Tombstone epitaph., 1890-02-22
The Silver Question.

from a private letter addressed to the editor of the Fl Paso Bullion, and we commend the following statements to the careful consideration of mining men in the southwest:
 "You know the interest I take in the silver question and that my inter est is principally public, my direct pc cuniary interest being too slight to materially influence either my projects or my views.
 You also know of my pet theory in regard to the best and surest method of restoring silver to it's place as a measure of values by the side of gold, i. e., by the adoption of an "Interna- tional dollar" legal tender in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America.
 The aim and object of my scheme would be simply to create sjIyer trust composed of ,and sustained by the great silver producing countries If the world. When one considers the enor- nous power, influence and stability manifested by private trusts in the face of public prejudice against them and legislative attacks, they cannot fail to appreciate the strength-invin- cible strength it would seem to me- of such a combination of interests common to the whole people of this county, excepting, perhaps, the cred itor class.
 My objection to free coinage, per SC, is that by its adoption we would un- dertake to accomplish alone and un- aided what can be better accomplished by the aid and with the united support of other equally interested nations and with, at the same time, the benefit of immense extensions of our trade rela- tions with our colleagues.
 To somewhat briefly recapitulate my plan, as I have before stated it to you, I would suggest:
 1st. The adoption by treaty with the American republics of free legal tender international dollar, receivable at par in all of the countries forming the union.
 2d. I would favor, for standard, coin containing APO grains, 900 fine, or practically the Mexican standard, which would be approximately at par with gold when silver is worth $125 per ounce.
 Sd. The coinage of this dollar should be regulated by a monetary congress of the countries forming the the union, composed say of the Secre- tary of .the Treasury, Director of the Mint and such other delegates as the Congress of each nation might select, numbering five in all for each govern ment.
 4th. It should be the duty Of this monetary congress to meet once each year and, after taking into account the estimated amount of silver re- quired for use in the arts, the local and subsidiary coins of the several American nations and the estimated amount required for export, apportion the remainder for coinage by each government according to the silver production of that country for the preceding year.
 9th. All silver produced in each country respectively should be re- quired to pass through government mint or assay office, where it should receive the government stamps Of weight, value and tineness, and at the same time the government should as sess tax of Il cents for each ounce of fine silver contained.
 This provision is similar to the Mexican Mint tax, but in this country should be applied in the same manner as an internal revenue tax, just as the same is applied on tobacco, spirits, etc.
 9th. All silver for coinage should be purchased by the government on the base of $1.293 per oz less the tax, Gf not already paidD and , cent addi- tional Coinage Discount" making a total deduction of five (5) cents per ounce for the government.
 I believe that the adoption of such an international coin under the above conditions would accomplish the fol- lowing good results:
 The purchasing power of silver would immediately rise in the coun- tres forming the Monetary Union and enable the people of those countries to exchange commodities between themselves and one another on much more favorable terms to the purchaser than the same commodities could be obtained from countries outside of the silver ITniOn and as the credit of the