Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 10.djvu/241

 SHERMAN

��purchasing power? Every sentiment of justice will be on the side of the workingman in his struggle for good money or increased wages in cheap money.

I have the confident hope that the great body of the Republican and Democratic parties, repre- senting the conservative elements of our people, will stamp their rebuke upon this measure of infamy and thus preserve intact the honor, the credit and glory of our great country. This mat- ter of the free coinage of silver and the degreda- tion of the standard of value involves not only questions of money, but of honor and good faith. When their honor is involved the people never fail to respond. They have complied with every promise and paid every debt contracted since the organization of the national government as it became due. They have paid four-fifths of the debts contracted during the Civil War, and the prospect was hopeful that all of it would be paid before the close of the century, but this revers- ing our standards of value has, like the fire bell at night, startled and alarmed our people.

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