The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-07
breton Frewen, Of London, on
His Way West Stops Over
in Helena
) Talks Entertainingly on the
Question In Which Montana
10 Interested.
"a erica . go to Free Silver Coinage
Without Disaster-Toriss. He Says.
Ara In for IL.

MAJ 01OIUvOu EIOWCus Va 1juuuOup IJAk-
nd, . brother-in-lsw of Lord Randolph
hurchill, was o visitor In Helena yestsr.
~. q guest at the Hotel Helena. He has
aveled extensively throughout the United
bates in the past few months. and 10 now
his way to Idaho, whore he goes to ex-
nine mining property. Talking yesterday
, the subject of free silver coinage. he said
10 sentiment In its favor was growing
nong tho farmers OF the United States, he
hew from personal experiences. aud tho
citation of the question should be kept Mp
nong this class of people. Referring to
DO sentiment in Europe on the subjeot, he
lid: The emereence of a silver party in
nRland during tho past ten yeRrs affords
latter of much retrospective Interest,", and
specially for this reason: just 40 in this
Puntry. the silver mining states, the first
feel the pinch, have been able to arous
ls nation--the wheat farmers Of the north
est, the cotton planters of the south-to
DO evils Of a contracting currency; 80 also
b Great Britain IL was the merchants
Manchester. their business with the
hst shrinking day by day with the
hrinkage OF the rupee, who first sounded
be alarm and who have now succeeded in
Weakening public intelligence to that none
kry crisis with which the world has been
kruRgling since the decentralization of all
er in 1879 by the governments of the
United States and Germany. The silver
uestion then. it is interesting TO noss, was
prung upon tho world less than twenty
ears ago. by the direct action Of the leeis-
ktures. 1t has since evolved itself out Of
he ruinous loases Of the American silver
liners and the English silver merchants
no trade with the far east, until to-day
uch mon a. Francis Walker. Laveleve,
pana. Horton, Foxwell, Marshall and
theirs have become it's champions; while
wen the workingmen of Europe are point
hg to the national debts Of Europe which
Pere all, including the debt of Great
britain. contracted in silver, and asking
Bhy these silver debts are to-day be-
hg raid in gold-in gold enormously APP
|reciAted by that legislation, which has
deprived silver of its former currency use.
ut appears to me that this silver ques-
lion connects itself more closely with
america than with II other country or
ointment, and this for two historic reasons.
I is not too much to say that but for the
discovery of America and tho great flow OF
liver from the mines Of Potosi. in Boil ia.
here could never have been silver enough
o make a silver questions; and once again,
( it had not been for the act in demone-
izing silver in 1873, that cola, 80 of silver
which has since occurred could never have
AIKEN place. The discovery OF Potosi ut
he close of the sixteenth century ~justiies
he statement that the range of modern
prices all the world over was established by
liver money and not by gold. The most
4 uvtliv,v nN~nOr,iN .>hoNNvrnn,o -, &hA IS,
]ory of the worlds progress occurred dur
ing the first half Of the seventeenth century.
Fhen the value Of land in England rose
rom e5 an acre to e25, when wages rose
rom iva shillings a week to twelve. when
Fheat rose from a shilling n bushel to four
killings. when all prices of whatever co M
hodities rose in the short period of thirty
F we y Snw. f, na 300 xe;.., to h 600 s per-
Questioned shat this phenomenal rise of all
prices was caused by that vast mass of
lilver from Potosi, which flowing into
Europe IN the hold Of every Spanish galleon
Vas admitted to free coinage in all the
|eadinR mints Of Europe. And, If as Adam
Pmith. Mill and every eminent writer has
Expressly admitted that great rise of prices
was caused by the free coinage of the silver
bf Pososi, does anyons question that had
hi that silver been suddenly demonetized
and deprived of its legal tender value, after
hrices had been thus elevated. all prices
lhust have fallen again just as rapidly as
they rose; and where then would have been
she property of the honest investor who
bad bought his land for E25 per
bore, leaving say. one-half of the purchase
K the acre had fallen N value to five
pounds because of this tamperinp with the
currency? Ana it is this confiscation OF
propeity-o vested rights-by the manipu-
|ation and contraction of the Western cur
Fenoies which forms to-day what we call
he silver question, and seeing that for all
The void the silver question WAS graded
in America, America 10 bound to exert her
belf and help Us ell out.
Nov IA to the I osition Of Great Britain.
At the time shat Germany was melting up
hnd selling her silver, treating it at the de-
Enand of sone bankers in Berlin, like 90
much old clothes. and while you here wero
with the very letter OF your con-
btitution, We in England we Q and to-day
hre keeping open mints for the FREQ coinage
bf silver in a vast portion of our empire.
may take silver bullion to the minis of
india and have the queens head stamped
pm it free of cost. just consider these fig
lres for a moment; since the passage Of ths
Bland bill this county has absorbed apnu-
ally some $50, 600. 900 dollars OF sil,et;sIn-
liza, during all those Yeas, has annually nb-
sorbed not less than $40, DOC. 600! If you
would do what we do-if you would keep
ppen mints west of the Alleohenies to all
YER, and east to pold-well. that while not q
scientific solution of bi-metalism, il yet
Dne that would settle the question for all
lime. That America can 90 to free coinage
disaster / am fully convinced. OF
panic mongers in New York who
profit by panics oan make a panic. but what
! mean is that with free COINAGE no consid-
srable amour of coined silver from Eu-
Iope could be sent here.
But while many intelligent people here
IRE not always alarmed at the imaginary
of free coinage, they do not always
recognize the immense Importance TO your
OF higher rates for s~ilver-they do