The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-01-23
THE SILVER QUESTION.

For the past two weeks both houses Of
congress devoted considerable time 10 tie
discussion of the silver question, the coca.
sion being the recommendation OF the
President that the coinage Of silver be tenn.
porarily suspended. 1t is not party ques,
ton. Some of the strongest advocates Of
continued coinage and opponents of the
policy Of the administration being found
among the democratic senators and repre-
sentatives, while some OF the Presidents
strongest supporters are republicans. II
seems rather to he aquestion upon which the
opinion of each senator and member of con.
gress Is regulated more by elfinterest than
| by consideration of the welfare Of the whole
people. The most radical silver men are
those who are interested in or who repre-
sent those Interested in silver mines, and
they favor not only the continued coinage
of silver but free coinage, and manlfestly
for the reason that free coinage would en-
aole the owners OF silver 10 sell IL to the
public at the rate Of one dollar for seventy
five or eighty cents worth. Others favor
continued silver coinage in obedience to
the supposed sentiment of their respective
constituencies. On other hand, those most
pronounced in favor of suspension of silver
coinage are said to be those interested in or
representing those Interested in banks and
other monied institutions, who are sup
posed 10 desire an exclusively gold coinage
upon the suppositon that the purchasing
power of their money would be greatly in
creased thereby. Others, no doubt, who
have no personal interest, and whose con
stituen's have no apparently strong senti
ment upon the question, are moved by con
siderations OF supposed benefit to the par
ticular political party to which they may
belong. This is only in accordance with
what some ungracious persons insinuate is
the general rule, that the motives which
actuate most members Of congress are first,
self.interest; second, party Interest, and
third and least of ALL the public interests,
To discuss fully the merits Of this ques.
ton would require more time and space
than we can devote 10 1t AT the present time.
There are, however, few suggestions
which may be made with reference TO the
situation, which may be made briefly, and
which require no great amount Of discus
sion. Ii il u well known fact that since the
commencement of the coinage of silver,
under the present law, the value OF that
commodity has steadily deprecated until
the buzzard dollar is now worth less than
eighty cents in gold, so that we now have
two COins--Dne of which, the gold, is re-
ceived in MI countries at its face value, and
the other of which, while received at home
at its face value, can be used in other
countries only ut discount of twenty pei
,nt.; and should silver continue TO de
crease In value as the indications now are
be receivable ia forei Sn Countries at II dis
count of thirty per cent That this Is not u
healthy state of affairs, is apparent 10 ANY
one familiar with the plaincst and mos
elementary princip plies of political &c nunly
II Is but little better than our condition II
few Years ago, before the resumption OF
specie payments when greenbacks were
worth but seventy or seventy-tiVe cents ou
the dollar. Ii is, therefore, "A condition ui
things which Ought 10 he remedied either
by suspension ui the present coinage act
the increase oil the amount of silver in the
dollar, or In some other manner that will
accomplish the desired result What the
remedy should be is II question of some