The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-09-07
HARRISON ON SILVER.

Ever since the Minneapolis convention
the free coinage" Republicans whose love
for party was deeper than their affection
for silver. have been saying the president
was all right on silver, that he was good
friend to the white metal, and that II the
party would be loyal to him he would do
much for silver HARRISON has never let
drop a single word that he entertained any
degree of respect for the cause of silver.
In fact, all his utterances on the subject
have shown enmlty as deeD-seated as that
OF the most prominent "gold bug" Of
whom we hear SO much. The silverites
have vouched for HARRISON since the con-
vention not because they thought he
had changed his mind but because they
hoped be would be silent on the subject
until after the election. He didn't keep
still, however. Being man OF positive
opinions he has spoken, and has again de-
clared himself a sincere goldite. True. he
says he is a believer in free coinage Of sill
YER, but at such rate as will maintain
equality in the commercial use of the
coined dollars as a medium of exchange and
as medium OF value. He repeats the
ever ready assertion of the monometallist
that dollars of unequal commercial value
will not circulate together. The better
dollar is withdrawn and becomes merchan-
disc" Where is the goldite who puts the
opposition to silver stronger: The presi-
dent says, as plainly as be can do, that ii
dollars worth of silver-that is, If as
much silver as gold dollar can buy, shall
be put into silver dollar he will consent
TO tae free coinage of the white metal;
but even then he thinks it would be dan
gerous were this country to act alone.
Single standard people go no further than
this. There is not money len der in Wall
street who suggests more. All the goldites
ask is what the president says should be
gran ted-thst the value of silver be fixed
by the gold standard, and that the Gem
mercial nations of the world give their con-
sent before the two metals shall be coined
upon terms of equality.
Today silver is q commodity pure and
simple, as much so as iron, coal or copper.
1t is true, there is market for 1880, 900
ounces OF the metal month a. the treas
ury depar tment, but that circumstance
does not increase the price nor even regulate
it. The price is fixed. not at Washington,
but in the metal market of the world, the
offerings to the government being based on
the price paid by bullion buyers The
metal has no value as coin metal, and Mr..
HARRISON says it would be dangerous to
give it coin value unless other nations
were to consent, and then upon a ratio
which put into dollar all the silver that
could be bought from the bullion dealer for
gold dollar. We would like TO know just
how that kind of an arrangement would
help silver. II silver is to be commercial
commodity, its price being regulated by
gold, it viii not matter whether there is
free coinage, as the producer can get just
as much for 500 or 600 grains of silver re-
quired 10 make dollar by selling it to the
silversmith as by taxing it 10 the mint.
In the light of Mr.. HARRIsoN's letter we
do not apprehend anybody will tell those
Republicans who are running after
WEAVER that if they will come back and
help re-elect the president he will help the
cause of free coinage. Mr.. WEAVER will
certainly not be able to do any good to
silver, but he will at least do az much as
Mr.. EARRIsoN.