The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-08
SILVER.

OIL G3Os
In an article under the above cap
ton the Salt Lake Tribune, of the All
Instant, has the following: IA Den
yer newspaper recently made the
rather reckless assertion that it made
no difference to Colorado whether
silver was demonetized OF not Their
was so much demand for the metal
that the market would not be visibl!
affected. In reply to this the Mining
Record declares that should silve
cease to be coined for money by tn
nations now using it, the price woult
ut once fall as much as sixty per cent
1t further says !" the present world
wide value of gold arises absolutely
from its use as a money metal. Di
vest it of its law-given quality. anc
limit it wholly to the industrial arts
and it would depreciate greatly il
value. Silver has the law given
faculty of being legal tender money
in Europe and British and Dutch
India to the amount of fully $1,000,
100000, and in the United States
TO the amount of $3.50, OO0, 900. The
well known fact that it's commercial
value is nine per cent. per ounce less
than its legal tender value, is mainly
due to the clamors of theorists who
are necessarily intriguing for its de-
monitization." 1t is just as though
Congress should declare that no
more wheaton flour should te made
into bread, and all bread be made OF
cornmeal, and enforce the law. Does
anyone think that wheat would not
fall in price and corn raise CORE
spondingly? The chief use of gold
and silver heretofore has been as
money. Denied that, and the metal
so Disseminated against must fall in
value, and the other become inflated.
The nations might get along with the
fall in silver, but they never could
bear the natural imitation of gold
which would follow"
In this connection the fact may be
noted that the voice of the mono
metallist is already heard at WASH
ington in the shape of prepared bills
to stop the coinage of silver or limit
it to an Insignificant sum-. This
early raid against the metal indicates
that the fight against its continued
coinage will be not only a stubborn
one but a long one. Its enemies re-
gard this session of Congress as the
last opportunity they will have to
make that fight a successful one.
They are well organized and have
the influence and sympathy of the
Administration in their efforts.
These they cannot expect next win
ter. Before Congress again meet
the great national battle will have
been fought and won by the Demo-
cracy, and the silver question, among
others, settled for some time to come.
The enemies of silver are cognizant
of this fact, and hence a desperate
fight against it may be looked for
this session of Congress.
In view of this fact the friends of
the metal must be united and deter
mined. Every journal published in
silver mining State or Territory
should lend ITS hearty support to the
of silver. Those papers
that have been and are still playing
into the hands of mono.metallists
be brought to a realizing
sense of their obligations to the COM
munity in which they r published,
BY a withdrawal of patronage. This
silver question is becoming one for
the serious consideration of the peo-
pie Of the West They cannot afford
10 ignore it. The prosperity if not the
very life, of every mining section in
Montana depends upon the favorable
solution ofthe question this winter. If
he coinage of silver be discontinued
over $1,000 600 more of the metal will
be thrown upon the markets of the
world each month. A blind man
could see what the result would be.
Such a depreciation in the price of
he metal would follow as would
'lose down every silver producing
nine IN Montana. The picture is
lot a pleasant one to contemplate.