Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1896 — Fruits of the Gold Standard. [ARTICLE]

Fruits of the Gold Standard.

Suppose that in 1892 a free silver president and congress had been elected and unlimited coinage at 16 to 1 inaugurated. Then suppose that these things had followed: The Industry of the country sandbagged, workihgmen thrown out of employment by the million, farmers unable to sell their products at a profit, bankruptcy hanging over countless thousands, banks everywhere so near the verge of insolvency owing to depreciation in value* that to press their debtors would mean ruin to themselves, our bond obligations Increased by $262,000,000 to keep gold in the treasury, payment of the public debt stopped, and a deficit in the revenue of $12,000,000 a month piling up—suppose all this under a silver administration, and who would there now be to question that our manifold calamities had been brought upon us by free coinage? All these disasters have befallen under a gold administration, and why should not the gold standard be charged with them? Present facts are better guides than the vaticinations of prophets of evil. Let the defenders of gold monometallism tell why it is that while their money system has been in existence the country has so suffered. As the gold men promise the people nothing more cheering than a continuance of this distress-breeding system,. It Is not clear why the people should rise with enthusiasm to vote for another four years of the gold standard and hard times. —New York Journal.