The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-23
LIBRARY FILES CLIPPED
SOUND-MONEY VIEWS OF e. vi. JOHN
SON AND j. f. BELL ABsTRACTED.
They Appeared in the Sentinel June
13, 1S90-No Clew to the
Vandals.

In June, 1896. the local Democratic organ
was as stanch an advocate of the golo
standard as any. On June 49, 1885, under the
display caption: Free Coinage of Silver
It's Effects Discussed by Men Of Both Be-
liefs-The Hon. John r. Wilson Presents a
Splendid Argument for Sound Money-Col-
lector of Customs Tanner and Others with
Him-Free Silver Men Say that Free Silver
Coinage Would Bring ar Era of Unex-
ampled Prosperity" the Sentinel published
number of interviews. One of those who
expressed himself as favorable to the gold
standard was E. NJ. Johnson and another
was Joseph E. Bell. After the county con-
vention last spring, when the push was
downed, handbills were circulated on the
eve of the meeting for the reorganization OF
the county committee, in which Bells inter-
view was printed in effort TO defeat Tag
CARTS scheme to make Bell chairman. For
some reason the push" failed to print the
Johnson interview. The interviews were
accessible to the public in the Sentinel files
at the City Library. They are not now.
The files have been mutilated. The Johnson
interview and the Bell interview have both
been clipped from the files and taken away
There is hence nothing there to show that
the Democratic candidate for auditor and
the county chairman were gold standard
men June 13. 1896. They now pose as original
silver men. Whoever was interested in
having this record destroyed seems to have
overlooked the files of the Sentinel at the
State Library, which are still intact. and
over which Librarian Henry will keep a
close watch, since the information that the
City Library files had been mutilated was
communicated by a Journal reporter yes
terday.
In addition to the interview of John r.
Wilson, under the caption mentioned above
the Sentinel quoted George G. Tanner, j. E.
Bell, e. NJ. Johnson as favoring the gold
standard and T. E. Johnson. D. S. Gooding
Sidney r. Moon and Z. D. Bryant, the
mayors father-in-law, as favoring free sill
yer. e. M. Johnsons interview appears in
the State Library files Immediately under
that of E. d. Bryant on Page 5, Column O.
of the Sentinel of June 10, 1896. There is
nothing to indicate whose interview is gone
from the City Library files. 1t appears in
the State Library files under the subhead:
"A Good Illustration
"E. M. Johnson--I know of no better way
of illustrating the effects that would flow
from free coinage than to relate an incident
which came under my own observation a
few days ago. A responsible business man
told me that he had been holding in his
possession for some time $4,000 in foreign
capital
"A short time ago, since the free-silver
agitation commenced he received word from
the owners of the capital not to make any
investments at all unless he could exact a
would be payable in gold. He could not
make any such agreement and he was
forced to send back to the old world the
$4,000 which had been scared out Of in
vestment in this country. That is only one
instance of the effects of free coinage.
Capital would secrete itself in this way all
over the country and as most of the bust
ness of the country is done on credit basis
the result would be of incredible harm to
the commercial interests of the country.
The great harm would be that while capital
can live on, labor, which is dependent on
the use of capital would feel burden of
incalcuable weight"
The Bell interview has been clipped out
of the bottom of the third column of the
fifth page and the top of the fourth column
of the City Library files. 1t appears all
right in the State Library files, Immediately
under the free-silver interview of T.. Z.
Johnson, as follows:
-"Stanch Friend of Cold
Joseph E. Bell said: One of the reasons
most frequently given by the advocates OF
free coinage of silver is that it will help the
poor man pay his debts. OF course, the
poor man can compel his grocer to accept
this deprecated money in payment of the
bill for the month already past but he can
rot compel the grocer TO sell him goods
during the coming month unless he will
submit to the grocer's terms and agree to
pay him in a money worth 100 cents on the
dollar or its equivalent. So with the farmer
whose farm is mortgaged. He can pay it
off when 1t falls due with this cheap money
provided he has it to pay with. But he
will have to work for this cheap money
Inc 1rA~ R.lw
that is standard throughout the commercial
world. This cheap money will not grow on
the bushes, nor will the dream Of the enthu-
sastic silver advocate be realized who said
when asked what 16 to / meant, why, 1t
means we will have SIG for every 81 we have
now" When the farmer is required to re-
new his mortgage is when he will realize
what free silver or cheap money has done
for him. The creditor will require the new
mortgage to be made payable in gold coin
with free coinage of silver in this country
it will require about 81 of silver money to
pay 81 of this mortgage. Under free coin
loaning money would require it TO be repaid
In gold coin. This could only be done by
paying the premium which gold would
command. An examination OF the mortgage
records in the recorders office of this coun-
ty shows that this silver agitation has
caused many of the individuals and institu-
ment in gold coin. Fletchers Bank of this
city has for nearly two years past made
all It's notes payable IN gOlu cOln IL all OF
these notes and mortgages have to be paid
with gold at a premium they will render
the burdens of the debtor unbearable.'
An attendant at the City Library was
very indignant when her attention was
called to the mutilated files. isn't it toe
bad" she asked, that we cannot catch
people at such vandalism? We cannot
watch people when we bring them back to
this quiet room, and those who are so dis
honest have opportunity to do such work
1t is shame"
No one could suggest why such things
were. done, unless it was to destroy un-
pleasant political records. In this case the
effort fails. There are still intact the State
Library files. The Bell interview was pub
lished in the Journal April 2. One of the
hnr aiming IL handad