Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-10


OF all the propositions which have been
made 10y anybody touching the silver cues
ton the most absurd and improbable Is
The suggest on TO com silver dollars con-
tanning each QUO hundred cents worth OF
silver. the value Of the silver 10 be deter
mined by Us price III gold in the markets
of the world This proposition would be
an insult to tho silvtrites 4 it were not for
The fact that il Is not intended s. to be-
Nv the persons who suggest it. But the
monomcts are blind 10 oil that can Toe said
by the bimet- these being regarded by
them as suffering from a sort Of lunacy.
The advocates Of free coinage often speak
of the "groenhack lunatics." and the
yold-bucs no doubt feel towards the silver
men as these do towards the grcenback
lunatics. Mr.. SHEaMAS offered in the
United States Senate this proposition 10
make cart-wheCl dollars. Ilo seemed
20 regard IT as - compromise measure. SO
blinded was he by the gold and glitter Of
Wall street, aud So deaf was lie to the
,lamors Of the hArd-workins men Of the
land.
dollar out Of nickel or copper would be
lust as reasonable Gs the proposition 20
com silver dollars having metal enough in
them 10 make them the equal In value Of
the gold dollars. Tie evil 10 lie romedied
l. the wrong done TO the whole national
body polite by tho use Of "a standard OF
values which contracts prices, reduces
wages, impovorishes the MASSES. enrIchc5
the money-haudlers. aud threatens to ruin
the country in the end; and the remedy
proposed IS 10 degrade the silver cur
Yoncy. Was thore ever before such a
remedy proposed for such wrong :
it would be less difficult for the
men who need coin t. purchase
gold bullion and have It coined into gold
dollars than 20 purchase silver bullion at
gold prices and have this silver bullion
coined into silver dollars. In word, the
remedy would be worse than the disease.
it would be q wrong which II would re-
Gulre long years to Iight-we know not
how many. We cannot find words where
with 10 expires, the utter folly which would
characterize the attempt 20 improve our
currency by degrading the white metal
We lay II down a. self-eyldout fact that
any proposition 10 recognize 10y law - $40
grains Of god niac-tenths fine rs worth
more than 4l1.. grains Of silver n.ue-tenths
fine il proposition TO recogn ~ a tact
which ought not TO be- "a fact. The present
Republican law "a the subject provides for
the purchase ~ fiity-fOur millions Of dol.
lars of silver annually and for its coinage
into SILVER dollars. That Is 10 say, tins
Republican law Grs; treats silver as "a
mere commodity nay. first provides hy
law that silver saan be a nero com
modify and then proceeds to provide
how that metal shall be treated IN order
70 poTpetuate Its condition Of slavery 10
gold. Read oug reports Of the money mar
Iets. Day after day these reports show
That the III usage which silver receives at
the hands Of our Lawmakers operates %
prevent 1t from competing successfully
with gold. We need not comment upon
The wrour 'ulne,J Of the law IN question.
But surrey the Democrats are not gong
20 admit that 10 diScrcjit silver by law Is
o. treat that metal a. gold is treated.
We assume for Arguments make that
Congress Las tho power TO make silver the
cole measure % values aud the only legal
tender for debts public and private. II
this power were exercised how long would
gold continue 20 bo recognized a. superior
90 sdYorI Let tlo-o persons answer this
question who protes. 10 believe that gold
would stand relatively 20 gold just Us il
now stands even II silver were coined free
aud all debts were msdo payable Ia SILVER.
Wesay that gold would soon 10 discrowned.
j. is our own unwisdom that keeps the
world from having universal currency
of gold and silver good wherever q Tag
flies that represents oven a ship-road OF
cOmmerce