"Carlisle on the Ratio of 16 to 1" -- Speech of Hon. John G. Carlisle before the Workingmen of Chicago, April 15, 1896.

The pros and cons of bimetallism had been argued for years, and "Carlisle on the Ratio of 16 to 1" -- Speech of Hon. John G. Carlisle before the Workingmen of Chicago, April 15, 1896. Printed as Senate Document No. 256 on the motion of Senator Vilas, of Wisconsin, May 14, 1896 represented John Carlisle's position on the subject. Mr. Carlisle says, in his introductory remarks, that "...Whether the general business of the people shall be transacted with good money or bad money, whether the wages of labor shall be paid in a sound and stable currency, with full purchasing power in the markets where they are exchanged for the necessaries of life, or in a depreciated and fluctuating currency, having no fixed value and therefore bearing no permanent relation to the current prices of commodities, are the questions which affect the comfort and happiness of every home and the peace and prosperity of every community...".

The address is contained in an 18 page booklet, without covers, that measures approximately 5 ½ x 8 ¼ inches. The booklet is a first edition, as printed in 1896 as Senate Document No. 256 on the May 14, 1896 Motion of Senator Vilas, of Wisconsin. The pages are tanned, with some chipping along the outer edges, buy the text is clear and easily read. The overall condition of the item is good.

The illustrations accompanying this description the booklet's title page and the first page of text.

John Griffin Carlisle (September 5, 1834 – July 31, 1910) was a prominent American politician in the Democratic Party during the last quarter of the 19th century. He served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1889 and as United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1893 to 1897 during the Panic of 1893. As a Bourbon Democrat he was a leader of the conservative, pro-business wing of the party, along with President Grover Cleveland. On the main issues of the day, Carlisle was in favor of coining silver, but not for free coinage, and favored lower tariffs. [Wikipedia]