The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-30
NATURAL SCIENCE.

NATURAL SCIENCE.
GOLD. This is OF the simple elements; is
the heaviest Of ali known substances, except pl-
tina,-being 10 times heavier than water. No sub
stance is capable of such extension; or of ii will
cover 1900 miles of wire; and one grain i'll leaf
will cover 80 square inches.
Last week we compared it with iron, and show
cd that the intrisic value of the latter far
greater than that of gold The greatr relative value
of gold comes from two causes. Its purity and its
quantity Nearly all other substances, by reason
of their great affinity for other things, mix with
them and 50 diminish in value. But gold once cot
into the pure state seems to stand out cold and de-
iant, like king among metal, ns it is; refusing to
have anything to do with oxygen and the other
corrodng substances. Hence it has to-day and
through a the future, here and everywhere, al-
way, the same fixed nature and so the same uni
form value. This is what has caused gold every
where and in aep to be taken as the true standard
of value For if in emergencies anything else, us
wampum, silver. paper, merchandise, &C., passes
for money, their value is all estimated and rcgu-
lated by this gold standard. And this ''getting
back to a specie or gold basis all mems getting
back to The value which gold everywhere has.
The other reason besides its purity which makes
gold this universal standard Of value is its proper
quantity: forif to its purity YOU add the abundance
or iroli, lead and "copper" righteousness ,voujl
render it cheap and so useless rs a standard Of
value: if its scarcity equalcd that Of patna and
tho diamond, it would be useless for that reason
as general standard Of valuc. And nothing seems
better to mark the with which nature guards
the interest Of mankind than the amount and con-
ditionS of the various gold depositcs. In the early
age, when business was but small and but little
50 circulating mcdeum' that is. money. was re-
aured TO do it, gold was but little found and used.
A. the channels Of business deepened and widen
ed; as new and varied productions sprung up
trade and commerce took wider and evcr-wCell-
ing ranges, demanding larger and even larger
means to effect these new and larger exchanges,
those Observation-Disclosures increase also in equal
proportion. And all along, side by side with the rapid
march of business runs the golden stream first in
the little rils of ancient Tarssh and other portion
of the old world then in the larger streams o
Mexico and Peru, and our own Atlantic States
till the swollen trade and commerce of the wOrlI
demanded the mighty golden rivers Of iustrali;
and the Pacific States.
| And note this The price Of every thing. on th'
! great whole, depends upon the amount of tha
/ with which, answering to money, things are pur
chased ii this be scarce like all scarce things it
will be tienr. and 50 will purchase more; if plenti
ful, like all pentcous things it viii be cheap and S
will purchase less-that is, we say" the things ar'
dear" Hence the certain effect of new gold dis
coyeries is making gold more plentiful, and there
fore cheaper, to require more Of it to buy thing
| and the things themselves 0earcr SO that ever
new grain of gold put into the market permanent
| ly raises the price of things. Hence throughou
the world so far back as the history Of business
and the prices of things extend, there has beer
each year a steady increase in the price Of thing
whether labor or the countless products Of labo
! exactly propOrtionate to the gold increase. Thu
throughout the world, in countries where, as OIL
own, no such causes have existed TO produce it -
the prices of things have doubled in the last 5
years. because the worlds volume of gold has in
creased during that time in that ratio. Hence
while we earnestly desire rs speedy return as pos
sible TO golden money basis, as the only safe an
sure foundation for this or any other naton,-lc
none suppose this nation the world is ever to o
back, except from local causes now and them, t
the low prices Of other days
Many complain that so much geld is Withheld
from the channels of business by using it in worl
less arts and decorations. There never was
greater mistake if reasOna bic prices arc desirable
For if all the gold now used in those g WORTHLESS
things" put into money, the price of ever
thing would be increased 300 to 800 per cent. Sc
that every dandy with his shining rings and gold
headed canes every elegant lady gingling an
bright with this precious metal Instead of object
to be despised are real benefactors of mankind! b
keeping so mnch gold out of business and so
that extent cheapening bread.