The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-10-14
THE SOUND MONEY ISSUE
PERTINENT AND EXCEEDINGLY PER
Picking QUESTION TO RE-
PUBliCANS.


Metal "a Sound Money and Today II l.
~ Good ss Gold.
Politicians OF the Republican pur.
slasion from differe sections Of the
state In consultation, have decided that
the main issue in the camp paign shall be
the silver issue, without entering
tration or any other question" 1t is
not To be presumed that the "silver is
sue" IL to be the only issue. however ar
IDENTIFY the Republican party may desire
only one issue But if the Democratic
party should deem it prudent to accomo-
date the Republican party in this re-
gard, sufficient facts will be submitted
to the people on the silver issue to make
the situation exceedingly interesting to
the gold standard ''sound money" Phil
istines.
In the outset the inquiry, what Is
meant by "sound money? ?" is pertinent
and exceedingly perplexing to the Re-
publican party. The most distin-
guished men Of the party. in answering
the question. are driven nolens volens
by the constitution and the laws en-
acted in conformity with the constitu-
ton. as also the history of the govern
ment since its foundation down to 1873.
TO admit that sound money" is coin.
and that the term "coin" relates to sill
yer dollars as certainly as to gold
dollars. Hence. silver dollars are
sound money" and overy effort of the
Repub blican party, since 1873 to rob sill
yer dollars of their right TO be regarded
Us "sound money" have utterly failed.
Necessarily the discussion Of the 'sil-
yer issue" requires reference to the
financial policy Of the Republican fraud
upon the people perpetrated in 1873. in
tended to establish the gold standard,
and which. discarding the government
option to pay government obligations.
principal and interest. in gold and sill
YER, and paying them in gold. prac-
tically did establish the gold standard.
but always In derogation of the welfare
OF the people and the rights Of silver
but. as has been remarked. never for an
hour making the silver dollar less than
/
sound money.
In 1859 an act was passed to strength.
en- the public credit" which the Re-
publican party hoped would discredit
silver as Sound money" but instead.
the act confirmed the sound money
quality OF silver, by making all the
obligations OF the government, the pay
ment of which in the absence of stipu-
lation TO pay in "lawful money or other
currency" should be paid in "coin" OF
gold and silver.
In this very act designed to strength
en- the public credit. silver. as sound
money. was explicitly declared. The
next move was to pass an act providing
for the resumption Of specie payments.
and authorizing the secretary of the
treasury to redeem United States notes
In ''coin." or in gold and silver. Here
again the "sound money" quality of sill
yer dollars was declared But the gold
standard advocates. AS persistent as
ever. sought to have the term 'coin"
expunged from the bonds of the gov
ernment and the word "gold" substi.
tuted- 1t was 4 desperate move aud.
had they succeeded, silver would have
fallen to almost helpless degradation
and would have ceased TO be '.sound
money" But they did not succeed. On
the contrary. they met with u Waterloo
defeat. as Ia shown by the following
Joint resolution passed by congress in
1878. five years subsequent to the fraud
perpetrated in 1873:
That all OF the bonds Of the United
States issued. or authorized 10 be issued,
under the said acts of congress herein
before recited. are payable, principal
and interest. at the option of the gov
ernment Of the United States, in silver
dollars, Of the coinage Of the United
States, containing 4l2l grains each Of
standard silver; and that to restore to
its coinage such silver coins a. legal
tender In payment of said bonds. princi-
pal and interest, is not in violation OF
the public faith. nor In derogation of
the rights Of the public creditor.
Here again the "sound money"
quality Of silver dollars was specifically
recognised by congress. fact which no
Republican will dare to contradict. 1t
IL fortress of truth, which has with.
stood and will continue to resist every
attack made upon it. But. again on the
sound money" issue about which Re.
publicans anticipate an easy victory, it
Ia worth while to state that on Feb. 20,
1873, an act of congress was passed re-.
latin0 to the coinage Of silver dollars.
and reads AZ follows:
That there shall be coined, at the sew.
eral mints Of the United States, silver
dollars Of the weight Of 4l2b grains
troy Of standard silver. as provided in
the act Of Jan. IS. 1887. on which shall
b. the devices and superscriptions pro.
vided by said act; which coins, together
with ali silver dollars heretofore coined
by the United States. Of like weight
and flneness. shall be legal tender. at
their nominal value. for all debts and
dues. public and private. except where
otherwise expressly stipulated I'm the
contract And the secretary Of the
treasury 10 authorized and directed to
purchase, froLi time to time, silver
bullion, at the market price thereof. not
less than $1,000, 900 worth per no'-th