The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-08-15
TALKING
THROUGH
HATS.

llcan, Il believe in the free coinapI
silver. By this l mean that there |
be a dollars worth of silver put into
silver dollar. Both silver and gold II
then circulate side by side, as they
in the days before the demonetizatiJ
silver"
This is free coinage with a cablo
tachment, but it is the kind Of
coinage which many administrl
party men advocate. They profes
favor the free coinage of the metal !
certain provisos. Some would conf,
to the American product, while Off
call for a larger doller. None of n
men are for the free and unlimited !
age of silver. They are gold bugs
ing under false colors. The plea
the dollar of 4121s grains is a "sb
weight" dollar and that for that rea
they oppose its free coinage is dishop.
When silver and gold circulated side
side las they did before the demones
ton of silver" the silver dollar
tanned the same amount of pure sill
37l12 grains-and the same amount
alloy, Al ~grains-that it does tot
There was no cry in those days abb
dishonest" "short weight" or "fraui
lent silver dollars. Indeed the sill
dollar was at a premium, 1t being wO1
from 3 to . cents more than the gold A
lar. But no zone in those days cd
planned about a dishonest" "sb]
weight or fraudulent" gold doll
Both circulated side by side, althou
the silver dollar was the unit of va
and the value of a gold dollar was ma
ured by it from the foundation of
government until silver was fraudule
~ demonetized in 1878.
The cry of short weight silver doNg
is the stock argument of gold bun
When II hears a man denounce thed
lar of 4l2i5 grains as a dishonest
short weight dollar he hears a gold BID
not a friend of silver. In the langus]
Of the great Peter Jackson she is talkh]
through his hat. He doesn't know VIII
he is talking about. The republican i
ferred to the beginning of this artis
evidently ignorantly supposed that sirI
would fiuctuate in value under a freeaI
unlimited coinage law, as it does M
The free and unlimited coinage of 4
metal means that silver would be wort
at the United States mints III
sl.20 29-lOO per ounce, no more, no Is
One can readily see that having a f 4
value-as fixed as gold-the metal wol
retain one fixed price everywhere.
would no longer be an article of me- i
chandise, as it now is subject to III
same fluctuations in price as wheat ar.
pork and iron. 1t would be remoyg
from the domain of speculation and III
of being kicked around amou
of pork and flour and bars Il
it would have its place as a row
metal side by side with gold. And til
value or price of the pork and flour AM
steel would be measured by the ros
silver dollar of 4l21a grains. Free COIL
age would give silver this office.
But suppose that more silver be pull
INTO the silver dollar; enough to make d
equal in value the gold dollar in the mar
ket. 1t would purchase no more thai
he 4l2R grain dollar does. 1t wouldih
worth no more to the holder than th.i
grain dollar is. It would be large!
heavier, and clumsier to deal with WI
would be the gamer in the transactions
No one But suppose silver jumped u
I did not long ago from 90 to 1.2l, AMI
hen recede as it did some time after n
y, who would be the gamer? The spec
llators in the metal. The holder of th,|
ilver dollar could buy no more with d
the metal was at the highest 'tg'
ire, nor would he buy less than when al
is lowest. But the speculator is the Oh.
VINO makes the money. The governmcl'
uust purchase 100000 ounce cacL
month"; 1t does not buy from first hands
the producers. 1t buys from syndi.
'ates who corral the market and forccth
government to purchase at an advance
'ver the price given. The producer gain:
'olhing, the government loses. and The
Indicates make the money. THEREOF
more silver in the dollar the nor
syndicates make.
These are plain propositions and caa
be successfully refuted. The maj
asks for more silver in the dollar l.
IN the interest of goldites. He is
urposely or ignorantly an enemy of the
'hite metal. In either case his clamor
senseless, and with all due respect to
republican anti-silverites she is talk.
~ through his hat"
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total circulation of money of all
lhllE m tho If.I rL d.