The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-08-25
THE QUESTION OF RATIO.

I'LL So@oAA OAN ~ A>1AAAOs
To the average individual the re-
ports which come from Washington
regarding the final settlement of the
financial question, must mingle disap-
pointment with hope. One day the
reports state that the silver men are
sure of winning, and the next day the
anti-silver men are in the swim. 1t
is not probable, however, that the
situation has changed great deal in
Washington since congress convened.
Reliable reports indicate that
the repeal will have the right of way
in the house by good majority, and
men WHO are in position to know,
because they have made canvass of
the situation state that it is sure of
seven or eight majority in the senate,
the greatest difficulty it will have to
meet there will be in getting date
set for vote.
No doubt a few Democrats who
have heretofore been in favor of free
silver, but who have been won over in
favor of unconditional repeal by the
distribution of patronage at the
hands OF the administration, have be-
come little weak when beset by the
silverites, but as Growers hand bears
down heavily upon them, and their
appointments, which have not yet
been confirmed by the senate, are
threatened. they will undoubtedly fall
into line again, as nothing strikes
fear at the heart of the average Dem
ocratic politician, like the thought of
being left out at the distribution of
the spoils.
For several days, however, there
loomed up little cloud, that for a
while looked as though it might de-
yelope into dangerous tendencies.
This was the offer to compromise at a
ratio of 20 to l. 1t is, strange how
some men are led off with an offer
which does not make the matter much
better than they find it. They will
concede that free coinage at the ratio
of 16 to | is dangerous one for the
country and would drift in short
time to silver basis. If the contin.
uation of 60 cent dollar would soon
drive the country to a silver basis il
is strange how. the increasing of it tt
a 72 cent dollar by ratio of 20 TO
vii, help the mattaar.a gre,et dea II
fact any dollar which is light weight
will in time prove dangerous one
and should not be accepted as a per
manent feature in our financial sys
tenn.
There oughtin fact to be no shift
ing in the matter Of ratio, without al
international agreement which would
allow silver to circulate freely withou
loss to the people of any country wht
might possess it.
1t is gratifying to note, however
that the matter of an increase in tn,
ratio is likely to fall of it's own weight
Washington reports state that SOM
of the silverites led by Congressman
Bryan, of Nebraska, are OBJ
jecting to it on the ground that i
would be conceding to the claims o
the anti-silverites, and that the
will drop back and stand for a 16 to
ratio. If this report proves true i
will help to solve the difficulty, though
there does not seem to be great dea
of danger that it would have succeed
ed in the house, but it might, if speI
sisted in, have complicated matter
somewhat IN the senate, where it
acknowledged on all sides that tn
majority for unconditional repeal vii
be somewhat close.
There is one particular point cou
, pied with the 20 to l ratio whicl
looks peculiar to say the least, an
that is the claim that with coinage a
that ratio the mining of silver woul
, prove profitable. In other words
people would continue to believ
, that Is cents worth of silver made on
dollar it would pay to continue tn
mining of silver, but if full dollar
worth of silver is demanded i
would not pay. If the farme
should make the same kim
of a nlea regarding wheat, an,