The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-07-09
H WEEKLY TRIBUNE
-
A GOLD BUG CHAMPION.
SATURDAY, JULY y. 1892.


opinions upon political matters are re
garded by the lesser lightso of the party il
Montana as authority and are quoted b,
them with the Difference and respect
due their accredited high source. The
Pioneer Press is a pronounced gold bug
paper. 1t hates silver as it hates demo.
Gratis and loses no opportunity to give
the metal a black eye. One, however,
may search its columns in vain for an ar
gument against 81 yer which has not
been the stock in trade of gold bugs dur
ing the past twenty years and which has
not been refuted, time and again, by the
record to the satisfaction of every fair
minded man.
The latest effort against the white
metal appears in an article under the
head line. THE Last Triumph of Free
Silver" After stating the provisions of
the bill the Pioneer Press opens its dia
tribe with the declaration that:
The effect of the bill. should it become
"a law. would be to flood the country
with silver dollars. drive all gold from
circulation. cut the tie which thou Oh
strained by too prOfuse a coinage of sill
yer. has served hitherto to maintain the
parity of the two metals at the legal ratio
Of relative values, and degrade the mon
ely OF the country to the silver standard.
1t is not necessary to characterize the
above as insuiferable rot. Those who
have only "a superficial knowledge of the
silver question rightly estimate it as
such. When the Bland bill of 1878 was
under discussion in the United States
senate it WAS then urged by the advo-
Gates of a gold standard that the coinage
of silver. even to the extent of 1.OOO,OW
ounces a month. would drive all the gold
out of the country. This of course was
simply a prediction 1t was made 10y
the men who are found arrayed against
silver TODAY. What are the facts: At
that time ISIS the amount of gold in
circulation in the United States was
estimated at 5~l60,OOO.OOO. Today the
same authority places TIE amount of
gold in the country at over SGjO,00O.0OO.
1t these facts prove anything they prove
that the coinage yearly of 2i.0OO,OOO
ounces of silver for twelve years did not
prevent the accumulation and retention
Of gold in the country On the contrary,
the volume of the yellow metal increased
under the operation Of the Bland act.
The Pioneer Press also assert, that
if the bill become IA law. that the
country would be flooded with silver
dollars. Well what If it did: Who
would be injured by them: According
10 Secretary Fosters latest estimate
we have only IA little over sd per capita
in the United States. The country's
population and volume of business is
annually rapidly increasing. We want IA
volume Of money Il larger
mount per capita, France has over
$50 per capita. That country is not
u fering with d plethora of money
lease show us the country that has too
nuch money. |
Again will the Pioneer Press tell us
the country would be flooded with :
liver dollars: Would they be thrown :
o the people as crumbs are thrown :
% chickens. Would not farmers and .
tboring men be compelled to pillow and y
DIV, to work and sweat. to cconomize +,
nd save. as they do now to get their dol ,
lrs: Certainly. They may get more of f.
lem for their wheat, their pork, and for :
leir muscle and sweat under free coin =
than they do now, but they want /.
lore. They are the creditor class and
ley want their debt-paying capacity in !
But that is Just what the debt /,
r class-the gold bugs-dO not want.
hey don't want a greater volume of
honey. for that would mean cheaper
honey. Dear money-sO dear that little
{ it would buy a great deal of labor is ,
hat suits the gold bugs in whose in !:
srests the Pioneer Press is laboring. :;
another evil of free coinage. says the
ioneer Press. would be the rapid de '
recitation Of silver to its market value :
: iiiCdSuiC' ~ gnu t'iouSii thC iuCttuil A
international exchanges. What :
o~nsese. And yet it is by just such bug !,
gold bug organs frghten the peo- -
lie. Let us look at this matter a mo- !
Ient as sensible men. Free silver coin :
&c would mean that the price Of silver :.
ould be fixed at Sl.29.@ per ounce. 1t =
ould no longer have a market" value. =
value would be established by the =
,vernment. At present the market
ice Of our silver is fixed in London as
the market price Of our wheat is fixed :,
Liverpool. The reason of this is :
ngland is the largest foreign purchaser =
these articles, and our surplus is u
by that nation. Now who will :,
II his silver at S1l3 the present mar :
It price-wEen ne can get S1.2929 for p,
at any mint in the United States: :.
Pint aayc the gold HUG our 81 yer must -