Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-06-22
SILVER TALK.
Secretary Carlisle Explains Where the Gold
Goes-A Little Financial History Worth

Secretary Carlisle Explains Where the Gold
Goes-A Little Financial History Worth
Reading.
| WASHINGTON, June 14.-Touching the
amount of silver coined up to the pres
ent time, and also as to the manner in
which the present operations of the
treasury under the so-called Sherman
act result in the payment of gold in the
purchase of silver bullion, Secretary
Carlisle said:
The operations of the United States
mint commenced in 1892, and from
that time to 1878, period &c eighty-one
years, the total amount of silver dol
lars coined was S,045, 1873. In 1873 the
coinage was stopped by act Of congress,
but in 1873 it was resumed under the
| so-called Bland-Allison act, by the
terms of which the secretary of the
treasury was directed to purchase and
coin into standard silver dollars, of
4121z grains each, not less than 50, O00,-
600 worth nor more than 100000
worth of silver bullion each month,
and between the da tie of that act and
the 14th day of July, 1890, period of
twelve years, there was coined $685.
166, 793.
In addition to this there has been
coined from trade dollars S5,07S, 472,
and from the seignorage of bullion pur-
chased and coined under the act of July
IA, 1890, the sum of So, Gal, 1O9, making
the aggregate $3.50, SS6,374 in full legal
tender silver money issued by the gov
ernnent since 1878. OF this amount
only S5S, 016, 019 We're in actual circula-
ton on the first day of the present
month, the remainder being held in the
treasury as part of the assets of the
government, or being represented by
outstanding certificates.
The act of July IA, 1890, required the
secretary of the treasury to purchase
1850, 900 fine ounces of silver bullion
per month, and it provided that he
should continue the coinage of silver
dollars at the rate of 50, 900, 900 per
month until the first day of July, 1891;
and under this act there have been
coined S29, 40S, 461, which makes the
total coinage of silver dollars under all
acts, since 1878, S419, 49,, S35, or more
than fifty times as much as was coined
during previous period of eighty-one
years
In addition to the silver bullion pur-
chased by the government since 1878,
and coined as a bOve stated the secre-
tary of the treasury has purchased
under the act of July Ia, 1890, and now
holds in the vaults of the treasury I'M
coined, 124, 292, 532 fine ounces of silver
bullion which cost the people of the
United States s1i4, 800, 920 and is
worth to-day ct the market price of
silver S1O3, All, 1856, thnS showing loss
of $40, SSS, 534. By the terms of the act,
the secretary was required to pay for
all silver bullion purchased by
the issue of United States treasury
notes payable in coin, and it provides
that upon demand of the holder of any
such notes they should be redeemed in
gold or silver coin. at the discretion of
the secretary, lit being" in the Ian
guage Of the act, the established pel-
icy of the United States to maintain
the two metals on q parity with each
other upon the present legal ratio, or
such ratio as may be provided by law"
The records of the treasury depart
ment show that during the thirteen
months, beginning May 81, 1892, and
ended May 81, 1893, the coin treasury
notes issued for the purchase of silver
bullion under the act of July Il, 1890,
amounted to $40, 961. ls4, and that dur
ing the same period the amount of
It thus appears that all the silver
bullion purchased during that time, ex-
cept s2.216,014 worth, was paid for in
gold, while the bullion itself is stored
in the vaults of the treasury and can
neither be sold nor used for the pay
ment of any kind of obligation. How
long the government shall be thus com
PEELED to purchase silver bullion and
increase the public debt by issuing coin
obligations in payment for it, is cues
ton which congress alone can answer.
1t is evident that if this policy is con-
tinued and the secretary of the treasu-
ry shall be compelled to issue bonds or
otherwise increase the interest-bearing
public debt, it will be done, for the pur-
pose of procuring gold with which to
pay for silver bullion purchased under
the act referred to-