The Advocate and news., 1898-04-27
SIXTEEN TO ONE.


The war with Spain, II It reaches the
magnitude which 1t now seems likely to
attain, will be very apt 10 solve the
problem OF sixteen to one, for the time
being at least. 1t is estimated that when
fairly under way such war will require
the expenditure by this government OF
500, ,000,0 900 month. There is In the
national treasury less than $2OO,OOO,O 900
Of gold including the $1OO,OOO,0OO which
Is pledged for the redemption Of the
greenbacxs. Already $50,000,000 have
been appropriated for buying war ships.
These and all other supplies purchased
from foreign countries must be paid for
in gold because they will not take any
thing but gold. Large quantities Of
armament, munitions and other supplies
must necessarily be purchased from for
eign countries. Fifteen millions OF dol
lars have already been paid for powder
alone. The gold In the treasury will
soon be exhausted and then the despised
metal, as the NEXT best money, will have
to come forth, and silver dollars which
were not good enough for the bondhold-
ers In time OF peace will be good enough
to pay for human life In time OF war,
The mints Of this country will be opened
and set at work and the tons OF silver
bullion in the vaults Of the treasury will
be coined into money and used to sustain
the supremacy and life Of our nation, and
verify the stone which the builders re-
jected will again become the chief Of the
corner. Nay, more than this, the silver
In the treasury will also soon become
exhausted, or will he locked up and held
in reserve to pay the interest ON the
bOndhOlders bonds. Then the good old
greenback will be brought forth. The
greenback which Lincoln blessed and
which blessed lincoln; the greenback
which was the strong right arm Of this
government when 1t was struggling in
the very throes Of dissolution; the green
back which saved the life OF this nation
In the darkest hours which 1t ever saw;
the good old gFeenbaCk which Grover
Cleveland sought to destroy and which
John Sherman proposed to retire and
never reissue; the greenback which was
good enough for the patriotic soldiers
and sailors who offered their services and
their lives to our country, and which
they took without a murmur, even when
Il was worth only 5 cents on the dollar
IN the money Of the world. Many Of
them had enlisted under gold standard
and were paid for the first six months in
gold, but whensthe government required
It they took the greenbacks at what they
were worth and then fought to bring
them up to their face value. The Pres
ldent has already made call upon the
States for 125OOO soldiers to be enlisted
for two years OF service. This would
indicate that he expects the present war
10 last for at least two years. But long
before two years OF active war shall pass
the gold will be exhausted and the gold
standard will have ceased to be an issue,
the silver even will be exhausted and the
problem OF sixteen to one will no longer
lie in contention, and the real money OF
the government, which heretofore came
TO the rescue of the natiolf In time OF
peril. will be the money Of the realm, and
soldiers ana sailors, who now enlist un-
der q god standard, viii then take the
WrponbEGk A& whatever H IL worth and