The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-01-19
TILE FREE CoINAGk QUESTION.

ComprehondVe Explanation Of tho Two
sldsa of It-what Free Coinage Means.
speetal DIspatch to ths InteIligatetr.
WASHINGTON, D. G., Jan. IS 1T would
be very difficult for the average reader
to comprehend the basis of argument of
the two sides OF the free coinage question
as 1t has beor argued before the Senate
for two weeks, from the press dispatches
which have been sent out rom day to
day, however faithful and comprehen-
siye they have been. In order to under
stand the issue Gs It stands men in both
political parties should get tAe context
Of the position each party occupies. u
can be stated from both standpoints in a
few words.
Briefly, the free and unlimited coinsge
advocated contend that the United
skates Government eau and should pre-
scTihe a standard of value for allVer
bullion the came as 1t does ior gold that
40 much silver will be worth dollar II
Che Government only gives lis stamp TO
that eject, and that the more silver
there Is coined or bullion bought the
greater will be the circulating medium,
provided the Government issues CeEtiA.
Gates representing the latter, places them
In the surplus fund and makes appropr!-
ations for the distribution OF the coin
or certificates, They bold further that
this Government Is so powertr. that 1t
can force sssndArd OF value for silver,
and that the monetary powers OF Europe
will follow the standard We Tx. They
hold that there could bD no reAdttcn
from unlimited coinage, as IT demptlon
day would never come vbeg our stana-
ard would beGome international. As
Senator Sanders, Of Aontans, recently
put It to your correspondent Fhete
must be a free market Tor tho raw
material from which we manufacture
money" ,,.,..,
coinage take their stand upon the ex.
nTession quoted. l. is just what they
oupose. and nothing else. An antt:lree-
coinage advos0.a il not always aud sell
dom q an enemy Of silver, There are
few monometalists or single gold stSnd-
ara men in Congress. You could name
them on your fingers and thumbs. But
the anti.iree. coinage men say that un-
limited coinage is another Wsy Of at
lacking oar protective system ot taxing
inports-th6t il is more vicious Il
would be fer better 10 admit free 81 duty
ali sorto OF raw material for manufacture,
because the goods manufactured Il not
sold or consumed here wonld be eE'
norted, and only our industrial interests
would Ee affected. To admit free silver
hnlIion and eotu II free and give 1t the
Governments imprint, making 50 centa
worth OF foreign bullion worth : ~
gold would be to hit our financial ta1rle
4 death blog. Since We give the bullion
| a certain yalue-lE the line oil demarka-
tion between 1t and gold, or name the
degree at which pSFity is reaGhed--We
muse maintain that standard perIorGe OF
our credit or redeem all the coin ot our
make al the yalue we fix. This 10 the
objection OF the ti.free.c coinage men.
Il Is held an easy matter by the oppo-
nents OF free coinage 70 make q certain
number Of grains of silver bullion in a
coin which shall be worth . dollar in
eold. but when the coinage has reached
4 very high point OF quantity, public
credit becomes Bhaky and there is rush
ior a change OF silver into gold or legal
tauders, we could not prevent the depEe.
ciation Of the value Of silver and its GER
tificates, The credit of the Federal Gov.
eminent Is like that Of bank or indi.
yiduGl. Certain OF It's secuhhes, not
well based, vary In value, and II is dltii'
cult 10 pull them up when once they are
at discount.