fluences of time and
the inherent energy and resources of the country the work that yet
remains to be done to place our currency at par. We believe that
what our country now needs to revive business and to give
employment to labor, is a restoration of confidence. We need
confidence in the stability and soundness of the financial policy
of the government. That confidence has for many months past been
slowly but steadily increasing. The Columbus Democratic platform
comes in as a disturbing element, and gives a severe shock to
reviving confidence. The country believed, and rejoiced to believe,
that Senator Thurman expressed the sober judgment of Ohio, when he
spoke last year in the Senate on this subject. The senator said,
March 24, 1874:

"Never have I spoken in favor of that inflation of the currency,
which, I think I see full well, means that there shall never be any
resumption at all. That is the difference. It is one thing to
contract the currency, with a view to the resumption of specie
payment; it is another thing neither to contract nor enlarge it,
but let resumption, come naturally and as soon as the business and
production of the country will bring it about. But it is a very
different thing indeed to inflate the currency with a view never in
all time to redeem it at all. And that is precisely what this
inflation means. It means demonetizing gold and silver in
perpetuity, and substituting a currency of irredeemable paper,
based wholly and entirely upon government credit, and depending
upon the opinion and the interests of the members of Congress and
their hopes of popularity, whether the volume of it shall be large
or small. That is what this inflation means. Sir, I have never said
anything in favor of that. I am too old-fashioned a Democrat for
that. I can not give up the convictions of a life-time, whether
they be popular or unpopular."

April 6th, when the Senate inflation bill was debated, he said:

"It simply means that no man of my age shall ever again see in this
country that kind of currency which the framers of the constitution
intended should be the currency of the Union; which every sound
writer on political economy the world over says is the only
currency that defrauds no man. It means that so long as I live, and
poss