Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1885-11-13
NUMBER 81
The Silver Question.

1 COtu1BC uA SlttT. c1OSG EARNEST 80C
I persistent efforts will be made tt
have the coinage partially or wholly
suspended. This effort will be made
by and in the interests of bankers
and other capitalists. It is to their
Ipecuniary interest it be done. But
what, in this respect, is to their In
terest, will be detrimental to the III
Iterest of alf other classes, and spec
tally to the farmer, and of every
man who has the fortune or misfor-
tune to be IN debt.
How it will affect the farmer in one
way, and In q very serious way, may
be easily shown.
The American farmer is soon to be
brought in direct and strong eompe-
tition with the wheat of India. With
in the last five years 1000, 900 acres
have been added to the wheat grow
ing area of India. In 1878 the ex-
port of wheat from that country was
4, 150, 900 bushels. In 1884-5 1T was
80, ,0OO, 900. Stop the silver coinage
and the price Of silver falls. as all
admit, and with it will fall the rupee
of India in sterling exchange. The
normal price of the rupee is equal to
40 cents, but tbs average per rupee
produced by the government bills,
drawn in London on India, for four
months ending August Is, was but
about S8 cents, indicating discount
Of Is per cent, which is just Is per
cent premium on the export Of In
dian wheat, and that much against
the American. Now let the oppo-
nents of silver coinage drive the
price Of silver still lower, and this
premium may be, and likely will be,
increased to 80 per cent, and where,
then, would be the American wheat?
In India this increase of wheat has
been effected without the slightest
interference with the quantity of
other crops; and such increase will
continue as railroads multiply and
facilities for transportation increase.
The permanent injury done to
American agriculture by the pro-
cesses of resumption" so-called,
are incalcuable. To avoid ruin and
starvation immense bodies of
our people were driven
west of the Mississippi river,
largely to engage in agriculture,
with the result that
while in 1860 the population Of the
United States was 81, ,443 321 and the
wheat production 173, 104 1924 bush
els, or 5.5 bushels per capita, In 1880
the population was $4,000, 900 and
the wheat production 498. 549, 1868
bushels, or 9.97 per capita. Wheat
can be produced in Pennsylvania for
about $1.25 per bushel; whereas it
cold in Minnesota this spring as low
as fortysefve cents q bushel. The
average price of the wheat exported
puring the fiscal year ending June
80, 1885, was Sc cents per bushel.
Having driven the farmer into such
q position by their legislation and
made him dependent upon a foreign
market for $4,000, 900 bushels of
wheat at or below cost, let the gold
standard men beware that they do
not finally deprive him wholly Of
this foreign market by Indian COM
petition.
Great losses will also occur to the
debtor class of society if the oppo-
nents Of silver should succeed. |
They will, of course, pay only the
same number OF dollars, but they |
will find the dollars much harder to
come al, and thousands Of dollars |
worth Of property will go into the
hands of creditors, at less, perhaps,
than its real value, while debtors |
will suffer severely.
It has been asserted again and |
again by superficial thinkers, or per-
sons, perhaps ignorant Of the facts |
IN the case, that the silver dollar is q
debased, a dishonest, a clipped,
lightweight coin. The reply to
which Is: The facts will show that |
the amount of pure silver in our dol
lar of to-day, is exactly the same it
has been from the first coinage in
1894, and the difference between the
value Of a gold and silver dollar
was made by an act of congress.
which, in it's operations, gave fore
ed value to gold. The legislation of
1888 On that subject was, 10 say
the least, very unfortunate. The
scheme now urged by capitalists,
money dealers and banks, will, If
carried out, ultimate In that curse of
all healthful legislation-the .tmak-
ing of the rich richer, and the poor
poorer" Let the people note this
and take warning in time.
We may be told by miIlionaires
and others that we common people, /
Who see but little money, and handle
less, do not and cannot understand
his subject. Its true we common
people handle but little money, |,
,carce enough at times to keep body
md soul together, but then we knor
when We are wronged, when We are
and sometimes we know