Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-07
FINANCIAL DECEPTION.

reply to the recent open letter by Hon.
Carl Schurz, is guilty of deception, at
ter the manner of those Republicans
now in power in Washington.
AT the outset, in his published in
terview, Mr.. Gage, in a desperate at
tempt to shift the fighting ground from
the paramount issue of Imperialism to
the comparatively unimportant none
tary issue, thus moving because the
financial question would suit the ad-
ministration infinitely better than that
the Democracy has placed in front, eX-
pressed the fear, in somewhat indefi-
mite terms, that the election of Mr..
Bryan would result in the paying Of
government obligations in silver, al
though he admitted there was but
about sixteen millions of free silver in
the national treasury, the remainder
being in the hands of the people, either
in the form of coin or certificates. Mr..
Schurz laughed this idea to scorn, and
proceeded to show that Secretary Gage
was quite in error, both as to the dan
ger, if danger there be, of paying any
thing material in silver, and in addi-
ton pointed out that the Republican
Congress which meets this fall could,
in the face of the alleged danger, enact
such laws, with the consent of the adj
ministration, as would make it utter
ly impossible for anybody feeling
kindly towards silver to do anything
of the sort indicated by Secretary Gage
1t was also pointed out by Mr.. Schurz
that the main object of the Secretary
of the Treasury appeared to be to get
up business and Industrial scare, to
the end that the Republican party
might be benefited.
To this Secretary Gage has replied,
but his rejoinder is rather weak doe
ument. 1t reads as straight as string,
but by the time one has gone through
it, there is a feeling that something is
lacking. 1t is the element of common
sense.
The trouble with Secretary Gage Is,
he has attempted to get UP a scare, to
the end that the votes OF the Gold DEM
ocrats might be saved to Mr. McKin-
ley, and that something akin to a bus
mess and manufacturing stampede to
the Republican cause would result. He
has distinctly failed of his purpose.
His interview and his letter purporting
to reply to Mr.. Schurz have alike fallen
fiat. and have not created a ripple upon
the surface of the political waters. The
trouble with Secretary Gags and those
who think with him, is that in attempt
ing to prove too much they prove
nothing and hurt their own cause. The
matter is well stated in the Chicago
Chronicle, which, in a recent issue,
said:
Mr.. Gage and other great financial
authorities of the Republican party are
eagerly endeavoring to convince Gold
Democrats that the Republican finance
act of last March does not so guard the
gold standard that additional legisla-
ton is necessary in order to its over
throw.
They ask every believer in the gold
standard to think that any Secretary
of the Treasury can upset that standard
without 5nipy xriC1 r. h. 1oy
If he is so inclined.
But they do not tell us why they la
bored so nard to make everybody be-
lleYe when they were framing and pass
ina their bill that its effect would be TO
plaAt the country firmly and securely
on the gold basis.
They do not tell us what they meant
when they provided in the first section
of that great product OF their legislative
wisdom that the gold dollar containing
23,22 grains of pure gold shall be the
standard unit OF value, and all forms
of money issued or coined by the Unit
ed States shall be maintained at a par
ity OF value with this standard, and it
shall be the duty of the Secretary of
the Treasury TO maintain such par
ity."
Their bill made it the duty OF the
Secretary to maintain gold reserve
of not less than l00.000.0 600, and if it
should fall below that sum to build it
up to $3.50, o00 900 at once, selling gold
bonds for that purpose. And it pro-
vided other means for the maintenance
of that reserve.
Since they made it his duty to main
tain the parity of all other government
money or currency with gold. and pro-
vided him with the means Of discharg-