The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 09 (of 12): Dresden Edition—PoliticalIngersoll, Robert Green
History
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 09 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Political
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
You have no idea of the credulity of some folks. I say that it has not
been cornered, and I will not only prove it, I will demonstrate it.
Whenever the Stock Exchange or some of the members have a corner on
stocks, that stock goes up, and if it does not, that corner bursts.
Whenever gentlemen in Chicago get up a corner on wheat in the Produce
Exchange, wheat goes up or the corner bursts. And yet they tell me there
has been a corner in gold for all these years, yet since 1873 to the
present time the rate of interest has steadily gone down.
If there had been a corner the rate of interest would have steadily
advanced. There is a demonstration. But let me ask, for my own
information, if they corner gold what will prevent their cornering
silver? Or are you going to have it so poor that it will not be worth
cornering?
Then they say another thing, and that is that the demonetization of
silver is responsible for all the hardships we have endured, for all the
bankruptcy, for all the panics. That is not true, and I will not only
prove it, but I will demonstrate it. The poison of demonetization
entered the American veins, as they tell us, in 1873, and has been busy
in its hellish work from that time to this; and yet, nineteen years
after we were vaccinated, 1892, was the most prosperous year ever known
by this Republic. All the wheels turning, all the furnaces aflame,
work at good wages, everybody prosperous. How, Mr. Bryanite, how do you
account for that? Just be honest a minute and think about it.
Then there is another thing. In 1816 Great Britain demonetized silver,
and that wretched old government has had nothing but gold from that day
to this as a standard. And to show you the frightful results of that
demonetization, that government does not own now above one-third of
the globe, and all the winds are busy floating her flags. There is a
demonstration.
Mr. Bryan tells us that free coinage will bring silver 16 to 1. What is
the use of stopping there? Why not make it 1 to 1? Why not make it equal
with gold and be done with it? And why should it stop at exactly one
dollar and twenty-nine cents? I do not know. I am not well acquainted
with all the facts that enter into the question of value, but why should
it stop at exactly one dollar and twenty-nine cents? I do not know. And
I guess if he were cross-examined along toward the close of the trial he
would admit that he did not know.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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