Mower County transcript., 1889-10-23
From a dreenbaoker Again.
# Norwich, Conn. Dot, "A, 1889.
Editors of the TR ANSCRlPT,

Norwich, Conn. Dot, "A, 1889.
Editors Of the TR ANsCR ssss % @5S 5
"A short time ago had clipping from
your paper sent to me, and in your issue
Of Sept. IS, Imade a partial reply. In
you issue OF Oct. 2, find a reply to mine
to which ] wish TO call the attention OF
your readers As your correspondent
does not sign his name, only makes his
mark -" will in the absence OF any
thing better call him Mr. Star. think
Mr.. Star did not understand me when |
said he must be densely ignorant Of
political economy or intends to deceive
| in my previous letter. Il do not believe
he intendsto deceive. but in his reply to
me proves that he is very ignorant Of the
question. Letsus keep truth on our side,
and not forget we have said thing, and
then deny saying it. In my letter said
''the second mistake made is, he speaks
of Standard of Value. z In his reply
Oct 2, he says; SIN neither Of my; arti
cles have spoken of a standard value"
From the clipping sent me which think
was, from your issue of Sept. 4, lind
this; "a furthur evil effect would be
the disturbance of the standard of values
A fluctuatlng standard always works to
the advantage of men OF wealth and the
speculator. and to the disadvantage of
vestments." Not only did he speak of a
"standard of value but speaks OF it twice
in one article. s-.~s. S..*a'-s@->- &sss<<.
He evidently believes that paper money
is good enough in time Of war, but not in
time of peace Is this good common
sense? The government could: not get
gold to carry on the war, then why
should 1t depend upon it IN time OF peace.
insist on an answer to my questions in
my letter of Sept. rs, viz: IF the gov
ernment cannot issue money, who can?
If the government can issue money, why
issue bondsY No eyasions, or equivoca
tions, Mr.. Star, insist that You tell the
readers whether a government able to
issue a money in time OF war, TO save
itself from dissolution, is not able to do
the same in time of peace to maintain
itself. Do I misunderstood you, when [
assert that you believe that nothing can
be money except gold and silver? BY
your use of the word interchan geabilitY
| should Judge you are what is termed a
"hard money man." I am inclined to
believe you are what is termed a single
standard man" am furthur inclined to
say you cannot tell the reason why you
are. In regard to the Trade Dollar you
say: The government was not bound
to maintain such interchangeabllity tol
the trade dollar coined with more silver
for export to China and did not, hence
it's depreciation. Let me show the alb
surdity Of your position and statement.
AS YOU belive in intrinsic value in money,
in order to be Constitutional, and as gold
and silver are the only two metals men
toned IN the constitution, that article
makes no distinction between the two
metals, then it must follow, that the
more metal you put into a dollar tht
more value that dollar must be. This is
!. common sense. Now according to YOU
] own words, let us judge the future by tht
past. What were the facts. You assert tht
Trade Dollar was coined for export tt
: China, and propose to prove that yor
s have made false assertion. (not inten
e tionallY perhaps) but it is false neverthe
less. Had the Trade Dollar been coin.
for export. the law creating it woult
have mentioned it. On Feb. 12, 1877;
Congress passed law on coinage o
p which the following is an extract. Nov
you want to carefully read and under
+ stand the meaning of the language used
l., '"The silver coin of the United State
t shall be Trade Dollar, half dollar
= quarter of dollar and a dime. The
" weight of the Trade Dollar shall be Az
+ grains Troy weight. the weight of tn
half dollar shall be twelve grammes ant
r half gramme, and the weight OF th'
quarter Of a dollar and the dime shall b.
respectively one half and one fifth th'
8 weight of the half dollar. and said coin
shall be legal tender at their nomina
). value in sums of five dollars inlone pay
. ment." In another section of the SAM
law it says, mo coins, either of gold
It silver or minor coinage, shall hereafte
8 be issued from the mint, other'th thos
i. of the denominations. standards. ant
. weights herein set forth" You will Oh
s serve how the law reads. ''The silve
J. coins of the United States &c. 1t doe
- not say silver coins for export t.
China" Another thing you will observe
, the Trade Dollar is classed with the half
q quarter and dime. Another noticeable
f feature the Trade Dollar is to be weigh
q ed bv Troy weight and contain 42O grains
- The half, quarter and dime are to b.
f WHY this distinction? Twenty-Five gram
4: mes is equal to, practically, 1856 grains
. Why would it not haye been just as vel
= to have said that the half dollar shall
: contain 1891 grains? Was there q me
+ thod in doing as they did9 There Ger
4 tainly was and the object aimed at was
: to fool the people. From the time tn,
Trade Dollar was coined until July 13
e 1875 it always passed at its face value O.
d more. But at that time CONGRESS- passed
another law like this; ''Henceforth thu
Trade Dollar shall not be legal tender
for any amount" From this time OF
a until it was retired by Congress, it fhc
o tuated according as the money mon
Z gers" fixed the price Of it, until they got
it all or nearly all into their own hands
0 at not more than 90 cents on the dolla
on an. average, and then the government
4 coliod e II ond Maid them 100 cents f0