Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-10
TWELVE PAGES
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 10. 1900.
FOOTING THE TREASURY AND
PEOPLE.

Formerly. Rhode Island was known
MS Providence Plantations" 1t is now
Providence Factories, we suppose, in
habited by factory hands and over
seers and drivers, and owned by alb
sentee stockholders. Rhode Island.
however, is State. and its voters are
"expansionists." although they have to
go outside its boundaries to expand,
even in a yawn. One of It's u. S. Sena-
tors, Mr.. Aldrich, leads the debate,
which he opened in tho Senate. on the
so-called currency bill. which proposes
to fix us on IL single gold basis and
build thereon n huge superstructure Of
gold bonds and banIS-notes-the former
for creditors and the latter for debtors
though, by a curious inversion of
things, the banks which Issue the notes
rs money TO the people. who really give
the notes all their value. pay no inter
est on these promises to the govern
ment. nor to the people. but exact
usury from the people! We have al
ready quoted Mr.. Aldrich's fears of
silver: and now we give his hopes of
the bill he champions:
by the enactment of the provisions
of this bill into law the solemn pledge
which was the moving force in &; great
political campaign is redeemed. In the
light of the promises OF certainty and
security, which this bill will fulfill, we
have already entered upon an era of
unexampled industrial and commercial
growth and prosperity. Its final adop-
ton will give new activity to the en-
-teeprise- of our-peeple- and broaden=ana
deepen the currents of our national
life. It will dlspel all fears OF possible
disturbance of our currency system
Through antaGonistic administrative ac-
ton. It will give added value TO our
securities Of all kinds in foreign or
domestic markets. 1t Will have an i'm
portant influence In the further de-
velopment of our rapidly increasing
foreign trade. as 1t will enable us to
enter the contest for the worlds mar
kets on more favorable terms"
The pledge of the campaign referred
TO was to promote international BIZ
metalllsm." and could not have been
to establish the gold standard for the
Republican platform OF 1896 assumes
that standard to exist" and speaks of
st as the existing and the present"
standard, and declares that since the
resumption Of specie payments in 1879,
"every dollar has been rs good ms
gold" What lies they were upon
which to run "a great political cam
paign!" or how unnecessary and foolish
tho enactment Of this bill! It was
upon no promises OF certainty and Sc
curity from the Republican party.
which iH rs unstable as water, or gold,
that prosperity. in some measure. has
returned. notwithstanding the blight
and curse Of Republican misrule.
Famine. plague and crop failure abroad
for three consecutive years. together
with our own extraordinary demands
for men and war-supplics OF every
kind. happening cotemporaneously with
fine crops in this country and n world
wide Increase in the production of gold.
these, and not Republican domina-
tion and money contraction, have re-
lieved and blessed us. in spite of Re-
publlcanism and it's crimes, or blundcrs
worse than crimes
How is II to broaden and deepen the
currents of our national life" with its
enormous expansion OF national debt,
enhancement of gold value, contrac-
zion Of currency. reduction OF the
wares and prices of labor and It's pro-
ducts. monopo'ies that tend TO destroy
free competition and Independent In