The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-03-19
WILL GERMAN AMERICANS OPPOSE
SILVER?

contains a communication covering over
two and a half columns Of solid mlnion
in which the writer warns the demo-
cratic party that if the Chicago conven-
ton incorporate a free coinage plank in
the democratic platform the party will
lose the entire German vote of the
United States. lie says the German
Americans arc solid in their opposition
to the Bland bill; that their press will
never support a party advocating free
coinage. and then asks the question:
Can the democratic party win with the
Germans solidly opposed to it,"
A careful reading of the communica-
ton fails to discover a single word, or a
single sentence, or a single argument
why German-Americans should not
favor free coinage, or wherein they
would lose anything, or be injured or
the country be less prosperous if the
Bland bill DO enacted into law. Not one
single reason is given in the unusually
voluminOus letter showing that free
COlluGt 10 NlunS III pliiIipic vi thul j
would be detrimental to the interests of
the people in part or in whole. 1t is
simply an iteration and reiteration of the
assertion that The German Americans do
not favor FREQ coinage and that they will
oppose the party which favors it.
The TRIBUNE does not believe it. 1t
does not believe the scrccd represents
the sentiment Of the German-Americans
or any other Americans upon the qucs-
ton. VIII should the Commandment
cans have any moro reason to oppose
free coinage than the lrish-A americans
or the Engilsh-Americans, or the Scotch
Americans, or the Frcnch-Americans, or
the Spanish Americans, or the Italian
Americans, OF tho observation-disclosures
or any other Americans Of foreign birth,
who have declared allegiance and be-
come ~citianns of this great republic:
The writer Of the letter does not tell us.
II Singles out the German Americans
and declares they are the enemies Of
free coinage. and that several news
papers printed in the German language
in this country are also opposed to the
reconciliation of the white metal.
Right here the tribune would ask Il
few questions. What interest can a
naturalizcd citizen of this country have
in the disposition of silver, apart or diff
fercnt from that felt by IA native .Amcri
can! Are al our foreign born citizens
~bondnulderS or ey.lcndcrs and
favor d g,i standard because it
makes money dearer, increases
the purchasing power of gold
and thus lessons the debt paying capac-
ity Of the people or debtor classes Of the
country: Does the citizen farmer or
day laborcr OF German, or Irish, or
French, or English, or Scotch, OF Span
ish birth gain or lose when he is COM
PEELED to work two days, under a gold
standard, to pay a debt which he could
pay under Z. gold 0Hd silver standard
with one day = work: Are German
American citizens employees or employ
ers! Do they want cheap money or
dear money; DO they wan little or
plenty: These are questions which
every citizen, whether foreign born or
nati.c, should ask himself. And then
'ct him study out the answer.
Now let rs suppose a case or two
which viii more fully explain what is
mralt by cheap money AMI dear money.
We have in Inc United >tatcs a little
over ~&G1G,00O,U10 in gold and about
~.l1JpOO.ODU in silver. The government
holds $50, 1&j,39l in gold coin and gold
bars. 3~iOO,001.DOO Of it being reserved for
the redemption of greenbacks, and the
balance for the redemption OF gold Ger.
tificatcs and to discharge other gold
paying obligations. Now lei us suppose
our silver coins aud silver bars be
dumped into the sea. or that they he
made simply commercial articles, which
is about tho same thing, We would be
left with only &GJO,ooO,OO0 in gold or its
equivalent with which to transact the
business cf the country.
With all our gold and silver We have
less than 80 per capita Of money. If
we destroy the silver by throwing into
the sea its purchasing power by de-
monetizing it wc would have only a lit
lie over so per capita OF money. In
that case money would DE very dear,
very hard to get hold Of. Wages would
fall, the price Of the farmers produce
would fall. and everything the producing
classes have to sell from labor to the
heaviest machinery would fall in price
simply because one would be so scarce
that a little Of it would go a long ways in
buying these things.
Now how would the German-Amcri-
can or any other kind Of an American,
1--WE dislike the use Of the term, foreign
born natura,ized citizens become Ameri.