West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-01-18
THE GOLD STANDARD EVIL.
AARON W. FREDERICK.

49, fNNst''
OF issuing money which is "a
sovereign power and aside from the
license to draw two interests and
grind the wealth of the country
into the money lenders hopper, /
wish to address few words 10
working people on the gold stan
dard evil of the financial bill now
before Congress.
do not attack the gold stan.
dard blight as Republican meas.
sure. When | was Republican
the party advocated bi-metalllsm.
From Lincoln to Harrison inclu-
sive, as late as 1892, the party de.
clsred by platform, for gold aud
silver. And in 1896 the platform
called for silver conditionally, sill
YER il other nations would JOIN in
conference and the leading powers
would return to the full use of
silver. This last utterance ad
mitted the desirableness of the two
metals as the worlds money stan
dard, and the undesirableness Of
tie single gold standard. The
gold standard has never been es-
tablished by law. No party except
the gold Democrat party has ever
come before the people and de-
manded the legal establishment
OF the gold standard. Only one
third OF q million voters out of
thirteen millions voters have ever
voted for the gold standard mea-
sure Of valuations In this country.
Until the Republican party ex-
hausts every resource 10 bring
about an international agreement
of favor of the gold and silver
standard named in the Constitu-
ton, and until the party re writes
and platform and appeal to the
people for the ratification of its
departure from former principles.
we must consider that Congress is
attempting to carry out the gold
Democrat policy as shaped by
Grover Cleveland. Hence | do
not assail the proposed gold STAN
dard evil as real Republican
measure. If a Republican mea-
sure 1t bellies every platform
utterance ever made by the ma
tional convention. Every Repub-
lican Secretary of the Treasury
prior to Cleveland's first term paid
the public obligations in gold or
silver as was most convenient. So
did Daniel Manning, Cleveland's
nrst Secretary of the Treasury,
and under the same law the Sec
rotary could do so now So II is
those who work the ''endIess chain"
and run the bond mill that Cleve-
land and Carlisle ran so success
fully for Republicans 10 follow as
expleIhplars-so it is that those
who hold the people in bondage
want positive enactment instead
of the creditors preference for
gold as courtesy. The money
lenders fear the people next elcc.
ton may deny them the special
privilege of payment of their obi
CATIONS in gold. This un-Amcri-
can gold standard is also un Re.
publican, unless the PARTY betrayers
lead it into the bosom of that
blooming beauty, the gold Demo-
crat party, Cleveland's love of a
dove that flirted with Palmer and
Buckner.
But no matter. This is a ques-
ton Of patriotism above any parii-
San consideration whatever. H. is
a question Of welfare for the
masses Of our working people. 1t
Is a question for all who labor with
their hands. for al who sell their
products in order to get money to
buy their living. II isa question
as plain as day, too clear to be
about. Think Of il.
The gold standard measures
everything by one metal, gold. a
grain Of gold is worth fixed
amount Of labor on such 8 stan.
dard. The standard must be
common leveler Of prices. We are
paid for work in the same metal
The English workman is paid in.
Only such fluctuations or differ
ences will occur as arc caused by
supply and demand. Upon the
same standard wages must reach
common level, the same here ne in
England II tho snp,Jv &, .,..,..