Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-25

more dangerous now, after the coun- |
try has settled down in the expectation
that our money standard is not to be
disturbed. The danger in 1886 was |
then portrayed on every stump and in |
every newspaper, but most graphically
and truthfully presented by the Hon
orable Carl .Schurz, in his speech at
Chicago, in October, 1896, an extract
from which I will read: 1t reads:
Carl schurz's Warning.
"And at what price will the ultimate
result be gained in case of Mr.. Bryan's
election? At the price of the most
violent and destructive crisis on rec
ord, such crisis as can only be
brought on by sudden subversion of
the standard of values and of the
whole business credit. At the price of
indefinite business paralysis and dis
tress. AT the price of the ruthless
spoilation of the savings accumulated
by the toiling masses. At the price OF
robbing our war veterans of half the
value of their pensions. At the price
of greatly increasing the number of
unemployed by discouraging enter
prise, and of curtailing the value of
wages of those remaining at work. At
the price of the respect of the world
for our intelligence and practical
sense.
And worse, far worse, than all this,
at the price of something that has new
er been forfeited since this republic
was born-at the price of the greatest
good a nation can possess and for the
preservation of which it should shed
its last drop of blood-at the price of
our national honor. For this nation.
so rich and powerful, would stand be-
fore the world as a wanton, reckless
repudiator, as nothing better than
fraudulent bankrupt. This will be the
cost of the experiment"
Commercial Value Governs.
will not undertake to re-argue the
money question, but only to say that
these dangers portrayed by Mr.. Schurz
have their origin in elemental truths
which are found in the economic law
that the coined money which is made
the standard of value of any country,
! with open minis and free and unlimit-
ed coinage, is of the value, and of no
| greater value, than the material from
which it is made. Therefore it is that
the dollars coined from silver under
this resolve can only be equal to the
market value of the bullion from
which they are fabricated, which bull
lion is now in the worlds market
worth less than half the value of the
dollars in circulation, and will be the
measure of all unexpected contracts OF
every name and nature whether made
before or after the passage OF such a
statute, and will be paid in dollars of
that measure.
Therefore it is true that if this re-
solve is to be put into execution there
will be entailed upon our people wide
spread desolation which will enter ev-
rey home and effect every family in
our widely extended country. But
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr.. Bry-
an insisted upon it as a condition OF
his nomination, and Notwithstanding
! the fact its adoption in our statutes is
the primary hope of more than ma
jority of all the men that will vote for
him, he consented reluctantly, as
happen to know, that this plank should
be set aside and that the plank desig
mated by the convention as Imperial
ism" should be put in the fore front OF
the contentious of this year.
The Paramount Issue.
/ Notwithstanding this reluctance, the
democratic orators and the newspa
pers of that party thus far, whether OF
the free silver persuasion or opposed
to free silver, fall into the paramount
declaration of the platform, and refuse
to discuss the money question, when
as matter of fact with the apprehen
sions of four years ago, and with al
of our experiences since that time, il
the people of this country come tt
know that there is danger of its adopt
ion during Mr.. Bryans administration
should he be elected, no question coult
possibly arise that would have the i'm
portance and significance of this mon
ey question, or in which they would
take so deep an interest. Hence it i.
, that all proceed straightway to make
J excuses respecting this resolution
t and the free silver papers notably sa.
it is not present question, although
n the platform they demand it's imme
5 date adoption. They now say that i
) is impossible for anything to be dom
respecting it because the senate o
5 the United States has safe majorit.
) against it's adoption therefore Mr.. Bry
| ans hands are tied behind his bacl
: and the resolve is a dead letter.
t What Is Debatable?
Is it their contention that nothing
to be debated except what is PRESENT.
: to be incorporated into our Legislation
4 under Mr. Bryan? Is there no ques
? ton to be debated except those ques
! lions which can find the favor of me-
!. jority of the senate as it is now cor
stituted? If so, the debates will b
:. very limited, and the topics very few
; as it is utterly impracticable and in
possible with the senate as now cor
!, stituted, or as l believe it will be wit
:, the senate as hereafter constituted
adopt the proposed policy of the pla
:, form, adopted at Kansas City havin
:. reference to the Philippine islands, b.
y cause the policy on that subject. a
: proclaimed at Indianapolis, is simpl
= "a policy to call congress in eXtrao
y binary session in order to make ce
,, tain declarations which no congress
: is likely ever to make no matter whf
happens. But more of this hereafte
T., roo,niax;op oF Tho Sepata