Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-10-29


war with Spain has been in the hands |
and in the control Of Republican
president and administration. lmpor-
tant questions growing out OF the war
are yet TO be settled. Naturally and
logically the party having charge OF
the war should settle these questions,
and there should be no change until
their settlement is final and complete.
Therefore a Republican house should
be returned. TIE election OF DEM
ocratic house at this time might pre-
vent the nation from gathering many
of the substantial results and fruits OF
the war. The people stand willing TO
J trust William Mckinley. Don't en-
barrass him by electing hostile house
of representatives.
West Virginia has gone Republican
IN the last two elections. She Is fairly
Republican state; her material inter-
ests are always promoted under Re
West Virginia demand protection
without it they will languish and
our progress and development VIII be
retarded. There should be no step
backward by falling to elect four OF
our Republican candidates for con-
gress. They are worthy and deserving
men. none truer and better. They can
be trusted to stand for sound money
and protection. Governor Atkinson
and the Republican officials associated
with him in his Office has given the
state an able, efficient and pure admin
istration, beyond reproach or the reach
of scandal. This stands to the credit
Of the Republican party and should be
potent force in keeping the state in
the Republican column this fall and
returning a legislature that will elect
q Republican United States senator.
The Silver Question.
While the Democrats of some states
repudiate free silver, 1t Is only fair to
state that at the four congressional
conventions held IN West Virginia for
the purpose of nominating Democratic
candidates for congress, each conven-
ton declared In favor of the Chicago
platform, therefore for the free ana
unlimited coinage of silver, free trade
as well as the attack on the supreme
court. This declaration obliges some
discussion of the silver question, trite
as 1t is. Outside of its money value
at the ratio OF 16 to /, the silver dollar
commercially Is only worth half as
much as gold therefore 1t is not as
valuable and safe metal out of which
try silver derives half its value from
its money use and the pledge OF the
government that all of our money shall
be equal to gold. Gold Is Just as val
liable without the stamp OF the gov
eminent as with it IL gold coin should
be melted by IRE it would be worth
just as much and would purchase as
much as before. II silver coin should
be melted 1t would have only half the
value 1t had before as money, because
its money use would be destroyed and
become simply commodity worth
Just what it would be selling for In the
market. This shows eonclusively that
gold, If it can be had, should be used
as money, because it is more valuable
and safer, and no loss can come to the
owner in case of destruction as money.
The production Of gold is increasing
all over the world, and there can be
no Just complaint that there is not a
sufficient amount for money purposes.
The American people, the merchant,
the farmer, the mechanic, the banker,
the lawyer, the wage-earner, indeed
all the people are entitled to the best
and safest money in the world. The
political party that denies the people
the best money Is not their friend, and
should not be entrusted with power to
force upon the country debased cur
rency.
Friends of Silver.
The government can not by law crs-
ate values. Beyond its ability to main
tain silver equal to gold, 1t can not
make so cents worth of silver equal to
81 in gold This is simply impossible.
and the experience of mankind has
proved 1t in all ages. The reason for
this is too obvious to need argument.
In declaring and insisting on the
gold standard as the measure of value,
the Republican party does not turn its
back on the use Of silver as money.
Far from It! 1t favors the largest
possible use of silver. The only limit
alton the Republican party would put
upon its use as money would be that
1t should not go beyond the ability Of
the government to maintain Its equal-
ity with gold. The Republican party
insists that to whatever extent silver
is used as money 1t shall always be
equal to gold SO that no one can be de-
frauded BY its use.
In asking that silver at the ratio OF
16 to J be maintained equal to gold
when its commercial value IL not equal
to it, the Republican party Is in fact
the true friend of silver and not its
enemy, as the Democratic party claims.
We now have $500,000,000 or 100000
600 Of silver, all equal to gold. II we
could safely increase this amount and
at the same time keep 1t equal to gold,
would favor this being done immedi-
ately. The Republican party earnestly
favors international bimetallism and
Is working to bring about this result
| introduced bill In the senate to
retire, all paper money under $5. This
would put into further use about TO-
100000 Of silver dollars.
Evils Of Free Coinage.
If we should have the free and un-
limited coinage OF silver at the ratio
of 16 to our people would have to pay
In gold for everything they bought
abroad, while the nations of Europe
would pay US In silver at 30 cents on
the dollar, for what they bought from
US, thereby reducing the price OF our
products just one-half, or forcing US
to have one price in gold and another
In silver for our products, with all the
confusion that would follow. Our ex-
perience with American silver In Mex
leo and Porto Rico tells the whole
story. When our troops reached Porto
Rico the people there treated our silver
dollars the same as the Mexican and
Spanish silver dollars, and refused TO
take them except at 30 cents on the
dollar, but when they found IL was as
good as gold because the faith Of our
cover vas Pied ledse.ds to keep II
gold dollar, while the Spanish and
Mexican dollars, with Just as much
silver in them as the American dollars,
were taken and received at their COM
mercial value, which was 30 cents on
the dollar. Under the free and unlinn-
tied coinage OF silver we could not
borrow money and. sell our securities
to obtain money to build railroads,
open mines, build factories and de-
velop our resources. People viii not
trust nation that might pay them
back for what they have loaned a So
cent dollar or debased currency, worth 1
only half as much as the dollar they
loaned. But this question was settled
In 1896, and every day convinces the
people It was wisely settled To de-
clare In convention for the free coin
age Of silver seems like an effort TO re-
vive a corpse. AS time goes on the
silver question will grow less impor-.
tant, because our people will demand
% they are entitled to, the best money
In the world-and no party can sue
coed that would take 1t from them and
give. them instead inferior or debased
money.
Manufacturing and Shipping.
We have long been the leading agri-
| cultural nation and granary Of the
world. We are soon to take the lead
In manufacturing, and thereby become
the workshop of the world. Our ex-
ports of manufactured articles have
| doubled during the last 10 years. We
have already become the second nation
| In trade and commerce, having passed
| Germany and France, standing second
| only to Englnd. When we regain our
lost shipping. which we must do by
| proper protection to shipping interests,
| we will then become the leading ship
f-rr -. - L. AZ