New-York tribune., 1877-11-09
TIE SILVER QUESTION.
VIEWS OF FRANCIS o. FRENCH AND DIR. LINDEH

MAN.
Francis O. French, who was expected to
read paper Oh the Silver Question before the New
York Free Trade Club, last evening obliged to be
absent He sent the following letter:
As the best familiar statement Of the Silver question
send with this DI LndcTman's treatise, that you may
read ClIb chapter y, page 100 This treats the
question Judcialy ana SclellhcalLy' but the suQecl
has also got iut0 Congress this Week III shape which
because to make silver an unlimited tender, with free
coinage for the owners Of bullion Is tie most impudent
of recent attempts 10 iegse Tor class at tie expense OF
TIE whole I"Is IoI I"l co'i ana c0ltvI ~ tasl pro
pose encourage production THIS silver bill proposes
. direct bounty 10 thc owner OF silver at the eX-
peuse Of every ~ the community, "a tax upon
ihe wages Oi the labOIer aud the products OF the
farmer and manufactured Ii makes silver dollar good
10 every man u the United States FOR 100 cents which,
outside of imit passes only at discount Of from
German Chancellor or tie variations of the uaie with
IuIIa. Thi, Is no eNaggeralon. In January,
cents, aud IN Juy ioloNlns '''o cents lut
plan thus perprtudtts the premium III gold-Ohe OF
iic barriers 10 commerce between us and foreign
nations IL IL dishonest, becaus' IL promises IN one
breath relief o. debtors by giving cheaper money and
thus attracts 20 its ,ru the whole ragmOney Faisain
train of rcpudatOrs and currency tnkcrs WhIe IN the
next breath 10 promises 10y increased employment Of s
ID threatens our HIllohal citl ul pdI' IcpuudtIoH
of the promises have distinctly made-n0t like Iur
waut1uuess VI dishonesty III the must OI abundance
Finally it is dishonest, because nyidous and specious
The following the principal points Of the part Of
Dr. Lindcrman's treatise, which was read;
Money. which 10 serve As the measure OF CON
tracts and medium for enccung the exchange OF all
kinds Of property must consist OF some tangible ana
comparatively mpcri-Eabe substance, acceptable TO-,
AMI recognized money by the various nations OF the
world Gold ana silver have Deen found by the e1pe-
rieuce O ages to answer these requirements better than
anyth.ng else.
D. owing 10 the vast amount Of gold and silver which
has accumulated the world, Increased or diminished
product u either both OF these metals from the mines
for even a period time, does not idluaily ancct
90 auy pcrcepube degree their value relatively to other
things.
g. The exchange or purchasing power OF the precious
ueta- que iu great degree 10 Their long and almost
universal employment as money.
4 Their relative value II more widely ana quickly al
feced by the Increased diminished use Of either as
money than from al other cau.es. This has Been stTik
iuYly eKemphcd 10 times by the change from
the silver 10 tie gold standard by the German Empire
D. These metals subject " changes Ia their relative
value when render IL dicul II not Impossible u re-
tain for considerable period VI time, IN any country
the concurrent VI egaender CONS Of both metals III
a u Ned ratio.
q n double standard be adopted by country, one
or the Otucr Of the metals Will general rule, be used
a. the prime pal money of payment u The exclusion OF
the other. The cheapest money Will generally be selected
for uatmtu IA other wOrd that metal which for the
time being II the cheaper will be taken % the mint for coin
agr Ne the other viii be exported These conditions
M 10 both metals inay change IN greater less periods
M time Tie double staudald may therefore be properly
termed an alternate standard
z HE greater the number. population aud wealth Of
tie counties adopting double standard Oh the same