People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1896 — GOV. OGLESBY. [ARTICLE]

GOV. OGLESBY.

There is a universal prostration of business. The American people are honest, and will not favor repudiation. There are fewer fools and perhaps fewer critical scholars than in some other n?tionc; ours are industrious orderly, liberty loving people. Though millions are uremployed, most desire to work—their idleness is enforced. In the east I hear the west are studying repudiation; but I know not a man here that would bake the advantage of law or technicalities to injure a public creditor. They pay all they agree to pay, and only demand their lawful rights. For a few months I am permitted to vote for half of this great state, and I mean to give no just ground to any one to charge me with being a repudiator. Hard times compel us to study all about gold, silver and paper currency; and the people ask, what is money? It isn’t realty, or personality, nor highwines nor hymn books. Some say it is accumulated capital. Well, then, how much does an average man need of it? Some say $lO, some S2O and some say SIOO a head. The amount differs in different countries and statesfnen differ. ONE MORNING OUR PEOPLE WOKE UP AND FOUND THE SILVER DOLLAR HAD SLIKED OUT—NOT THE MEXICAN, NOR THE SPANISH, NOR THE JAPANESE, BUT OUR DOLLAR. MANY BELIEVE THERE WAS FRAUD AND -TRICK IN THIS— a PLAN CONCOCTED BY CAPITALISTS TO SWINDLE US. THESE FELLQWS DENY THIS, BUT THEY APPEAR MIGHTY GLAD OF IT. Well very few knew of it; the people were not consulted, and they feel that they were tricked by somebody. The people are usually quite revengeful, when sharp practices are played on them. You all remember when the Dred Scott decision, and when the Nebraska bill were sprung upon the people; well, they did not rest until they took revenge upon the interests assisted by these measures. Well, the people feel the same way about this silver business, and capitalists had better take it back. I SHALL VOTE FOR THE REMONETIZATION OF SILVER JUST AS IT WAS, AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY. HERE COMES A FELLOW AND SAYS: “GOVERNOR, DON’T YOU KNOW SILVER ISN’T

WORTH AS MUCH AS IT WAS BEFORE?” WHY, YES; I KNOW IT; LOTS OF OTHER THINGS ARE IN THE SAME FIX; BUT WE WILL GIVE YOU JUST. AS MANY GRAINS OF SILVLR AS WE AGREED TO; AND I MEAN TO VOTE TO COIN AS MUCH OF IT AS OUR MINTS CAN MAKE. (GREAT APPLAUSE.) Now I must be careful of my votes, you know. But silver and gold has been the coin of the world for all time, and both have an equal right to stay as money; all creditors everywhere understand they must take these coins. When our debts were created gold and silver was what we agreed to pay in. The silver dollar then had 412% grains. Now the goldites claim there was no trick in demonetizing silver, and* it was done just when silver began to be plenty. And we find all these fellows full of books and tables and documents to oppose its recoinage as money. There is something strange about this. “They say ‘silver is too heavy.’ ” Give us greenbacks then. (Great applause.) But they answered: “They are unsubstantial. Great Britain has unfolded the gold standard.” And we find many are just dying to follow Great Britain and British institutions. WE DON’T WANT THEIR IDEA; THEIR LAWS OF ENTAILS WERE BRUSHED OFF LONG AGO AND WE DON’T WANT THEM BACK AGAIN. NOW, SUPPOSE WE COIN $50,000,000 AND GIVE EMPLOYMENT TO 1,000,000 IDLE MEN. WOULD THAT BE WRONG? I THINK NOT. IS IT DESIRABLE TO CRAMP US ALL INTO BANKRUPTCY WITH SO MUCH MEANS TO PAY OUT ONLY WAITING TO BE COINED? IT WOULD’NT BE AMERICAN, NO, NOR GOOD SENSE. I WANT TO MAKE MYSELF FULLY UNDERSTOOD; TO TALK AS I WOULD IN THE SENATE. THERE ARE SIXTEEN STATES AND TERRITORIES THAT PRODUCE SILVER; NOW, WHY DEMONETIZE IT? I DON’T SEE. WE GET $3,000,000 A MONTH FROM ONE HOLE. UNDER OUR LAW GOLD IS WORTH SIXTEEN TIMES AS MUCH AS SILyER; IN FRANCE GOLD IS ONLY 15% TIMES AS VALUABLE AS SILVER. I THINK IT IS RIGHT TO PUT IT BACK AS IT WAS.— [See Chicago Inter Ocean, January 1, 1878.]