The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-08-04
THEY WANT SILVER.
An Urgent Appeal from the Miners
of Montana.
The Agricultural Glasses Are Warned Of
the Depreciation of Their Prod
ucts-The History OF silver
Legislation.

The leading citizens of Butte. Mont,
held 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 citisens 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 q 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 smelserS are
now idle and labor unemployed; notwithstand-
ing that their property values have been largely
destroyed and their credit greatly impaired
they are to-day, as they have ever been in the
past loyal citizens of the republic, devoted to
its institutions obedient to its laws, loving and
cherishing its traditions and history, and proud
of its magnificent achievements.
1--WE assert with all sincerity that although 1t
directly and most injuriously affects one OF our
principal industries. and one that has formed
in great part the basis Of our prosperity, we
yet would not advocate the full recognition and
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 god 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 asser-
ton we challenge contradiction, that for cen
turtles, and before legislation undertook to con-
troll and direct its 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. She
was even then the creditor nation Of the world,
and her financiers foresaw that this policy
would enhance the value OF gold and render
IL harder for other nations to pay her what
they owed For nearly sixty years thereafter
France, the Latin union and the United
States maintained the parity of the two
metals. In 1871 Germany, flushed with
her victory over France and her treasury
filed with Frances ransom of sl.OOOOOO,OOO
in gold determined to demonetize silver.
Uncle sam locomotives 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 1879, the
Latin union, deprived of the support OF the
United States and Germany. stopped the coin
age Of silver. In 1892 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 a 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 seventy-seven years.
1t proves conclusively that legislation is d.
rectly responsible for the destruction Of silver
as money. We therefore ask in the name Of
simple Just ce that legislation now restore it to
its rightful place in the currency OF our country
We state, without fear OF contradiction, that
the act of 1873 which struck down silver, was
passed 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 clause. Such statements Of Garfield,
voorhees,. Blaine, and many others, are upon
the records of their respective houses emphat-
ically denying any knowledge Of that provision
OF the act So that we charge that II was done
without discussion or debate either in congress,
through the press, or upon the platform. There
fore it was a 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 Glasses.
1--WE most earnestly appeal TO the agricul-
tural classes Of our country and beg them 10
look into the history Of silver legislation and
the frightful consequences which have fol-
lowed the act of 1873 We call upon them 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,
have about kept pace with each other in their
headlong fall. each touching its highest and
lowest point together. We assert that the
falling of in prices Of farm products is direct
result of the characterization Of silver, and the
consequent contraction Of volume OF good me-
tallic money. A careful study Of these facts
should. we affirm. make every farmer in this
broad land an ardent advocate Of the cause Of
free silver.
I'VE charge that the act demonetizing silver
was almost equivalent to an act levying direct
tax upon the wheat and cotton growers and sill
yer miners Of the country equal 10 from 80 to 50
per cent Of their product annually for the ben
eft OF the bondholders and money dealers; for
such an effect has been its unseen and insidious
operation We further affirm that the con-
stantly lowering prices OF the staple farm prod
ucts OF the land has turn served 10 curtail
production. To restrict growth and TO discour
age new enterprises. thus diminishing the field
and decreasing; the demand for labor 10 the det-
r.aent of the working classes of the land And
to ,Sese evils, already general and far reach
ing ,Se enemies of silver money are now seek
ing to nd the further wrong of totally destroying
a great r'dustry and throwing ous Of employ
ment hurv. .rds OF thousands Of men to whom the
loss of wors means the destruction OF their
homes and ;~averty aud suffering for them
selves, their WINS and children
sherman Law Not Blamed.
ave denounce as wholly absurd and absolute
ly false the charge tina; the Sherman act is re-
spuusible for the present financial difficulties
which overwhelm the land We admit that the
false cry raised against silver by the gold men
| at a time when q panic threae ned has created
a prejudice against the silver among the inter-
ested and uniformed, but we elnphatically az
sert that the outflow Of gold dur,ng the past
few days is due solely and only to the fact that
the balance OF trade has during that pe.,od been
against us nearly slOO,OOo.OO0 We say that had
there been no silver law in existence thu gold
would have left us just the same. Any child
can understand that rs gold is the money wish
which international balances are settled, II We
| as nation buy more goods than We sell we
must snip Out OuT sOii W Pay tHc
| Australia is passing through a panic that ex-
ceeds our own in the depression OF values and
the amount Of insolvency. but Australia has no
| Sherman law. To what then are the financial
difficulties in that continent to be ascribeds
Cost in Producing Silver.
1--WE deny as wholly unfounded the statement
| so often made that silver can be produced at 40
cents or less an ounce. Such assertions prove
nothing except the ignorance OF the persons
lriu We alr, he haSPd
| upon practical knowledge acquired in gold and
| silver mining running over period OF many
years, that every ounce Of silver produced in the
| United States has cost more than 81 . per
ounce. To appreciate this statement one must
| have lived in mining communities. He must
| have seen the numberless shafts sunk upon IN
| counted hills, in which never an ounce OF pay
| ing mineral has been discovered. He must