Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-05-03
PQPULIST PRINCIPLES.
While We Have Metallic Money They Want
Bimetallic System with Full Legal
Tender Paper Money Besides.

No matter what else is put in issue in
the campaign next year, the gold stand
ard will be prominent and it is well
that this fact is not overlooked by pop
ulists- 1t was because of the issues
clustering around the money question
that the peoples party was formed.
The use of gold coin as money is not
objected to by populists. They under
stand quite as well as other people that
gold has been used for monetary pur-
poses SO long that the great body of
the people in all countries look upon it's
use as among the necessities of civiliza-
ton, and that they would not consent
just now to do without it in that rela-
ton.
The objection is not in that direction
at all. But silver has always, until
quite recently, been a money metal,
not only as well as. and by the side of.
gold, but as the first in rank-the lead
ing metal, that out of which the unit
coin was fashioned. In our own coun-
try, until 1873, the unit (dollar) was
represented by silver coin. There
were no gold dollar pieces prior to 1S49,
and only 10, 449 337 of them have been
coined since, while of silver half-dollars
there had been coined up to 1896, 27O.-
S26, 721, nearly as many quarter-dollars
and 2S9, ,043, ,005 dimes. The coinage
of silver dollars was suspended for
30 years, beginning in 1906, be-
cause they were more valuable than
gold and were on that account export
ed. 1t was for that reason their coin
a na yr-oC laI
quarters, dimes and half-dimes to do
the work of silver coin. Gold coins
were intended to represent muItiples
OF the dollar-S2.5O, So and $40; after
wards QS50) double eagles $50 pieces)
were authorized. Gold coin was used
in large transactions because of the
weight being so much less than that of
silver coin of equal money value. Gold
coins and silver coins circulated to-
gether in all the years of our history
and business had accommodated itself
to the two metals. Populists want
that condition restored; if we use one
of the metals, let us use both as of old.
and If we demonetize one, let the other
go, also.
The gold standard means not only to
PuG silver OOWn TO a subsidiary posi-
tlon, but it means to retire the green.
backs and substitute national banl,
notes in their place. The national
democrats threw off all disguises anC
declared boldly for the retirement o.
these notes. They would replace then
with state bank currency, which i.
| worse than that of national banks. Re
publicanS have not vet cryStallizef
their doctrine on this point, but al
| their eXpOnents. all their great finan
| ciers, including the present secretar,
| of the treasury, favor the retirement
of the legal tender notes and the sub
stitution of bank notes. The presi
dent would effect substantially tn,
same object by retaining in the treas
ury every greenback redeemed and re
issuing it only in exchange for gold
Notwithstanding the law requires tha
they shall be paid out and kept il
circulation
Populists want the old coinage law.
restored and government legal tender
paper, instead of any kind of banl
paper, issued to supply all Legitimate
needs
The gold standard means the put
ting of the people under the rule o
bankers and spectators in busines.
| affairs, and that means panics anC
commercial disasters every few years
Star and Kansan.