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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1898)
The Conservative * 13 TKIISK OPINIONS ON MONKTA11V INTKKKSTS. [ From Chicago TinioH-Hcrald.J riAT MONEY CANNOT TAKK T1IU PLACE OF REAL MONEY. Tlio issue which convulsed the coun try in 1870 has continued to bo u dis turbing element ; down to the present timo. The fundainentul heresy which then prevailed and is still advocated , consisted in the idea that lint money can take the place of real money. The democratic party as a whole was then unsound , and has remained so until the present Any. The erroneous doctrines advocated at that time culminated finally in the limited coinage of silver , and the declaration of the Chicago plat form in favor of its unlimited coinage at the ratio of 10 to 1 , when its actual value was only half the standard proposed to bo enacted. Ex-Mayor Abram S. Hewitt , of New York. AN ARKANSAS EDITOR SCOURS A STHOXO POINT. / * 111 1896 I .was in Denver , and became acquainted with the managing editor of the Denver Republican , a bright young fellow , who was a strong free silver man. "Why , " ho said to me , "do you mean to tell me that this great and rich nation isn't able to establish and main tain a financial system of its own , with out the aid or consent of any other nation ? " "My young friend"Ireplied , "thirty- six years ago I engaged in the enterprise of establishing and sustaining n system in the Southern Confederacy , without the aid or consent of any other nation on earth. Well , we spent four years and billions of treasxiro and a million lives before we were convinced that we couldn't do it. Why ? Because the world was against us. And it is against iis now on the financial question. Gold is the standard of the civilized world and we must accept it ; the world is ag'aiust your free silver proposition , and wo must accept the situation as wo fine it. Col. James Mitchell , of Arkansas. WHAT CURRENCY REFORM MEANS. The house of representatives elected in 1896 has made a patient , laborious am" conscientious study of all the questions involved. As a result , the banking and currency committee of the present house has reported a bill the aim of which is to take the government out of the bank ing business ; to throw upon bunks the duty of redeeming the outstanding government currency hi coin ; to author ize the issue of bank notes under condi tions that will enable the farmers of the West , the planters of the South and the people generally to obtain money from the banks of the locality against the produce they have raised , and to define explicitly , so that it cannot bo open to question , that the standard of value in this country is the gold dollar of the present standard weight and fineness. Both Low , of Now York. SOUND MONKY CONCERNS ALL INTERESTS. Foresight and forethought on the part of the people of the country who believe that sound money is fundamentally important to every interest in the United States seem to bo all that are needed in order to place this question at last in the way of a permanent solution. Seth Low , of New York. URAVE INTERESTS AVERE AT STAKE. I happen to bo brought into close con tact with large financial operations , I do not hesitate to say that the election of a democratic house by the present democratic organization would have a strong tendency to depreciate every American security , both on the ex changes of this country and abroad. The financiers of Europe would regard such an election as a step backward , and the timid capitalists would fear to invest in our securities. Capital at homo would likewise hesitate to make now invest ments , and many enterprises would be delayed and restricted while capital was waiting to see what would be done. John K. Cowen , of Baltimore , Md. OOVKKNOK SHAW SHOWS HOW PUHLIC HONESTY WINS. "These greenbacks continued to fluc tuate until the government provided for their redemption in gold. Let mo illus trate : I know a man who had difficulty in his family. His wife commenced divorce proceedings against him , and it looked for a time as though she would recover about one-half of his property as alimony. Ho was unable to pay his obligations , and ho issued notes therefor which went to depreciation. The note broker , recognizing that the day would be far distant when my friend would bo able to redeem , offered but fifty cents on the dollar therefor. Then a suit for trespass was commenced against him , and his paper went still lower. Later , this damage suit was settled and dis missed and his paper picked up a little. "Finally , the supreme court one day decided that no divorce should be granted , and therefore no alimony ; and the value of his paper at the note broker's office advanced. He and his wife commenced living together again , didn't get along very well , but yet astonished their neighbors with the rapidity with which they regained pros perity , and ho began discharging his indebtedness. The note broker was will ing to bid higher and higher for his paper ; finally it would bring ninety cents on the dollar. Then ho nnd his wife made a loan on his laud , placed the proceeds to his account in the bank , and he said to his creditors : 'Present my notes and I will give you dollar for dollar in cash therefor. ' From that day to this my friend's paper has been as good as gold. " Governor Shawr of Iowa. THE SENATE IS FREE HAttYI.ON IS FALLEN. 1 'I do not think the people yet appre ciate the far-reaching results of the national election. The one rotten body which has given us no end of trouble for the last ten or twelve years has been the enate of the United States. It has been this body , with no responsible majority which largely , by reason of having no rules to limit debate , has hold the country by the throat for a dozen or more years. Year after year it 1ms passed free silver resolutions and resolutions declaring our obligations legally payable in silver dollars , while it has stood like a stone wall against any healthful currency legislation. "Certainly the most significant and , probably , the most gratifying fact con nected with the splendid victory won for the cause of sound money on Tues day is that it was brought about almost entirely by the people living west of the Ohio river. " E. 'O. Leech , former Director of the Mint. THE MONKY QUESTION OVERTOPS ALL OTHER QUESTIONS. The election to congress of any man who advocates the debasement of the currency a lowering of the standard of value is a menace to the common wealth. The money question overtops all other questions. Turn on the light ! Show the people the danger of a mone tary system which the experiences of all the commercial world during a thous and years unanimously condemn. Let labor in every town and county remember that labor is the great creditor power of the United States. Then labor will demand compensation for its serv ices liquidation for the loan of itself to employers in that money ( or its equiv alent ) which civilization has pronounced the best money gold. Every man advocating the free coin age of silver at 16 to 1 is an attorney for the degradation of American wage- earners. Every congressman declaring for a metallic money which must be undercurrent in foreign countries at the mint valuation placed upon it by the United States is an enemy to Amer ican farmers , producers and exporters. If the silver theories prevail , this country will become a monometallic country like Mexico. Then all wo ex ' port will be paid for in silver. Then all wo import will bo settled for in gold , and we will pay the premium. With honest money and the gold standard wo survive , advance and achieve ; without it we decline , die and decay. ! . Sterling Morton. Col. W. J. Bryan rises to remark : "I can be more useful to my country as a civilian than as a soldier. " This dis closes the fact that he intends to continue to bo "useful. " Richmond Weekly Times. TV ;
