The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-02-01
The Cause of Free Silver.
ON THE DEFENSIVE.
The Republicans and the Cold stand
RFd-rhat Fift, -CrBt Dollar
MnkMbon.

Fer the FIRST time since the money
question became political issue, the
republican party has taken clear and
uuequiyocal position. II has lodged
aud hedged, and equirocatcd and de-
nird until now. Al its leaders, from
the president down TO the smallest
toutcr. have at one time or another
given their support to the free coinage
Of silver; all have on various occasions
streuuously denounced the gold stand
ard
Now. however. the party has com
miitcd Itself 20 the single gold stand
ard, aud the very frat Development
Of the debate on the financial bin dis
covers the republicans 20 be on the
defensive. This was demonstrated 10y
the fact that the hard Hicks which Con
gresham Maddox, Of tieorEia, gave the
republican leaders caused them to put
forward their readicst and most elo-
gurnt speaker. Mr.. Deliver. Of Iowa.
And IL IL worthy Of note that this
man ~ rimble Wit urS tongue made no
attempt TO answer the charges Of de
Crptiou and Misunderstanding which
Judge Maddox brought against the re-
publicuus. The most that he could
tay, iu response 60 a direct question,
was that he didn't propose TO he hum
plugged any more by tnlk about inter
national blmptuii.m. We think this
Is true also uf the people; they are
not likely 20 be humhugFcd by the
republicans on this qucs ton any more.
Indeed, the republicans have placed I,
out of their power 10 deceive the peo-
pie amy further. After standing shiv-
oring on the bank for many YEAR,,
they have NJ last taken the final
plunge; ard being In, they cannot
crawl out ard deny that they never
went near the water.
They are ON the defensive. That
which their leaders have denounced
most strenuously for years they are
now compelled to defend. They Cnn-
not turn 10 the people IN the next
campaign and say; I'VE are just a.
good himctallists as the democrats are.
bat We want 60 make sure about ":
We want some 81 the other nations
=" join rs iu maintaining the parity
Of silver They cannot 60 to the prn-
pie. 10 the wurkiugmeu Of the cuun.
try, aud tell them that an incrcuse IN
thr volume 81 circulation does not
make higher price,, for the wheat
fnuire abroad las! year, aud the eN.
traordiunry disbursements made nee.
cssary by the Spanish-Amrrican war.
have added enormously to the amount
Of money In actual circulation. and the
result has been higher pricrs for al
kinds o. products.
The republicans cannot go to the
vagc-rururrs and say that higher
prices do not result IN higher wages, for
the Increase Of wages has followed
higher prices "a, promptly as an echo
follows sound. They cannot 60 10
business men and sag that a "5O.ceut
dollar" Is n thing TO alarm the public.
for the extraordinary and purely nd-
vcutitious circumstances which we have
already noted have created rise IN
prices, which, In fact. gives as So
cent dollar as compared with nearly
nlI the products Of human labor We
have n 50-ccut dollar AZ compared with
cotton goods, and a sO-ccnt dollar a.
compared with iron and the products
az iron.
In other words. the value Of the gold
dollar, ns the result of accidental cir
Cumsinnces--thc wheat famine abroad
and the extraordinary disbursement
made necessary 10y the war has de.
prrciatcd when compared with the in
creased value OF commodities. and this
depreciation has been so significant
and 30 fnr.reaching that one of the mast
pronounced gold-standnrd organ, the
Springfield Republican, has been
moved TO ask ~ this "rrpudiation" of
debt values would have been any more
criminal II 1t had ccurred ~ the r..
suit " the free coinage Of silver.
\ true!y searching inquiry this, and
the republican party whirh has been
placed on the defensive 10y i,s indorsc-
ment Of the gold standard, will have
To answer " and good many other,
just as searching before the next cam
paign Is over. For instance, how will
they explain the fact that this deprc-
citation Of the dollar as compared with
commodities has produced prosperity.
unless they adopt the democratic doc
triuc that an actunl increase in the
volume Of currency always and every.
where produces higher prices. and tina,
prosperity is the result?
AE n matter Of fact, we cannot al.
ways have a spauiSh.American war
on hand and We cannot always have
10 order n wheat famine abroad. Mean.
while. the republicans will be pu, upon
the witness stand In divers ways and
they will not have as happy time
~ they now look forward to.-Atlanta
Constitution.