The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-07-28
OF DELAY.

The gold combination is desperate
and is not going to permit the Repub'
ter of redeeming its promises, in 1e-
turn for which such a generous cam
paign fund was provided 10 purchase
the election of 1896. Hence the Kepub-
lican organs are frantic in their ef-
forts to convince their readers that the
silver issue is dead and thai the time
has at last arrived to alter the laws OF
the country SO that all outstanding
obligations Of the government shall lie
made payable in gold alone, instead OF
coin of the standard weight and fine
ness of July, 1870, as under the present
law. Under the law, as it now stands.
every dollar of the outstanding obliga-
tons of the government is payable
in either gold or silver coin at the op.
ton of the government, except GER
tificates issued against either gold Q,
silver coin held IL the treasury.
President Cleveland sought to have
congress authorize a gold Oar in 1894
and thus pave the way to making all
of the government obligations payable
in gold, but congress refused. 1t will
be remembered that the Morgan syn
dictate made a specific offer for gold
bonds, rendering sixteen millions addi-
tional for bonds to be made payable
in gold in excess of the amount Of
fered for the coin bonds that were is
sued that year. The legislation sought
will be worth hundreds Of millions to
the holders of American securities and
will increase the burdens OF the Amer
lean people on the public and private
Indebtedness against them to the
amount of billions OF dollars. This
step is deemed necessary by the gold
combination at this time because they
fear the triumph of the Democratic
party in 1900.
The gold combination have down to
the present time failed to secure al
firmative legislation in behalf Of the
gold standard in the United States.
They ecured the passage Of a law in
1878 emitting the silver dollar from
our list of coins, cunningly substitute
ing a trade dollar SO that The term
dollar would still appear in the list
and escape the scrutiny of an unsus-
pecting congress. Since then they
nave been able to prevent the complete
RECOMMENDATION of silver in the passage
of the Bland act and the Sherman act
and finally to secur the repeal of all
laws providing for an increase OF
money through the coinage of silver
But all the silver dollars that are in
existence are lawful money to pay of
the obligations of the government in
all forms whatsoever, whether il
bonds, greenbacks or treasury notes
Further than this many of the mos
eminent lawyers in the United States
contend hat the president has the all.
thordty under the Bland act to pei
the minis to silver equally with gold
that that law restores the law Of 1897
therefore it is that being longer ur,
able to control the national corven.
lions of both political parties, ant
nominate for the presidency candidate:
pledged to the gold standard, that tn,
gold combination is determined to in
sist upon the Republican party enact
ing affirmative legislation during tn,
coming congress to establish the golt
standard. Accompanying such a meas
ure, they propose to provide for tn
retirement Of the g%reenbacks ant
treasury notes, and turn the issue q
all paper money over 10 the banks
This measure is revolutionary in it
character and its consequences will b,
far reaching. t'
Many Republican politicians fear tn,
result upon their party IT the legis.
lation hat is now im%peratively de.
manded of them. They would much
prefer to let matters drift until after
another election. They fear to expos.
the party to the retribution that is sur.
to follow such a breach of faith with
the people, and they are also DESTROYS
Of keeping the banks and creditor in.
terests in a position where they viii
be obliged to continue their liberia,
contributions TO future Republican
campaign funds.