Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-04-13
GARNETT, KANSAS, APRIL 13, 1900

tent compatible with equality with god and
legal. tender paper redeemable in gold.
All want 'sound money" The assumption
that any rational man wants anything else is an
insolent imputaton upon patriotism and com.
mon sense. Any dollar whether of gold, sill
YER or paper, that will pay one hundred cents
worth of debt is a sound dollar No one desires
counterfeit money, or clipped coin, or debased
currency.
In 1873, when the Bland-Alison bill for the
recoinage of the silver dollav was over the
veto of President Hayes, there was the same
impudent octcry as now. The supporters were
denounced as enemies of the public credit and
pilloried in the metropolitan press as madmen,
knaves or fools. 1t was said that rs millions of
silver might possibly be maintained at par, but
more than this would result in individual ruin,
the expulsion of gold, silver monometallism
and national bankruptcy. Instead of rs mil
lions, under that act and the act of 1890, more
than 600 millions were added to the circulating
medium in silver coin and silver certificates, and
none of the prophecies of EVIL came to pass On
the contrary, the period from 1878 to 1892, un-
der protection of bimetallism, was marked by
co stant and unprecedented prosperity The
last message OF President Harrison dwelt largely
upon the resources and development of the
country and disclosed condition that has had
few parallels in the history of civilization.
The disasters of the past four years are too
fresh in memory to require rehearsal. Such ire
parable ruin IN SO short spacee never before fell
upon any people. And the downward tendency
has not vet been arrested. We have not touch
ed the bottom. Times have never been so hard
as now, nor money in circulation SO scarce, nor
prices SO low, nor business so precarious, nor
incomes so uncertain, nor the future so doubt
full. The people who have suffered SO much be-
leve that this blast and detriment is largely due
to inadequate protection and to the contraction
of the currency They may be right or they
may be wrong, but they are sincere. Misery
makes strange bed fellows in politics as else.
craft the convention announces policy that
does not fairly represent the popular will on
the money question, he will b.. sagacious
soothsayer who can correctly predict the result
in November.
Party names do not mean as much as they
did The independent voter is abroad. Party
ties are weakened as new issues arise. A large
fraction of the people will vote their individual
convictions. The platform makers know this,
and there is much cogitation and chewing of
the cud.
Teller of Colorado, the acknowledged apostle,
leader and representative of the silver crusade,
is here. His attitude is matter of interest
and importance. He is intense in his convic-
tons, courageous aud sincere. He is neither a
crank, nor freak, nor bore. His high char
acter and admitted qualifications make him
force to be ieckoned with. He has the und
vided confidence and appreciation of his con-
stituents. Whatever path he may take, they
will unquestionaby follow him. 1t has been
said that uuless the declaration was for free and
unlimited coinage, he would leave the conven-
ton and renounce his allegiance. He has been
a Republican since the party was born, and his
detection would have serious significance. To
lie it is hardly credible, but lie has much of
the Cromwell spirit, and may be implacable.
JOHN ]. INGALLS,.