Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-16
Anew FACTS AND FIGURES.

If the gold standard is responsible
for the increase of wages and general
prosperity we are said to be enjoying,
why did it not make its appearance
before now? Why should it walt for q
war, for the seizure Of foreign terrific
ty, for billion and half dollar Con.
gress, and many other events, before
making its appearance. -Staunton
SPECTATOR.
There is no evidence that the gold
standard waited for any of these
things. 1t went right along in the
| natural and inevitable course Of
events and accomplished an increase
of wages and general prosperity in
spite of the war, territorial expansion,
a billion and half Congress and many
other obstacles. Certainly none of
these things caused the good times,
and by no possibility did the free coin
age of silver have anything to do with
them. The good times are here as the
workers who are to receive the in.
creased wages know very well, and as
everybody else may know that will
Petersburg Index Appeal.
Well, now, Mr.. Index Appeal sur
pose We investigate little. In 1892
Grover Cleveland was elected president
by handsome majority on q platform
which our contemporary claims was
purely Democratic, and which declar-
ed for the use of both gold and silver
without discriminating against either
metal. But when your Uncle Grover
was lnaugurated, and many of your
class believe him to be an honorable
man, be did not stand on that plat
form. He construed it to mean-we
let go silver and hold to gold. The
result was he did everything he could
against silver and the gold standard
found in him its best friend. Now,
what is the history of the years 1898,
1894, 1895, 1896 and 1897 ? Is it claimed
that they were the most prosperous. We
hear people refer to them as the panic
and having passed through that period
ourselves, We think the word panic"
IS about as good a name as can be
used. But now we are said to enjoy
prosperity and very naturally we asked
the question if said prosperity is due
to the gold standard why is it that its
appearance was delayed. The Index
Appeal says it was not due to the bill
lion and half dollar Congress, the
war, territorial expansion, or any of
the causes We mentioned. Maybe not,
but yet it must be remembered that
$50, 900 900 was distributed by Mr.. Nc
Kinley as the first item of war ex-
pense. He then scattered the small
sum of 5000. 100000. which he bor-
rowed. A compromise measure was
was then agreed to providing for the
coinage of 81 ,000, 900 per month in sill
yer, giving us another good item. Fol
lowing this came the expenditure by
Congress Of 81 800 ZOO, 900 and so on.
The war gave employment to a large
number of men and their positions,
which many of them vacated, were
given to those out of work., The
building of battleships employed
others; the railroads had contracts
for hauling soldiers and provisions, and
vast quantity of produce was neces-
sarily consumed by the army we were
forced to feed. These items in con-
nection with the money we have spent
in acquiring foreign territory. must
have something to do with better
times, The Index-Appeal will not
agree that it is due to protection, nor
will the SPECTATOR. The case is a
plain one. The gold standard has had
no more to do with the SO called pros
perity than the ripping of the waters.
The causes are precisely those we have
named. Mr.. Cleveland would have
been better off if the sold standard had
brought prosperity to the country dur
ing his term, and Mr.. Mckinley would |
stand better chance of reelection if |
he could knowingly declare that 1t
was the gold standard that has brought
IS relief. But he knows, as well as
very other sensible man, that it was
he circulation of money made neces-
AIRY by the war that has frightened
he financial sky and those who view
he beautiful scenery may find a gold
n moon, but the thousands of little
tars that twinkle all around it are
re made of silver dollars and green
JACKS that have been ned loose for
he purpose of conquering a foreign