Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-08-23
For the Herald and Tribune.

The Golden Horse and the Silver Ok.
1t ought to seem and we'll as be, that
enough has been written and spoken
on the question of free and unlimited
coinage of silver and gold, at the ratio
of 10 to l, to convince the advocates of
silver of the unjustness, folly and
great financial danger of their demand.
But, let me add an illustrative argu-
ment. A stout we'll trained pair of
oxens will pull as heavy or u heavier
load than a pair of good horses. The
oxens are slower in their movement on
the road; but they are very sure to
get there" Their commercial value,
each, is not above $50 or 800, for the
pair. A pair of horses with q little
brisker movement, but with no greater
drawing strength are worth, each, not
less than 800 or $500 for the pair.
Our best agricultural communities find
it both con venient and profitable to
employ both OK and horse teams. The
horse, however, is most generally pre-
fered. Considered as a circulating
medium" the horse constitutes the
standard" and the OK an Auxiliary
or subsidiary" animal.
Not unftly or appropriately may
the horse represent gold and the OK sill
yer. The horse, because of extra cost
and care in raisingi is worth in the public
market fully, Tor more than twice as)
1t is enough and ought much as the OK.
to satisfy any one, that those who keep
she two classes of teams for hire, will
guarantee that the OK team shall draw
as heavy a load as will or can q span
of horses; but suppose lat the demand of
the exclusive owners of oxens, our law
makers enact, that in all commercial
transactions the horse and the OK, as
draft animals, shall be held at a parity
of value. That is if you contract for a
horse, the obligation may be legally
discharged by the delivery of an OK. If
you hire a horse for use during the
day, you may legally return an OK in
his stead; and, that because the OK can
be made to draw as heavy a load as the
horse, that, therefore, the commercial,
value of the OK shall be 500 instead
of $50.
To use a word now very often printed
and spoken, would not such legislation,
either actual or threatened, cause a
very considerable loss of confidence"
ON the part of horse owners?
How many %liverymen would be will
ling to hire a horse? How many men
outside of lunatic asylums would be
willing for the consideration of 800 to
accept an obligation for the delivery
of a horse?
To enact and enforce such legislation
would simply result in driving horses
'out of circulation" and to adopt an
exclusive "ox standard;" and, the il
lustration exactly fits the coinage ques-
ton now being discussed in its bearing
on the finances of the country. A
limited use of silver, as an auxiliary
circulation can be successfully en-
ployed at the ratio of 16 to Ia ratio
value of 66a cents to 100 cents, but
whenever you declare by law that a
800 ox"is is, in fact, a $500 horse"
you make Il financial fool of yourself.
Silver, like the OK, even if its coinage
ratio is lifted to a full 100 cent value,
has a slow commercial movement.
Even whilst the Government holds up
the 66S cent dollar to a full 100 cent
value. it is found difficult to keep in
circulation as much as 90, 600, 900 of our
more than 400, 900 900 of coined dollars.
To illustrate the peoples preference for
only a small subsidiary measure of sill
yer, leaving the body of the circulation
to consist of paper notes and gold, the
paper if good prefered) l would throw
up my hat and give three lusty cheers
for the Senators or Representative of
Congress now in session who will in
PRODUCED a joint resolution, and sup
port it vigorously, providing that all
Senators and Representatives favoring
by their votes the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the ratio of 10 to /,
shall receive silver dollars only, in pay
ment of their mileage and salary dues.
N. A. PATTERSON.
Vineland, Tenn.