Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-03-31
The Silver Question.

LOT Tree ana unlimited coinag OF silver
are you against it?-lDiokinson County
New.
Until last week, the ability Of the
Dutch to take Holland never appears
to have been doubted.
Nine out Of ten Of the dem ocratic
members o. the 52nd congress were
elected under a solemn pledge that they
would favor the free coinage of silver
when they should reach Washington.
Four weeks ago 1t was confidently
claimed that a free silver bill could pass
the house by two thirds vote.
When Mr.. Bland said Of his bill that
II proposes to go back n hundred
years" he spoke more wisely than he
intended. 1t was probably because Of
the backwards tendency of the bill that
1t met such an inglorous defeat in the
house of its supposed friends. The
promoters of free and unlimited
coinage Of silver propose to enact that
seventy cents worth Of silver shall be n
dollar to any and all unlimited amounts;
that any man who has gold or legal
tender money may buy silver bullion or
foreign silver coins and for every seven.
" cents in gold he may buy 37li grains
of silver. and deposit it in the treasury
and receive a legal tender dollar Of one
hundred cents. All foreign silver
whether in coin or not is but bullion IN
this country aud 37ll grains of II was
worth last week just 6S.3 cents, yet
these free silver iinaucirIS propose Ia
say toevery body in this or any other
country: Bring your silver here and
for every IS 3 cents worth of it, we will
give you dollar worth 100 cents.n
This is one Of the widest DEPARTURES
from sound and businessike iinanCier
lug ever attempted by any considerable
number of people IN this country
Should such bill become law 1t
would benefit no one except the pos
SCISSORS Of silver bullion. II would
injuTe every other man aud every other
industry in the country. All free
silver bills should be entitled, "a bill
To increase the price Of silver bullion. -
Never was there more ndgrant
attempt at class legislation than in the
attempt TO pass free silver bill
= In htl IL o.
article OF merchandise, and it has a
market value the same as wheat, corn,
iron, lead and staples, and until II
pa 'ses through the U. $. mint it HIS
none OF the characteristics Of money.
Why, then, should the government
give to the holders Of silver bullion,
foreign or domestic, 30 per cent above
the market value for all their productp
Is there any greater reason why the
government should give these ragged,
destitute, bonanza silver kings OF
Colorado 81 900 for 800 worth of THEN
products than there is that the govern
ment should give to the rich, prosper
GUS and contented farmers of Kansas
81 900 for 500 worth of his whealY
AT the average price of a tIifle over
1873 cents per ounce paid by the gov
eminent for silver last Friday IN,
metal in II silver dollar is worth about
IS cents. Probably the enactment OF
the Bland bill wolld not Immediately
reduce the value If the current dollar
to that figure or, which ia the SAINT
thing, send gold to a premium OF 46l
per cent but it would put enough
premium on gold at once to remove II
completely from circulation and befor,
very long the premium would probably
be ~ much as 40 per cent, and debi'
and wages would BE- cut not far from 81
cents IN the dollar. Tuat is the kind Of
feast of reputation and rascality Il
which the Bland fanatics invite Tho
American people.
Yes, we are against the free ant
unlimited coinage Of silver" Mr.
Cleveland appears to be on our side OF
the fence, Mr.. Hill on the other side
and Mr., Bland astride, Where do yOl
standg
The ratification meetings accent OF
the ratl which were held Saturday