The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-05-12


Star in Nebraska, as well as the re-
publican dailies of Chicago and New
York have lately, and ali together been
publishing editorials upon money.
That they should all at the same time
and in the same manner introduce the
discussion of the question, indicates
| that each of them got orders from the
same source at the same time.
The talk that they indulge in is OF
| the same old idiotic kind, using the
same old idiotic phrases. But they
fall fiat. The economic discussion that
populists forced on the country has
been source of enlightenment to
the people. Republican meaningless
phrases and catch words have lost
their significance. When they talk
about honest money" these days, even
the ordinary voter is inclined to ask:
How can an inanimate thing like mon
ey be either honest or dishonest? Is
money possessed of conscience? Has
| it knowledge Of morals SO that 1t can
be honest or dishonest? TO talk about
honest or dishonest money is to talk
like an idiot.
The same is true in regard to fifty
cent dollars" Every dollar Is COM
pcsed of 100 cents. 1t can no more be
fifty cents than root can be six
inches. That talk is just as idiotic as
If some patient of the institution of
the feeble minded, with a yard stick
in his hand should appear upon the
street and declare that yard stick was
dishonest or honest and that a foot
was six inches.
No lunatic ever talked worse glib
berish than appears in these republic
can editorials. Heaven ordained ra-
to-" Fifty cent dollars" Honest
dollars" Then think of the grammar
in the term fifty cent"
According to the eternal fitness Of
things, Grover Cleveland appears in
the Saturday Evening Post backing up
the republican editorials. In Cleve-
lands article he makes the following
absolutely false statement:
According to the legal ratio then
existing, which has never been
changed, the average gold value of a
silver dollar as compared with a gold
dollar was, during the year 1891, about
seventy-six cents. and during 1893
about sixty cents"
Mr. Cleveland knows that there was
not a moment during all that time that
the value of silver dollar was ever
fraction of cent less than a. gold
dollar. During the extra. session OF
1893 there was a time when the silver
dollars were selling in Wall street at
premium of three cents over a gold
dollar. Ever since then and today, the
value of silver dollar has been the
same as that of gold dollar. When
an ex-president gets down to plain
lying like that, it shows to what ex-
tremes the money power must go tC
put up any kind Of an argument at all
The fact that the silver bullion in q
silver dollar was worth the amount
stated does not palliate the lying In
the least degree. Cleveland does not
say 1.-The silver bunion in a silver
dollar" but he says the silver dollar.
All this renewed activity of repub
lican editors and Mr.. Cleveland is Il
work up some support to the PROPOSE
ton to recon the silver dollars into
halves, quarters and dimes. Tha
, would cost great deal Of money ant
the only object In doing 1t Is to rednc,
! the legal tender power Of silver to Nv,
! dollars. That could be accomplished
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