The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1892-04-28

AS bunco otccrcr.
A writer in the Denver Road comes
pretty near proving that on the quiet
Uncle Sam is about as near bunko |
steerer as any gentleman who has
made a doubtful reputation in that
same capacity. He talks in parallels,
but there is mighty point to the
parallels. Briefly, he takes 100
ounces of silver to Uncle Sam, and
Uucle Sam refuses to pay him more
than seventy-five silver dollars for
the 100 ounces. He thinks it is
pretty tough, but thea Uncle Sam
coins and puts out as money from
that 100 ounces of silver, 129 silver
dollars. By that transaction, of
course, our venerable Uncle clears
SOL. But our friend lives in cabin
on a mountain top where it is very
cold, and he builds his cabin of the
strongest kind of mater ial-both
sides and roof-to keep out the cold
and wild beasts. One day when he
is off at work the cabin burns down,
and it makes such terrific fire that
it melts the $75 into an unsightly
mass. So he takes that mass back
to the mint, and he says it is not in
good form and he would like to have
the dollars coined over. The man
in charge of the mint figures up that
the stamp being burned off the silver
ceases to be money; it is mere COM
modify and only worth to him $50. 20.
But the mint proceeds again to coin
it, and coins seventyfive more
silver dollars out of it. Thus far the
mint has made $72. 25 out of that 100
ounces of silver, and the conclusion
of this gentleman is that if he burns
out three times Uncle Sam will COB
bic the whole business. AT the same
, time he sees his friend who has 100
ounces of gold carry it to the mint
and obtain for it 500 in gold coin,
no charge being made for reducing
the dust or bullion to money.
This teaches him two lessons; the
= first is that in negotiating with the
mint, q man does better who has GOLD
= than one does who has silver; that by
some popularity the mint which used
u to coin silver as readily and cheaply
> as it did gold, now charges 81 pc
= cent. for doing the same work, anC
~ its stamp is not worth a cent if i
burns off once; the silver that ha'
s. once been stamped is just common
IL ordinary silver when it is melted
sr He does not understand why moon
st sinners are prosecuted; he does no
d understand why gamblers are no
j. considered useful members of societ
lie he does not understand why any bo
+ grows up honest as long as the grea
Ih government over him, which is calle
1.-THE freest government on earth an
Ut the most benevolent TO its subjects
j. will take 100 ounces of a man
nj bullion, first fixing it so the man ca
IT. make no other disposition of it, pa
al him only s75 for it and coin it int
~ 129 dollars and put them out amor
ay the people as money; and if b
'te dollars happen to melt in a fire al
as he gets the. bullion, although Il
's' silver being imperishable and i
In destructible under fire retains its fl
us weight, he finds it is put back aga
'n- into the form of q commodity, al
'ry the best he can do is to get 70 p
sss cent. of it, and still the old COVER
ment pretends to be honest and pl
'e- tends to be just to all its citizer
no irrespective of age, class, color
rs previous condition of servitude.
'ur Salt Lake Tribune.