Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-02-20


more, made a speech IN the House of
Representatives last week against the
further coinage Of silver. The re-
ports 90 to show that his rhetoric
attracted Il great deal of attention,
and, IN fact, that he made quite a
hero Of himself; moreover, that no.
body enjoyed his achievement more
than himself.
To crafty little curiosity we
have investigated the occasion Of the
"greatest effort Of his life and find
l. That, taking 1885 as d sample,
the coinage of the standard silver
doll&r for that year was $2S, ,669,712
2. That estimating the country's
population at fifty millions, the mints
last year made 81 cents of silver cur
rency in the shape Of standard dol
lars for each inhabitant.
This is too much money, according
to Mr.. flndlay, for the poor people
to be loaded down with; in fact, he
called the system of silver coinage,
as now carried on, Gigantic robbery
Of every working man and woman in
the couHtry.'
1t ought to be noticed that most
appeals made in behalf Of limited
coinage are grounded in the interests
of the poor, the wretched, miserable
capitalists not being considered at
all. It's the poor workingman, or
woman, OF widow and orphan whose
appeals are reflected against the
iniqulty Of manufacturing more
money.
Then it should be observed as
matter of absolute fact that it is not
the poor at all who are petitloning
Congress against continued silver
coinage, nor is it the poor who are
boarding gold in answer to the
fears Of the anti silver people, Why:
! In the first place no poor people ever
suffered from too much money III
circulation, and secondly, as a mass
they are never able to lay money by.
Let us go further, Up to the
close Of 1885 the coinage of standard
dollars amounted to $21S,231,7G1, u
a sum equal to S43.G4 to each inhab'
ltant. What workingman in the
land is unable or unwilling to take
care Of S43.G4 IN silver for himself
end the same sum for each member
of his family? Putting the latter
at five, how many workingmen will
object to having, say S21S Of silver,
constantly on hand for current uses
Very few, if any. Nor will they ob-
ject to any system which adds to
this proportion Of currency.
In our humble Judgment, there
fore, the lawyer or statesman who
pleads the interests Of the poor
against silver coinage has in the one
case no chentage, and in the other no
constituency IN that quarter.
--~
THE Westminster Adr0c0te urges
with great force enlarged powers
for county commissioners, 1t be-
gins with a pertinent reference to the
time devoted by our legislatures to
the consideration of local measures,
leaving the more important matters
Of general legislation to take their
chances i'll in unequal contest "Ajl
Of this" it says, ':cau be avoided by
conlermng greater powers upon the
county commissioners" who should
be charged with all county appoint
ments, the power OF removal, and to
issue bonds in extraordinary cases
to regulate hunting and fishing; to
build school houses, and larger lati-
tude allowed in taking care Of roads
The body should be made perpetual
under system which would keep q
majority Of experienced men IN the
board, and the salary should be in
creased, etc.
The suggestions are good all tht
way through, but We doubt whether
in Allcgany county, under the exist.
ing system of nominations, it wouId
be safe to make any radical changes,
How Is This ANYHOW ?-Tht
Detroit Free Press, speaking of the
Pennsylvania mining troubles, says;
Men, women and children turned
out of their homes into the snow t.