance VI
this issue. upon which every cltlzen mus nus.
take and maintain a responsibility thaI
cannot he escaped. The truth is thst 10
| Congress was delegated the power 10 CON
money, and CIRCULATE the value Thereon.
Not to create the value Thereon, ou' "
! uraoulate" the value Of our own COINS anu
of foreign ccns as well. To create val,
ues" is not a political or goVerniletn,Ia'
poyer-to attempt TO delegate II Wou.u oe
| impious and absurd and all such eHorts
would prove as futile as history every
where has proven them TO be. Inc Hlu,
| sions of alchemy are not better attesIed
than the illusions which have led 10 tue
| attemnts to advance the commercial Value
of silver for the past 20 years by Congress
sional legislation, in the face OF which II
| has steadily declined.
In nv Judgment 1.-THE need and duty OF
the hour therefore, is TO cause this sim
pie. essential, historical truth TO be clearly
! comprehended by our countrymen in every
occupation and walk of life, and the pro-
found importance to the happiness and
welfare of each individual to have such a
question calmly and clearly comprehended
and passed above the heats and passions
of pers ona or party ambition, and to In,
trust it to the conscience, courage AMI
| sef.respect of our fellow cOuntrymen; and
this will be true test Of the wisdom and
capacities of popular self-government.
T. F. BAYARD.
Here is platform on the money ques-
ton which has no partisan bias or basis.
| In their political views when colleagues in
the Senate Mr. Bayard and Mr.. Edmuuds
stood on opposite sides and fought their
| battles over and over but Mr.. Bayard' 5
currency platform is in substance precise
| ly the same as that which Mr.. Edmunds
has presented in his work as chairman Of
the monetary commission. In a question
! like this which involves the financial and
moral integrity of the country both speak
and act, not as Republican or Democrats,
but as patriots. and their platform is one
on which every patriotic American ought
to stand.