Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1899 — REQUESTED NO GIFT OF GOLD. [ARTICLE]

REQUESTED NO GIFT OF GOLD.

The fact that the United States has been able to pay the Spanish people $20,000,000 for a deed to the Philippines without withdrawing a single piece of gold from the National Treasury is a great source of pride to the Republican party, for this fact alone demonstrates that so long as the finances of the nation are in the hands of the Republicans our credit is safe, and there is no doubt of our ability to maintain the gold basis. The millions paid Spain were paid on a basis of foreign exchange, our favorable balance as a trader being sufficient for the payment of this sum several times over, and the immense amount was paid without creating the slightest ripple in our financial circles. If the Republican party could always remain in power there would be little need for further tinkering with the money laws, anu the manner in which we have maintained our gold basis and our credit through a year’s war is ample testimony that our finances are sound. We have good sound money now and we must maintain its reputation forever. There are a few reforms that would benefit our system of finance, perhaps, but we want no political experiments with the money of the people of the United States, nor any tinkering therewith. The people -of the United States had a sad experience with the tariff tinkerers, who pushed the nation back ten years in its march of progress, and they will not permit any more tinkering with the money. Make the changes that will tend to strengthen our credit and fortify the gold basis* but no tinkering with the single standard.—Des Moines (Iowa) State Register. Haw We Get Cheap Money. The correspondent of the London Statist, writing from the West, in summing up a general review of the financial situation in that section, said: “Broadly, therefore, I look for cheap money, and the greater prosperity which is now being felt by almost all classes of the community to still further stimulate trade, for the railways to obtain large traffics and large profits, and for prices of securities to remain high.” “Cheap money” was what the West clamored for during the campaign of 1896. The free silverites believed that the way to get cheap money was to have “open mints” for the free coinage of silver. Their wiser brothers, while many of them believed in “open mints,” too, yet agreed with President McKinley thpt the best way to get cheap money—that is, money which would be easily gotten by the mass of the people, money which could be hired at a low rate of interest, was to open the mills for the fullest and freest employment of American workingmen, and thus to put in circulation the great amount of money lying Idle In the country, and, by the sale of American products abroad, to attract foreign money into the country. We have the open mills, thanks to the Dingley law, and we have money which, whether “cheap” or not—for “cheapness” depends on how one defines the word—is quite plentiful enough to make the people of the West as well as the people of all other sections of the country prosperous. That is the main thing, and that is the great thing.

Destroy the Destroyer. As a check to prosperity war cannot hold a candle to the Democratic party. It is the most successful prosperity destroyer the nation has ever known, but it will not have an opportunity to do any more damage along that line within the next quarter of a century. The people have it within their power to destroy the great prosperity destroyer. They gave it a severe set-back in 1896 and will complete the job In 1900. Springfield (Mo.) Republican. Mere Howling Won’t Do. Mr. Bryan is against trusts, but be hasn’t said yet wbat he would do to throttle them were he elected President And It may be necessary for him to outline a policy before the people place their undivided confidence in his ability. Mere howling isn’t popular any more. The voters are too busy with the new McKinley prosperity to listen to declamation.—Sioux Falls (S. D.) Argus-Leader. Cobden Idol* in Danger. The London Daily Mail, which claims to have the largest circulation of any English newspaper, w armly advocates the imposition of sugar duties for the benefit of the British West Indies, and f*