Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1893-09-01
A QUERY ANSWERED.

to silver would increase general
prices by increasing the volume of
money in circulation, what benefit
it would be to wage earners who
would then have to pay more for the
necessaries of life.
The Denver News gives the be st
possible answer to this question:
That it has been established by ex-
perience that in time when metallic
money has been abundant the alvan-
tages accruing to the laborine class
in the greater demand for labor and
in better wages have much more
than counterbalanced the additional
cost of living because of the highe
price of general commodities.
The contraction of the currency
which has been going on for years
in the United States has all but
ruined the farming industry by
levying prices below the profit point
and in the case of some staple arti-
cles below the actual cost of produc-
ton. The same cause has stifed in
dustrial growth and borne heavily on
the products of nearly every other
line Of labor The skilled artisan
has been slower to feel the disas-
trous effects than the farmer because
the adverse influences have been
measurable checked by the benefits
of labor organization.
A scant currency produces de-
plorable industrial conditions, which
need no empha sizing just now, when
there are more workers III en-
forced idleness in this country and
Europe than at any time since the
period preceding the Chartist riots
in England.
"a Workingman" should be i'm
fuenced by the fact that the two
greatest labor organizations in Amer
lea, under the leadership of Mr..
Gompers and Mr.. Powderly, are
committed to the cause of free coin
age and the eternal Punishment
Of a money famine. The same is
true across the ocean. The organ
lied labor of England is nearly
unit with English farmers in the
fight for the restoration of silver to
an equality with gold at the minis.
There could hardly be such unity as
exists on this question among the
best informed working people if it
were not the interest of labor to be
arrayed on the side of free coinage.
Every fresh influx of metallic
money in quantity has conspicuously
raised the standard of wages and
materially benefited those who de-
pend on their labor for living. The
great silver discoveries of the middle
of the sixteenth century trebled
wages in England. The gold output
of California was followed by unex-
ampled general prosperity in the
United States. The effect of the
Australian gold discoveries on Eng
land is thus narrated by Alison the
historian:
1.-The era of a contracted currency
and consequent low prices and gen
eral misery, interrupted by passing
CLEANS of prosperity was at an end.
Prices rose rapidly and rose steadily;
wages advanced in a similar proper
ton; exports and imports enormous
ly increased, while crime and misery
as rapidly diminished. Wheat rose
from 40s. to Dos. and Cos. but the
wages of labor advanced in nearly as
great proportion; they were found to
be about 80 per cent higher on an
average than they had been five
wears before In Ireland the change
was still greater and probably I'M
eaualed in so short time in the an
nails of history. Wages of country
labor rose from 4d. a day to Is, Cd.
or 2s."
Surely the wage workers of the
United States have reason to be
numbered among the free coinage
hosts, for no class is more tecasted
in stamping out financial conditions
that place producers at the mercy of
money lenders and congests the bulk
of the profits of production in few
money centers for the benefit of
cormorants who earn nothing, but
fatten of the sweat of Others and use
co,lfscated wealth to debauch legis-
lat; IN and perpetuate their suprem-