Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-08-03
THEY WANT SILVER.
An Urgent Appeal from the Miners
Of Montana
Tho Agricultural Glasses Are Warned OF
the Depreciation of Their Prod
acts-The History of Silver
Legislation.

Legislation.
The leading citizens of Butte, Mont,
held a mass meeting on the evening of
July %, to discuss the silver question
Prominent free coinage advocates were
present and addressed the assemblage,
and the following address. prepared by
the Free Coinage association, was
unanimously adopted:
The citizens of the state of Montana, in
sending forth to their fellow citizens through
out the union this appeal against what they
sincerely believe to be an existing wrong of
cruel proportions, and for o redress of that
wrong, desire first TO extend the assurance to
all who may differ from them in opinion that.
despite the disastrous conditions which at this
moment surround them: despite the fact that
many of their mines and mills and sneltcrS are
now Idle and labor unemployed: notwithStaDd-
ing that their property values have been largely
destroyed and their credit greatly impaired,
they are to-day. they have ever beer in the
past loyal citizens of the republic devoted TO
Aus institutions, obedient to its laws, loving ana
cherishing its traditions and history, and proud
OF its magnificent achievements.
I'VE assert with all sincerity that although it
directly and most injuriously affects one OF
principal industries. and one that has formed
IN great part the basis of our prosperity, we
yet would not advocate the full recognition and
restoration OF silver as money. did we not sol
EMMY believe that such policy would rebound
to the happiness and welfare OF the great mass
OF producers and toilers OF the land, and to the
increased prosperity of the nation We place
our demand for the free coinage of silver at the
ratio OF sixteen to one of gold andits full equip
'ment with all money functions equally with
gold, upon the simple plan OF justice In sup
port OF the plan we assert, and to this GSSer-
aioR challenge contradiction, that for cen
'tarieS, and before legislation undertook to con-
Srol and direct It's action and movement. silver
maintained its parity with gold with but slight
variation, and despite the wide divergence in
the ratio of production which frequently exist
ed In 1916 England demonetized silver. Shs
was even then the creditor nation OF the world,
and her financiers foreSaw that this policy
would enhance the value of gold and render
1T harder for other nations to pay her what
they owed For nearly sixty years thereafter
France, the Latin union ard the United
States maintained the parity of the two
metals. In 1871 Germany flushed with
her victory over France and her treasury
filled with Frances ransom of S1.0oO.0Oo,oo
IN gold determined to demonetize silver
Uncle Sam Demonetizes silver.
'.In 1873 the United States the greatest pro-
Queer of silver OF all the nations, following the
course marked out by Germany, struck the sill
yer dollar from our coinage laws In 1919. the
Latin union. deprived OF the support OF the
United States and Germany. stopped the coin
age OF silver. In 1882. Austria abandoned silver
and is striving unsuccessfully to get upon gold
basis. Within the past month England taking
advantage of the depression existing all over
the world. has struck silver q last savage blow
by closing the minis of India to the coinage of
silver on private account
Demands of the West.
''This. briefly told, is the history OF silver
Legislation during the past seventyseven years
1t proves concluSively that legislation Is d.
rect,y responsible for the destruction OF silver
money. We therefore ask in the name OF
simple Justice that legislation now restore it TO
ats rightful place in the currency of our country
We state without fear of contradiction that
the act of 1873 which struck down silver, was
ysasSed without due elaboration The record
shows that the great majority of the members
Of both branches of congress did not know that
the bill then under consideration contained
such 4 clause. Such statements of Garfield,
VOORHEES,. Blaine. and many others. are upon
the records of their respective houses euphat-
Icaily denying any knowledge OF that provision
nj the act So that we charge that it was done
without discussion or debate either in congress.
through the press, or upon the platform There
fore it was great wrong because it was done
without notice and without any demand from
and by the people, and its operation was Injured
only to the profit and benefit of the holders Of
our bonds and the lenders of gold.
Appeal to the Agricultural Classes.
sfWe most earnestly appeal to the agricu
Sural classes of our country and beg them to
look into the history of silver legislation and
the frightful consequences which have fol-
lowed the act OF 1918 we call upon therl TO
mark the steady and constant decline in price of
nearly all farm provisions, notably wheat and
cotton. which has followed the characterization OF
silver. We invite them to close inspection OF
the processes through which Thy reason of
the making of silver mere commodity Eng
land has been able to bring the farmers of the
United States into direct competition with the
wheat and cotton growers of India We call
their attention to the significant fact that the
three products viz silver, wheat and cotton
l-ar, .tDr; hair
headloug fall. each touching it's highest and
lowest point together We assert that the
falling off in prices of farm products is a direct
result of the characterization of silver and the
consequent contraction of volume OF good me-
Salhc money. A careful study of these facts
should. we affirm, make every farmer IN this
broad land an ardent advocate o: the cause Of
free silver.
I'VE charge that the act demonetizing silver
was almost equivalent to an act levyInS direct
tar upon the wheat and cotton growers and sill
Yer miners of the country equal to from 80 to 50
per cent of their product annually for the ben
eft OF the bondhoders and money dealers; for
sSGch an effect has been it's unseen and insidiouS
operation We further affirm that the con-
ts,antiy lowering prices of the staple farm prod
ncts of the land has IN turn served 10 curtail
production. to restrict growth and to discour-
age Hew enterprises thus diminishing the field
and decreasing the demand for labor to the det-
.-iment of the working classes OF the land And
se these evils, already so general and far reach
sag the enemies of silver money are now seek
SRg to add the further wrong of totally destroying
a great industry and throwing OUT of employ
-rncnt hundreds of thousands of men to whom the
loss of work means the destruction of their
homes and poverty and suffering for them
selves, their wives and children
sherman Law Not Blamed.
ave denounce as wholly absurd and absolute
1y false the charge that the Sherman act is re-
Sp.nsible for the present financial difficulties
which overwhelm the land. We admit that the
false cry raised against silver by the gold men
at \ time when a panic threatened has crea ted
= prejudice against the silver among the inter
ested and uniformed, but we emphatically a.
aert chat the outflow of gold during the pas,
fcw days is due solely and only to the fact tina;
The balance Of trade has during that period beer
,arainst us nearly s1OO 100 We say that had
there been no silver law in existence the gold
would have left us just the same. Amy child
con understand that as sold is the money with
which International balances are settled, If we
IN nation buy more goods than We sell we
must ship out our gold to pay the difference
Australia is passing through panic that ex
ss,cds own in the depression OF values and
xae amount OF insolvency. but Australia has nc
Sherman law. To what then are the financial
diaiculties in that continent to be ascribeds
Cost in Producing Silver.
ave deny as wholly unfounded the statement
50 often made that silver can be produced at 4.
cents or less an ounce Such assertions prove
nothing except the ignorance Of tho persons
znaking them We make the statement, based
s1poo practical knowledge acquired in gold and
=SSiirer mining running over a period OF many
years, that every ounce OF silvs. produced in the
Uaited States has cost more than 81 - pei
ounce. To appreciate this statement one mus,
nave seen the numbcress shafts sunk upon IN
hills which never ounce NJ N,