The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-09-19
SATURDAY. SEPT. 10. 1891.
WHAT GOLD BUGS PROPOSE.

says liz ieoShy tlouitdih ANO"of eioe WI
opposition to free silver coinage is, no
because the standard silver dollar con
tains bullion Of a less intrinsic value
than a dollar in gold, but because a sin.
gle standard of value-and that of gold
is to be fixed and silver money perma-
nently sent to the rear as subsidy COIN
The talk by President Harrison, Sena-
tor Sherman and Major Mckinley about
an "honest dollar the "eighty-cent dol
lar" and the "cheap dollar" and the en-
largement upon these themes by the
single standard press, have set in motion
a great deal of inc uiry by interested men
as to what kind of a silver dollar these
Wall street statesmen will be satisfied
with, if any at all.
John Sherman, several years ago, spoke
in favor of a silver dollar to contain as
much of the meta as would be worth a
dollar in gold. 1t was referred to as 'the
cart wheel dollar by those who were op-
posed to the change. But he says
nothing about such a dollar now. In
none of his late speeches, though in
theory he denounced free coinage with
bitterness and talent, is there to be
found a word favorable to the free coin
ing of his enlarged dollar.
Neither has the republican party de-
clared in favor Of such a dollar in any of
their state platforms. 1t is significant
of something serious that while that
party, like its leaders, denounces the
dishonest" cheap" ''S0-cent dollar
meaning all the time the dollar of the
fathers it has not intimated that it
would favor the free coinage of sill ser
however much of it might be put into
the dollar.
If those who fight free coinage are
honest in stating that they do so because
if means "a short dollar" certainly all
their objections to free coinage would be
removed if the dollar were made full"
But they no longer propose or favor such
a measure. They fight free coinage of
silver whatever weight may be proposed
for the dollar. They will consent to
nothing short of retaining silver bullion
as a commodity and forcing its owners
to sell it to the government for coinage.
As long as they can maintain this status
of the metal they do not care whether
the dollar contains one hundred cents
worth or thirty cents worth of silver;
it is only token money, and for such
money, as far as it's intrinsic value is con.
cerned, brass or copper might as well be
used.
This has been made quite evident by !
the given to the questions asked
by puzzled listeners to and readers of
the anti-silver speeches of the gentlemen
named. 1t is propounded: "Why not,
since silver is now worth about a dollar
an ounce. pass a law granting free coin
age with an ounce of pure silver in each
dollar: This will do away with the
short cheap. 'eighty-cent dollar of
which you complain" Not one of the
anti-silver newspapers or statesmen have
assented to the proposition. There an
swer is: There is nothing to guarantee
that the market price Of silver will re-
al the present level. Even though
the price Of silver would not fall below
the coinage level SO long as this country
could absorb all the bullion presented
for coinage into currency, once the limit
absorption was reached depreciation
Of its value would commence And
they add two other unique reasons, as
follows: The price Of silver might go to
more than 81 per ounce, in which event
all the ounce dollars would go to the
melting pot" and further: 1T would
cost more than s9O,OOO,OOO to turn the
silver dollars which have been coined
since 1873 into dollars Of the new stand
ard
How are silver men to please the aristo-
: attic single standard gentlemen? There
is but one way: That is to submit to the
silver dollar remaining forever token or
fiat money, and silver bullion a market
able commodity without any minting
privileges whatever given to its owners.
The purpose Of these hypocritical self
styled "honest money" advocates is to
prevent utterly the free coinage Of silver
whatever the weight and fineness of the
bullion in the dollar may be, that a
single standard Of values-that Of gold
may be ~irrevocably established.
The farmers, merchants, miners and
business men of the country are ready
for the issue and will all be found on the
side Of free coinage for the present silver
dollar, without adding to it one atom in
weight.
The latest performances Of Prince Rus
sell Harrison's comic newspaper is to
represent General Russell A. Alger as a
The presidents aon is evidently
I