Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-11-11
THE SILVER QUESTION AGAIN,
A National Fraud Which Would ne
Regarded ms Robbery IN business
TranaNctfDuB,

transactions
Editor Gazette q Journal: As the timesap-
proaches for Congress to open 1t is well to
agitata the silver question. We should all
endeavor to comprehend the cause Of the
Bland dollar, the effect of Its existence,
and the remedy to apply to wipe out the
evil. To the vast army OF Intelligent Amer
leans who have given the subject profound
thought and have mastered the problem In
all Its phases, this article Is not addressed.
Butte those whose attention has been chiefly
absorbed In obtaining the neceSsRries OF
life let IL be known that this same Bland
silver bill has done more to undermine the
prosperity of the United States than any
other false step taken since the foundation
OF the constitution of our national COM
monwealth. Without considering at present
the effect upon the moral status of our gov
ernmental System, the actual practical re-
suits will be noted.
All nations from time immemorial have
agreed upon o basis for standard of ex-
change Of values. Gold, from its varied
and fundamental qualities, has been ac-
cepted by most civilized nations as that
basis. That must be admitted as foundA-
ton for the following argument, otherwise
nothing can be proven on this subject. Now,
II you admit that gold is the monetary
| basis, 1t will be proven here that all the
men who voted for the coinage OF a silver
| dollar that should contain less than 100
cents worth of silver, either knowingly or
unknowingly voted for fraud, and In
| such important offices.
| Every school-boy knows that whatever
l law creates loss for "Uncle Sam" creates a
| loss TO the people. The passage OF the
| Bland Silver bill cheated Uncle Sam out OF
hundreds OF millions. II groceryman
owes you debt, he may pay you with his
promissory note, with gold, or with sugar.
II his credit is good, you will take his note,
for you know he has the resources to back
| 1t. You can accept either his note, his
gold or his sugar as a fair equivalent, in
payment OF your debt. But, suppose you
agree to take sugar as medium OF ex-
| change, and Mr.. GrocerymRn, In order to
create a false value to his sugar mine, or
whatever amount he may have on hand de-
cides to add Is per cent sand to every
barrel or pound he sells, and you detect
the fraud after the article ia put upon the
market. You are then 10 per cent out on
every pound OF sugar received, and every
pound would bear upon 1t the stamp Of a
living lie.
When Uncle Sam said Americans! 40
| cept So cents worth OF silver for dollar"
he raised the value OF all the silver bullion
he had to buy 15 per cent, and flooded upon
the country millions OF silver dollars is per
| cent counterfeit. He placed himself on a
par with the storekeeper, who puts 10 per
cent sand In your sugar. Now, the right
thing for Uncle Sam to do, would be to say
81 have cheated my family On masse. / will
re-enact law, saying that Bland dollar Ia
worth but its intrinsic or merchantable
value" and then, In order to protect those
poor citizens who only hold few OF those
Bland blotches Of infamy, and who cannot
afford to lose the 10 per cent, to pass an.
other law that will call in those counterfeitS
and redeem them with good money.
N. D. There Is huetuation In the whole
the general prosperity Of nation, the same
as the value of business mans paper OF
commodities may rise and fall with the
! general prosperity of his enterprise. BuI
that is the unwritten value, and that is the
:: unwrltten law that changes the relativ,
value OF the mediums of exchange between
nations, at different periods of time.
Anon.