The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-24

more easily acquired than at present..
More money with more purchasing
power would certainly be most de-
sirable condition of things, but the
idea does not run in harmony with
experience. l fail to see how the
transmutation of the silver miners
bullion worth 20 cents into coin
stamped one dollar without any cost
to its owner and at the expense of the
taxpayer is going to enrich the peo-
pie. | am a bimetalist, and think
that the silver dollar should hold the
same position as that of gold, and as a
matter of fact, it does. The land
that can be bought for 800 in
gold can be bought for one hum
dred silver dollars, and if a man
would rather carry gold in his pocket
than silver, he can 60 into any bank
or place of business and make the ex-
change at par. This is as it ought to
be, but it seems to me if the silver
bullionists of the world can dump
their metal down at our minis and
demand dollar for every 70 cents
worth of the raw material, this equal
ity of value now existing between the
gold and silver coins will soon disap-
pear, silver be at discount and gold
at a premium. If there is not enough
silver in circulation by all means let
us have more, but why coin it free for
the benefit of the bullionist? 1t is
true that the present dollar, which
was devised by Thomas Jefferson and
authorized by the Constitution, only
contains 412 IL grains, while an ounce
of silver which contains 480 grains is
only worth 80 cents; but it is on par
with gold, and the margin between
it's actual and face value goes into the
United States treasury for the benefit
of the nation at large. The revenue
from this source amounts in round
figures to about $12,000,000 a
year. If the coinage of silver
is to be done free Of charge, and no
more metal put into the coin; there
will be an immediate loss of revenue
to the amount of $12, ZOO, 600 year and
a more than probable depreciation in
the value of silver money. Silver
money is today as sound and ex-
changeable as gold, but when the coun-
try shall be flooded with silver coins
called dollars, containing only about
seventy cents worth of metal, there is
grave reason to fear depreciation in
value that will produce terrible finan-
cial troubles. Let us have more silver,
more gold and more paper money if
needed: but let it be honest money,
and let any profit in the coinage go
where it belongs, into the national
treasury.
1t is charged that the opponents of
free coinage are Wall street capital
lists, and those working in their inter-
ests. The former may be the chief OPP
ponents of the scheme, and if it car
ried their interests might be seriously
affected, but fail to see how the COM
mon people would be benefited. The
laboring man would still have
to work for every dollar he re-
ceived, and that dollar would
have less purchasing power than
it has now. The farmer would still
have to raise crops to exchange for
free coined dollars. =
The whole thing is delusion and
snare, and the work of demagogues
like the sub-treasury leaders, who are
seeking to hoodwink the simple peo'
pie, that they may gain their own I'M
holy ends. 1t is simply scheme tt
enrich the silver bullionist at the ex
pense of the people. At least that il
my view it.
HOW TO KEEP LAND FERTILE.
A correspondent asks why land be
came poorer with cultivation when
such large proportion of the plants
raised, comes from the air and water.
1t is true that about one half of the dry
substance of plants is carbon AND
comes from the air, and that water
which is combination of hydrogen
and oxygen supplies the moisture in
their economy. But plants require
elements not found in the air an6
water. These inorganic elements
abound in the soil in the form of lime
, phosphates, potash, ETC.. and the i'm
!. poverishment of the soil is just in pro
portion to the amount Of these ele
,, ments removed with the crop. If the
crops were grown for hundred year:
on the same field and never removed
, but allowed to decay and return to
the soil there would be no falling of
in fertility.
WILD GOOSE PLUMS.
In reply to Il. B. s who writes ask
ing if it would be too late to set ou
seedline wild goose plum trees, which
he can have from a neighbor for the
, trouble of digging, have to say, that
, if we'll dug and properly planted, they
would still have a good chance tt
f grow. But l would caution hin
against accepting the trees, even as g
, gift, with a view to planting in ar
orchard. If he has some worthless
corner of pasture, he might plan
them there without much fear of dam
:, age, but on no account should they q
, into an orchard, as they will send ur
sprouts from the roots and form per
| feet thicket. l speak feelingly
! About eleven years ago a neigh
: Dor found his orchard encum
bered with a growth of youns
plum trees and generously offered m,
supply on the same terms named by
r. s. b. l thought 1 had soft thing
! and planted out good many. They
y made fair growth for the first tive
. years and then began to send up suck
i ers in every direction to the injury o
the parent trees, which never bore on,
: tenth as many plums as grated tree
the same age. Their energy was di
rected to the production of sprout
i and not fruit. The fact is, that will
9 ooose nlums will ALWAYS send III