The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-03
SILVER COINAGE.


Iater~ssias Discmsstea ~ ehc nuidees ~
NJ. t.yMAs q. 3oarrta.
To T'ms ~ixuxrsxpwsT. There 10 nothing
that aGecss ths welfare and common wealth
Of klontana ~ tho privilege uf ooinina her
precious metals into thu money al cur
country. Not only docs 10 A6cct Montana,
but every citizen 10 thu producing clsases
vt tho United Stascs. We produced Ia
Montana bet wsen Jp,Una. 40 and lO.OnD, OO
ounces of silver ia the past rear. For each
ounce tho prodursr haa received from voc.
IA ei.1 reF ouuc,. iess commission "a
bankers for handling u. dur secretary Of
the umitcd ssAtest reanury nov buys uiiver nj
~ market vnine. Tho umited states stand.
ard lricc per ouncc. <s0 grains. Ii 81. ~. There
are are 37ta ounces u.0D tlue) Of pure
silver IN csae dollar; Al2is grsins Of stand
ard. which IL pure silver with alloy Of one
tenth copper. This IL 10 harden tho pure
metal ~ u will stand wear n tear. This
IN the case In France and tho Cnited States
with other countries that have adopted this
standard Of coinage OF silver. England
charges 10 per cont seignorage, tho same M
tho United states, which comprchends tho
charge and cost Of coinage. In 4 pound
Troy England takes out eighteen penny
weights Of pure silver and puts back eighteen
pcnnyweights Of copper aud makes t6
shiliings out Of 222 pennyweights Of pure
silver, 100 fine, which equals about $40 Of
United States money. and she buvs this
amount Ut silver in Wall street at 81 cents
per ounce, or $1O.7 10 2-10. Coming of
money IL u privilege Of government and a
foreign asistocracy is, it seems. making this
called because that country Is fortunate
enough to possess the silver mines. n I'M
fortunate in having q government that will
not coin its silver. ! do not see what is to
prevent the crown Of Great Britain from
buying all the silver that is offered through
her fiscal agents in Wall street and coin
ing it up and turning it into American
money through bills Of exchange and make |
a profit when she buys for less than the
United States standard mir value, $1.G
per ounce. There must be money made by
someone out of this state Of affairs. 1t is
strange that i'll a democratic or republican
form of government the people tolerate this
injustice. This same silver is paid to Eng
lish workmen in England, and the product
of their labor shipped to the United States
and American abor. This silver is pro-
duced by the sweato Of the brow of the Amer
lean miner to enrich the aristocracy Of
Great Britain, the financial blood-suckers
Of the world, assisted by our public servants
either wantonly or through unstatesman-
like acts in not coming up our silver the
same as gold, barring the difference in seig-
norage and taking it from the market Of
banks in Wall street.
Let the government buy all our silver
from the producer or miner and coin it for
the future generations and keep up the full
value in our country, for as soon as our
silver mines are exhausted We will need it
all and It is only a question Of time when
they will be. Give to the miner his just
Of S15.4S per pound Troy, instead of
611 IA at OF canfa nor nnnco M vi M
tional assembly, composed of our great
statesmen, would rather see the aristocracy
of Great Bfitain form syndicates and come
over to the United States and buy up its
money making industries by the profit it
makes IN the surplus silver produced from
our mining resources. President Harrison
has said in his speeches that we bow to no
king in the United States, but I do not be-
lieve that a king would allow his subjects
to be imposed on in such a manner as the
not being allowed a privilege to coin silver
money, and in allowing a foreign govern
ment to become the beneficiary of it.
England has tried to break up this govern
ment more than once and now she is in a
way to do SO by having this privilege of
value before the United States stamp is
placed On it to mak it money The
profit she makes in placing her stamp on
this commodity is worth more than all the
blLVel mlueS 10 GQ6 OWueIS III OulL6Q SLateS |
of America. Ef
The state assembly Of Montana should
take some notice of this great injustice
and do its duty to its constituents and re-
mind the national assembly of what it
wanted for the good of the state. Great
but since 1928 by a process discovered in
that time she has obtained by separating
silver from her lead ores a considerable
amount. The highest yield was in 1868,
which was 841,325 ounces. In 1876 it had.
owing to the decline in the produce of Brit
ish lead, fallen to 4S1 1928 ounces, and as her
lead mines become exhausted so does her
output of silver decline in the same ratio.
Silver up to the time of George III. was con-
current with gold, a legal tender to any
amount, but since then has ceased to be so.
Great Britain can afford to pay five shillings
per ounce for her silver and have a small
profit left in coming it to make good wear
and tear of coin by use. The profits of
coinage are paid over to the credit of the
consolidated fund of the bank of England.
ain. 1t is paid by allowing annuities
a the '0f fundssd sf d ees'' R The an debe on ita
self is never paid but the holders OF
the British consol have a share in the
interest of that debt according to their
holdings. The funded debt of Great
Britain in 1875 was eta, 1917, 715 and about
e40,O 600 of this is held by the poorer
classes invested forthem by friendly So
cieties and savings banks. The large share
is held by the peers of Great Britain.
Thus it is that the freemen of the United
States government are paying the English
debt by the assistance of their statesmen
in their national assembly, for it is an e1-
elusive privilege of government to coin
money. It is Il wonder that the spirit of
our forefathers, who fought and
gave up their lives OH the field
of battle, and endured the hardships at
Valley Forge, do not cry out for vengeance
at this treachery or financial j~ugglery in
our national government. 1t is a strange
state of affairs to witness. God has placed
by his bounteous gift this wealth of pre-
cious metals in the United States. The law
of the nation prevents its citizens from |
having the full benefit of it. 1t has BROUGHT |
want and hunger to many a poor mans |
family apd Preside. 1t has oppressed the
weak in finance, from the crying babe to
the tottering and feeble gray-haired men |
and women of our country. What a sin
they have committed against God and |
country since the bill went to effect in 1873.
curtailing, or not allowing tho free coming |
of silver, and followed up by subsequent
acts to the present time. Ii is
hard to compute the enormous loss
the whole country has sustained
directly or indirectly. 1t has stopped The
production of all commodities in a GREAT
measure and lessened trade to that extent
in the curtailing Of the machine of exchange