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
Ah, but they say, "free coinage would bring prosperity." I do not
believe it, and I will tell you why. Elect Bryan, come to the silver
standard, and what would happen? We have in the United States about six
hundred million dollars in gold. Every dollar would instantly go out
of circulation. Why? No man will use the best money when he can use
cheaper. Remember that. No carpenter will use mahogany when his contract
allows pine. Gold will go out of circulation, and what next would
happen? All the greenbacks would fall to fifty cents on the dollar. The
only reason they are worth a dollar now is because the Government has
agreed to pay them in gold. When you come to a silver basis they fall to
fifty cents. What next? All the national bank notes would be cut square
in two. Why? Because they are secured by United States bonds, and when
we come to a silver basis, United States bonds would be paid in silver,
fifty cents on the dollar. And what else would happen? What else? These
sacred silver dollars would instantly become fifty cent pieces, because
they would no longer be redeemable in gold; because the Government would
no longer be under obligation to keep them on a parity with gold. And
how much currency and specie would that leave for us in the United
States? In value three hundred and fifty million dollars. That is five
dollars per capita. We have twenty dollars per capita now, and yet
they want to go to five dollars for the purpose of producing prosperous
times!
What else would happen? Every human being living on an income would lose
just one-half. Every soldiers' pension would be cut in two. Every human
being who has a credit in the savings bank would lose just one-half.
All the life insurance companies would pay just one-half. All the fire
insurance companies would pay just one-half, and leave you the ashes for
the balance. That is what they call prosperity.
And what else? The Republic would be dishonored. The believers in
monarchy--in the divine right of kings--the aristocracies of the Old
World--would say, "Democracy is a failure, freedom is a fraud, and
liberty is a liar;" and we would be compelled to admit the truth. No;
we want good, honest money. We want money that will be good when we are
dead. We want money that will keep the wolf from the door, no matter
what Congress does. We want money that no law can create; that is what
we want. There was a time when Rome was mistress of the world, and there
was a time when the arch of the empire fell, and the empire was buried
in the dust of oblivion; and before those days the Roman people coined
gold, and one of those coins is as good to-night as when Julius Cæsar
rode at the head of his legions. That is the money we want. We want
money that is honest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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