New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-08
DEBASING GRKENB4CRS.
HISTORY or CoIYAGE ACTs-How SILVER Would
DEBAsE GOLD. AND GREENDACKS sILyER-In
o,.,.. IN. co. Vf-pN s.t.N-r

HISTORY or COINAGE ACTs-HOW SILVER Would
DEBAsE GOLD. AND GREENBACKS sILyER-IH
GRE, NBACX's TURN MKT.
10 the EGttOr Of Ihe TFtbUne.
SIC: The following memoranda, taken from
tie statutes OF TIE United states Will ielhal, throw
title -at IN The silver controversy. There have been
Coat Jaws regulating the coinage Of The United states
l. The law Of A.ril . 1902. Til. law establishes the
wosht OF various coins follows; Eagles $40 pieces,
To contain -.7. grains o. pure gold 2s0 grains OF
standard eoli that i gold with ouctcnh alloy; dolaTs,
or units 20 contain 3-Ill grains OF pure silver or ils
grains Of standard -lyeI halves, quarters aud dimes
contain respect c.y outhas 0Ac-flurta, anal one,eaia
tue wei Kit of te dollar The ratio " silver 10 god isY
this law ordained 10 be fifteen TO By wei sh. o. pure
metal"
- Tie law Of January, 1887 This law makes the cage
contain 5S grams standard gold, and the dollar conial
il4ia grains Of standard silver The WEIGHT Of otbd
gold aud silver coins is made 70 vary from his s,andan
in proportion to their nominal value. It is further o.
damned that al silver coin, OF the United States shan
lcsa!tendcr according TO their nominal value Tor any
sums whatever Il VIII be seen that this Law changes he
weight of both gold and silver coias. The eagle Is re-
duccd lror 27O Ok grains, and the dollar from ilS
t. l1Ia rlius-l reduction OF 40 per cenl tie god
AMI sto per cent In the silver This change also 10
ratio Of silver 30 gold from i to to 1855, or say 10
to hy wei,ht OF pure metal THIS was an undervalnf
ton OF silver and drove IT, 70 large extent out OF cree
aticn.
3. Tie Law OF February. 1888 This law orlains thi
the halidoar shall 1872 grains STANDARD slTe5
and that quarters. dimes and hafGimes shah conial
one-lJf Oua-ii "a. and One-tcHth 81 tins amount IL
further ordiaS that all silver COINS issued IN conformity
10 the foregoing W., the halves, quarters due:
AID alf-dmc.l. shall De lcgal-tcndor iUr all sums n@
cNoccdiuy -. This law leaves the silver dollar IN
cnlu-cd AMI eS ltrndertor all sums. and ch.Iss0sy
Ire smaller COINS. Bat the dollar weighs fl22 sl'as
while two oi Tie new ia!'dOats wcish only 81 gtas''
that i~ ISL grains or per c'n less man. w iel0s
with loo silver doIars coud make -. lrSN t.e ms,
charges thout - ceutsl, by having them rccoined ay
mlfdoirs silver dollars in consequence went gai o.
use The ratio oi silver 10 gold by tins new or haee
lar standard. l. llSi9 10 by weight OF pare ne'aS
making the coins merely II" oxen coins, C. a sb%
tender for more than thclr market value. $4,000,
T. The law OF February, 1873. This law o!dans tnas
t tboy mid coins shall weigh In the samc prOporton
IL oralns that the silver Of the United states a1g
he the trtdc-ioar containing 40 grams stn1Ssu
silver. tho hal-dolar cont!nldg l2l3 staiAs' ll'-e
WY ochaIf ami onc-llt' The weight 81 the ai-loaI
THIS tw discontNucs tie coinage o. the old siNeta
lar which the law OF 1888 al driven Out OF citUtyf
amt makes an Die silver coins Of the United star, n.
tender MP 10 - only. In place oi the HN tr 'ea, l
Cd dollar Is made the standard of value, ana tls W..
I., In 80 of abandoning tie double standard Is y
ms, complete. IL dong this, the Nation vas . S1g
conforming 10 lessons OF us oWi eAlNlsHs
ami 10 tlr usagc OF other civilized nauoSii
Eu-iand took tAe same s,ep III III, mn mn w ssg,J
10 b. dclusion. The cheaper metal, OF me one vs.
VAIN" - o-5 tNcll Us ltIti Fttlt'' -
ilc ntlcrout aud makes ITSELF IN point Of fact tse ~.
standard. I'm the United Spt's, from l'y@Lo tso',I
silver drove cu; le sold; from 1897 70 1913 TIE S~'
drove O'lt the silver IL .,ouA
II SILVER were ecan TO be made standard, II NV Sss
first Of an. drive out gold, ana thr ErctodrH Diys noT
PAYABLE IN silver would get below silver rs iar ~ II "a ,
/ hf ow gold, and would then, IN consequence uiss IN,
the silver: Tor nothing Is better settled uln - ,se.
couest money Will siWays triumph over eyely o,H'"
We yould have unset he'd al values merely 20 pins
tie ertcubac.l more debaScd and dishonest thah IL
before,
81 Louis, 10, Dec. IL, 1877.