The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-25
THE INTER NORTHWESTERN

The Inter Mountain has a "plan."
1t is not at all surprising that it has
one. Ever since Mary had a little
lamb, people quite as innocent and
harmless as Mary have had their lit
tie plans. That which the Inter
Mountain now presents to its read
ers is a harmless one. 1t is not an
original one. To suppose SO would
be to suppose the first crank on sill
Yer made himself known in Butte.
Although the Inter Mountain calls
it "our plan" it is an old one;
80 old indeed that it .has become
stale and distasteful and has been
long since discarded by intelligent
men in dealing with the silver ques-
ton. Still it is a plan and the Inter
Mountain, for once dropping its radi-
cal views on the question, presents
its plan on a platter for the digestion
of the world, That our readers may
get the full benefit of it we present it
verbdtim from u contemporary:
Increase the size of the silver dol
lar until it approximates in value
with the gold dollar. A coin con-
tanning Ass grains (nine-tenths fine),
at the present price OF silver would
be worth IS cents. This would allow
of a considerable fuctuation in the
price of the metal either way, and
keep u currency from the melting
pot. A silver coin 50 much superior
to the European currency would be-
come an object of desire abroad, it
would flow outward by a natural
law, and would be a strong incentive
to other governments to revise their
currency standards. It would be set
tirg an example of what we want to
achieve"
And then anticipating the ques-
ton; why make our silver coinage SO
much more costly than that of other
countries? answer because this
country is the chief producer Of the
metal and seeks to get rid of it. There
is a reason for the "plan" as sound
as the plan itself. Cheaper our sill
yer by putting 424 grains more of the
metal in the standard dollar and
make it an object for foreign coun-
tries to buy it up and recoin it for
their USE. Let us apply the princi-
pie of the "plan" to other articles of
commerce. For instance Dakota,
Minnesota and California are great
wheat producing countries. The
grain is a drug in the leading markets
ofthe world at s. cents per bushel. The
producer has his bins full and don't
know what to do with his surplus.
He cannet afford to sell it at less than
IS cents per bushel. If it drop below
that figure he will be compelled to
close down his farm. He ponders
over the situation. Eareka! he has
found a way out of his difficulty. He
has hit upon the Inter Mountains
plan. He will put five pecks in a
Eushel and sell it for S. cents. His
wheat goes like hot cakes. 1t leaves
the country for foreign markets, and
our Minnesota, Dakota or California
wheat producer finds out in the
when he starts out to purchase
his seed that he buys his bushels back
with only four pecks in each.
The application of the "plan' may
be made to every article of commerce
in the world. Wood dull at l2S Gu
bic feet to the cord may be made
by selling $50 cuoic feet at the
same price. Coal a drug at 1900
pounds to the ton may find a ready
sale at $500 pounds to the ton.
rice, cotton and other staples
may find a ready foreign market by
20 ounces fora pound. This
''plan" of the Inter Mountain would
not work to the interest of silver pro-
.ucers. If adopted it would cheaper
the metal over 10 per cent, drive sill
out of the country, enhance the pur-
power ofgold and close down
all low grade silver ore mines in the
country, all for the benefit of the
gold bugs" in this and other coun-
tries. It will never be seriously con-
,idered by a deliberate body of men.
The "cart-whsel" dollar was dis
,ussed in Congress a year or two ago
and voted impracticable.
CONKLING ON THE PARK.