Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-27
BRANDON BAaKsDALE, PROPS.
Wants Light on the Silver Question.

Wants Light on the Silver Question
Mr.. Editor II see from your fire.
auent editorials upon the subject that
YOU are enthusiastically in favor OF
the free coinage Of silver. May
ask a few questions in order to
clearer understanding OF your views?
Is it your notion that an act OF Con-
gress authorizing the free coinage OF
silver will bring the price ofsllver bull
lion to 1893 cents an ounce-at whlch
price il would be on par with gold
and keep it there? or, failing in
tbi,. that it will, Notwithstanding,
keep the silver dollar on parity
with the gold dollar? If you ans
wer that an act of Congress Will not
work this result, please state what
will. And when you have named
the cause, please say why it did not
produce like result during the
twenty years preceding 1873 But II
it is your notion that the parity OF
the two standards cannot be main
tanned, please explain how there can
be two standards of value, them
selves differing in value, any more
than there can be two measures
for bushel differing in capacity
Will not the more Valuable-as
would the larger bushel step aside,
under law as irrepealable as that OF
gravitation, and leave all the. duties
of a.standard TO be performed by the
cheaper?
want light on the subject, and as
a newspaper editor is supposed to
keep abreast of the advancing knowk
edge of the world, very naturally
apply to him. ENQUIRER.
1t is our notion that an act of Con-
gress, authorizing the free coinage OF
silver, will bring the price of silver
bullion to 1899 cents per ounce, at
which price it would be on parity
with gold and would keep it there.
1t is our notion that but for the act OF
Republican Congress passed in 1873,
silver would always have re-
NAMED on parity with gold. 1t was
on par with gold not only for twenty
years prior to 1878, but from the for
nation of the government up to
1873, when twas demonetized, de-
pressed and reduced to simple
commodity of trade subject to an
other measure. This is at least our
understanding of the subject
1t is our opinion that free coinage
would bring silver to parity with
gold, because, with free coinage the
owner of silver bullion could have
it coined into legal tender money. Ii
was this act of Republican Congress
which deprived silver of one of the
main uses to which it was put, that
has deprecated its market value
The goldbugs induced! Congress te
discriminate against silver and IL
favor of gold and now they sheer al
silver because it has suffered from
this discrimination. Such dlscriml
nation is species of class Legislation
from which the people have suffered
no less than from other class legisla
ton. The Republican party stand
arraigned before the people on TIT
charge of this crime and great out
rage and the LEAF-CHRoNICLE, as
Democratic journal, stands pledged Il
aid with all of its might in the pros
ecution.
1t is our not ion that with free coin
age the volume of the currency Woul
be increased and the tax payer
could pay off their billion dolla
national debt in either gold or silver
or both, according to the contract.
The act of Congress changed tn
contract when it demonetized silver
compelling q debt to be paid in golt
which was originally payable i
either gold or silver. 1t is as dishoi
est for the creditor to swindle tn
debtor as it is for the debtor
swindle the creditor.
We oppose all wild paper none
schemes not based on gold and sllve
because they are unjust to the cred
tor We oppose all schemes of fore
bic con traction, because they are Ill
Just to the debtor.
1t is our idea that free coinaE
would help this country, because OF
farmers are compelled to compete
the open markets of Europe VIII
those of India and other countrie
whose monetary systems are based
silver. The same bullion that Is Wor
seventy cents to our farmers is wor
100 cents to the India farmer. In Is
the United States shipped more tn,
hundred million bushels ofwheat
Europe, while India shipped abo
one million. In 1890 each count
shipped about fifty million bushe
The market of this country is
ing broken down while theirs Is
ing increased and built up by O
monetary system.
1t is the foreign trade on silver tn
effects the dearest interests of tn
a J.