The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-01-05
THE SILVER QUESTION.

! ten by the Hon. Ii. L. Blahu, the author Oh Inc
silver bill that recently passed the house, ap.
pears in the New York independent of Dec, 20,
occupying Il page of that journal. We copy
a few trcnchcnt paragraphs:
There are mono-me,alic gold nations, and
mono.mctallic silver nations. Some prefer
gold, for pretended reasons; others prefer sill
Yer. for similar reasons But Il few years ago
Germany preferred silver; now she prefers
cold. Who can tell why? All this is the
work of sclfshness or prejudice. But there
are bimctallic nations also. There can be no
prejudice or sctishncss in bi.metalsm One
nation use. gold only rs lrgal-tcnder another
silver only as lcgaltcnder; Gu' Toe Ihir,i uses
both gold and silver as lcgal-,.-,.sr money.
The latter nation stands as mutual friend and
arbtcr between the former two, and gives quiet
to contcnding factions on the metallic money
question England is mOno-metallic gold, In
dia monometalic silver France bi.metaliC
rold ami silver France regulated and pro
yidcd par of exchange between England and
India. France for more than three quarters
of IA century commanded the monetary peace
of Europe on the gold and silver question by
coming without limit both metals at the rea- |
ton of l5il of silver to one of gold. 1t was
not the cost of production, it was not supply |
and demand, that kept gold and silver at a par
ity in Europe. 1t was the French b-metallic
law. Silver was merchandise in London, gold
was merchandise in Berlin and Calcutta; but
both gold and silver were money in Paris and
New York. Paris furnished the exchange be.
tween the silver of Germany and India and the
gold of London At an evil hour the German
law of December 4th 1871, was promulgated
against silver Worse still, in 1873, the Unit
ed States struck wicked and unfriendly blow
al at hn A p,nrroD silynr la otn |
all this, and was worth more than the gold
dollar until 1874. When France Get tn Brute
stabbed silver in the house of its friends it
showed symptoms Of decline. Why was all
this unhOly war waged against the better half
of the money of the worldy Silver had not de.
cined. There was no over production of sill
yer, as compared with gold, since 1872 till now
The production of gold has been usually near.
" onethird greater than the production of sill
YER Since that time there has been extracted
rom the mines about one hundred millions of
dollars more gold than silver Then why this
German law? Was it the desire thus to reform
he German coins, so as to stamp the insignia
If the empire upon the franc and wipe from
he gaze of French provinces all emblems of I
French power and memories. Did France /
lose her minis upon German silver, to coun- c
eract this movement of Germany and com t
vel Germany to lose heavily in the exchange
# her silver for French gold? All this may
Ne answered the one way or the other; but one
hing is certain, this monetary war has proved
more disastrous to Germany than did the Fran.
o.Prussian War Germany is PROSTATE in
BUSINESS affairs. Her people are not satisfied
Nth tins monetary revolution.
Because Germany has sneezed and France
,igncd bad cold, shall we die of neuralgia:
'ondholders, foreign and domestic, in fact the !
wners of fixed incomes and securities in Eu- e
ope and America, saw in the German law off =
december 4th, II, an opportunity. Silver the
DOR mans friend, must everywhere be de
lonetized. If this half of the metallic money
f the world could be stricken down, their in. ID
ONES would be paid in gold alone--in gold
astly increased in purchasing power, now that
liver could no longer compete with gold. One
alf the taxpayers money must be wrenched
'om him by legallzed robbery. Imperial Ger. y
iany struck the first blow. The law demone. I
zing silver was not demanded by our people \
indeed, it was stolen through Congress by a.
ct of conspIrators. These conspirators are II
,-day moving heaven and earth against its
epeal. A subsidized press foams with rage.
indholders come to lobby against the repeal,
hey intest committee rooms; they take Cabi-
ct officers captive to the white House."
nd try to bulldoze the President into veto. NJ
anu ulNllltS llt ptIdltu vi
4 the pulpit, to illuminate anathemas against A
silver imitation" The people are incntly (,
'atching all these manGuvers Ere long their q
ommand will come ito step down and out" in
he air is redolent with the oxygen of revenge +,
, those who proclaim gold for the rich and m
read and water for the taxpayers. "Whom a.
ne gods would destroy, they first make mad"
.et these heartless Shylocks, their agents, al
es, and soulless soul-Savers beware. Our
normous debts, national, state, and munich
al, constituting six billions of dollars, are by
NV payable in bi-metallic money. When the
ylstiug debts of the nations of the world were
the world was practically bi-metal-
&c. Silver has been money from the earliest -,
avs. To demonetize it now, and require the =
ebts Of the world to be paid IN gold, would
C the greatest crime against mankind since r.
he fall OF Adam. 1t will not be done without II
revolution that will crumblc empires, reduce
alatial cities to smouldcring ruins and drench NJ
he world in human blood. The American ii
eople, IN the future rs in the past, will stand a.
Or the right, and fight here upon our own soil W
his battle for the oppressed everywhere. The o.
rcater part of our national debt is by law pay. st
BILE in lawful money, or greenbacks. There pi
vas no consideration for the passage of the a
Yet of 1869 pedging payment in gold and sill y,
er coin. This Act did not appreciate the di
onds in the hands of the Government, for the V
government had long prior thereto sold them
nd received for them paper money worth from in
. TO 80 cents to the dollar IN gold and silver 4
DIN. The effect Of the Act was, for no Consid y,
ration whatever, to transfer from the pockets
f the taxpayer TO the banks of the bondhold- m m
rs about six hundred millions of dollars. But
low TO pay these bonds in silver money, the Ia
money specially named in the Act of 1869, is II
allied dishonest The bondholdcr desires to n
ilch another six hundred million, by demand.
ne payment in gold Ii gold should be pro y
uced in excess of his fancicS the next Sion IN