FREE COINAGE OF SILVER. 499 



and silver in existence, was a necessary limitation to avoid 

 violent fluctuations. 



"Resolved, That while gold and silver were scarce by 

 reason of failure of production, the creditor class insisted 

 upon their use as a necessary limitation, but as soon as 

 there was a prospect for sufficient production to keep pace 

 with population and avoid contraction, that class in 1875 

 consummated the demonetization of silver, and thereby 

 reduced the supply of the precious metals over one-half 

 and doubled the obligation of contracts. 



''''Resolved, That since the demonetization of silver 

 the price of property and labor throughout the world has 

 already depreciated about 33 /^ per cent, and must con- 

 tinue to depreciate while the circulating medium is limited 

 to the single gold standard. 



"Resolved, That it is the duty of Congress to restore 

 silver and permit a free use of both of the precious metals, 

 or repudiate both and adopt some other means of limiting 

 the circulation, which will be known to all the world. 



''''Resolved, That the time is past for the secret manip- 

 ulation of money by the bondholders and bankers, either 

 by influencing legislation or by secret negotiations in Wall 

 street with the secretary of the treasury. 



* ''Resolved, That the people" have a right to know the 

 amount of money in circulation per capita, and a right to 

 demand that that amount shall not be diminished. 



"Resolved, That there is nothing in the national 

 banking system calculated to maintain a sufficient or regu- 

 lar supply of money, but on the contrary it is a temporary 

 expedient whereby a favored few obtain double interest 

 and expand and contract the currency in the interest of 

 manipulators who are accumulating vast fortunes at the 

 expense of the masses. 



"Resolved, That it is the duty of the government to 



