The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-03-28
AN AMERICAN SYSTEM.
1--WE are Old Enough and Strong to Walk
Alone.

brated report on the establishment OF
mint for the United States, May
5th, 179l, takes occasion to say that
s'the immense disorder which actual
ly reigns'' in the values of foreign
coins in their purity. in their variable
qualities. call loudly for reform.
From the endless confusion, uncer-
tainty, and variable character OF these
foreign coins as representatives OF
value, he was led the conclusion that
mo nation ought to suffer the value
of the property of its citizens to t1uc-
tuate with the fluctuations of foreign
mint, and to change with the changes
in the regulations Of foreign sover-
eign."
This fact led him to conclude that
the United States should establish a
mint of her own; that she should fix
the value of her coins with reference
to existing values; but at the same
time with an independent and posi-
tive rule of It's own. In other words,
he deemed it essential to our prosper
ity that we should have a coinage of
our own which should dominate and
prevail over all others. That other
coins, if they differed from ours in
values, that is, in weight, fineneSS OF
hnetal, ETC., should be treated as arti
cles of merchandise. If we were old
enough and strong enough in l79l to
require this metallic-moneyed indie
pendence. how much more fOrcible
is the reason for such q coinage to-day.
when our trade extends from KamtS-
chatka and Greenland on the north to
Victoria Land and the Shetland IS
lands, and from ocean to ocean, east
and west, embracing all peoples and
all commences When the remOteSt
boundaries of China-the Himalaya
regions of India-the whole domain
bordering on the Mediterranean, in
deed the whole commercial world are
becoming tributary to our trade; and
especially how essential is it that our
coinage shall have a character specific
and national, such as the Eastern
World shall recognize, accept and
adopt. Our trade with China, Japan
and the Indies is to be the most i'm
portant and extentive of that of any
other nation, while Russia is daily
demonstrating her desire to extend
her trade to us in preference to any
other government. In eigth-tenths
of the commercial world silver is the
ruling coin, and the measure of val
ues; and our trade dollar has acquired
a standard value so as to make 1T re-
ceivable in the great markets to which
our commerce extends.
The necessity, therefore, of L coin
age of our own-detinite in value. by
unvarying uniformity of weight and
fineness-as medium of exchange
with all nationaities, is u practical
necessity. If we trade with the east,
why should we not recognize the coin
of the east, and, by conforming our
coin to Il standard ii recognizes and
uses, thus promote the convenience
of exchanges! England. our compe-
titor land. until the last quarter of a
century. the ruler Of the seas and of
the commerce of nationS). assumed its
power to control and regulate the val
ueS OF the precious metals. and She
is doing her utmost to maintain this
superiority. She inside gold the stand
ard and arbter; but since that time
the relative position Of our power has
changed. Then we were, to Il large
extent, dependent upon her merchants
and manufacturers for the supply of
an infinite variety of commodities
which to-day we can furnish to the
markets of the world, indeed to her
own people, cheaper and better than
she can furnish them. The result is
that we are now supplying China,
Japan, the Mediterranean. and the
northern nations with innumerable
articles which England had formerly
supplied. One need but look ut the
range and extent of our experts to see
how we are rapidly crowiing the
English fIom her old markets and Gus
toners. The more we can assimilate
our coin to the values and to the coin
of the commercial world. the more in
innate will become our commercial
with its trade. Our silver
is received as of recognized and fixed
value us coin. Why. then. should we
not use it! Why discard it To-day
we are its largest producers. and we
can rs easily bring the world To trade
in our silver coin. rs the admitted
money OF commerce. - We c5ui ~ITrit
positive qualities of iiAeness lni ann
formity England. because Ne pro-
duce it. would depreeiate il. has We
are no longer either the dependents
for money. trade. or productions upua
her, and she cannot dietote to ms eija-
or our coins or their value. We are
Did enough and strong enough to stand
alone. Our creeping days have pass
I'D. 1t is true. land pity tbs It's
rue. we owe England, but we can
ray England all we owe her. and just
Is we agreed to pay her. But because
We owe England all Wall street would
make us her dependents. her subordi-
late slaves. Yes. Wall street would
orce us to become the dupes to her
gold.
She to-day is forcing all the influence
he power of money can command and
II the intellect it can purchase to
orce congress TO declare the United
'tates still under the tutelage of Eng.
Ish capital. She would Say-eoin no
liver. and why say it, Simply to
ripple our means To pay our debts.
he ampliiies lies. creates hughears.
hat exist but as the selfish frauds of
apital. and magniiies our obligations
ito forms we never assumed, and in