The Forrest City times., 1898-06-10
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
How Republican Financiers sncri- flee the People of "Business
 Interests."

rbe prssent secretary of the treasury,
 roan Gage, is one of the most danger
 ,s men that ever floated on the surface If doubtful and disturbed politics. He I. dangerous because he is both ig- roraut and interruptions. His ig-
 orance of the laws and history of the
 onptrv by which he is tolerated is so sorse that he declared, in recent sneecn, that the gold standard was es-
 ,ablished by democratic administra-
 ,;on in 1884, when every scboolboy
 rpows. or ought to know, that the
 famous enactment of that year was the change of ratio from 15H to sixteen 10
 one The sole object of this act, as ex- nlaiued by Benton, in his speeches and writings, was to establish bimetallism.
 IT was a Benton-democratic law, and it
 accomplished its purpose, as explained
 in previous papers of this series. IL gave
 ms nearly 30 years of actual and praeti-
 cal bimetallism. and the equal and free
 circulation of both gold and silver; and
 tha, was the only period in the whole
 history of our government when the
 two money metals worked side by side,
 in doing the business of the country.
 Neither before nor since the beginning
 and ending of that era of unequaled na-
 tional prosperity and happiness have
 the people enjoyed the privileges and
 benefits of the double standard. Rising
 from the lower levels of the mass of
 common people, by the fortuitous wind
 ings of doubtful circumstances, and the
 special privileges of plutocratic legisla- lion, the secretary now looks down with undisguised contempt on the stem that produced him. He never speaks of l the common people without sheer at 1 their supposed ignorance and incapac- | ity for self-government. Those who l may take the trouble to examine his 1 portraits will find indelibly stamped on l his face the smirk of the self-satsfied hypocrite and the sardonic smile of the smooth-policy man. Taking Hamilton as his model, he has neither the sense l nor the education to initiate the great l founder of the monocratic party.
 This dangerous creature of circum- stances, this soulless and cold-blooded 1 worshiper of the almighty dollar, is now in position to do his country infinite harm, and events show that he does not hesitate to use his opportunities. The war now in progress between the United States and Spain ought to be a cash war. There is no reason under the sun, or the necessities of this govern ment, present or prospective, for the increase of our bonded debt. The last treasury statement, issued the first of the month, shows an excess of S200, ,000,- 900 of gold in the treasury. including the unnecessary and dangerous $1e0,- 100000 of reserve. This is idle money, and idle money, like idle men. is a- ways dangerous. Money thatis hoarded and not allowed to go into circulation is a pernicious menace to the liberties of the people. It had better not be in existence. The most extravagant esti- mate of the expense of the war yet pub lished places the amount at S1.000,000 per day. We have, therefore. now in the treasury, money enough to prosecute the war for nearly seven months. In ad- dtion to this, the government has an unused and idle seigniorage in silver of more than S42,o00,00o, and the capacity
 to safely and beneficially absorb s1 ,00o,-
 100000 of greenbacks if necessary.
 Yet, in spite of these facts. the secre- tary of the treasury proposes to issue S5900O0,000 of interest-bearing bonds, and the plutocratic press, obeying the
 commands of it's masters, approves the
 traitorous proposition, on the ground
 that 1t IS necessary to sustain the credit
 Of the government. It is new thing in
 political economy when a government
 can strengthen its credit by borrowing
 money when it has useless surplus on
 hand. How long would an individual
 pursuing similar course, retain the
 confidence of his neighbors or escape
 oankruptcy? The subservient press
 goes to the length of accusing such
 sturdy patriots and defenders of the
 peoples rights as Richard P. Bland and
 those who support him, of ''copperhead-
 ism and disloyalty because they dare
 10 raise their voice against this bond
 conspiracy. The old silly and frazzled
 cant of 50-cent dollar is also thrown
 Tn their teeth, and they are accused of
 wanting to pay the volunteers in de-
 preeiated money. The people who
 make such stupid accusations mistake
 me spirit, and cast reflections upon the intelligence of the splendid young men
 who are volunteering to fight the bat
 .es or this war. They are not enlisting
 TOT Sl3 month. Every one of them has
 ,ert a good position and risked life,
 health and happiness, home. love and
 ahOitlon-everything that is dear to
 humanity, to fight the grandest and
 most unselfish war that the nations Of 'ne earth have witnessed. They have
 s.aked all in the game of battle to make
 strangers and aliens free; to protect hir-
 .uous womanhood; to put bread into
 tue mouths of helpless and starving fel- 'o" creatures. Little do these chivci- ious heroes of our own time and gen
 .iatlon care for the pitiful stipend that
 'Ne government pays them for their
 seNlces; and none but the basest and