Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-08
As to Parity"

The Columbus Enquirer San gets
back on the Democratic platform of
Chicago and the Democratic platform
of Georgia, but it performs the feat
with good deal of fioundering. Its
legs are tangled up with the term
"parity," and it scuff1es around con-
siderably in it's efforts to stand stiff and
straight.
Our contemporary appears to be in
so much trouble about the ''parity"
business that it hastens to ask the
Constitution whether it is in favor of
the free coinage of silver dollar that
is worth dollar Or in favor of the free
coinage of the "present sixty-four-cents
dollar" To which we reply that the
Constitution is in favor of the free coin
age of silver dollar that is worth a
dollar, and, as the present silver dol
lar, in spite of the market value of the
bullion that enters into it, is worth a
dollar and is received as such by the
Enquirer San and by everybody else,
we are in favor of the free coinage of
the present silver dollar. 1t will be
time enough, when silver bullion is re-
monetized and restored to it's place as
a money metal, to readjust the ratio.
In point of fact, it cannot be known
whether a readjustment is necessary
until the two metals are made equal
before the law and at the mints.
According to the gauge that the En-
quirer- Suaa has borrowed from the gold
bugs of the east, two silver half dollars
are not worth as much as a silver dol
lar. In point of fact, the two of them
together are worth something less than
55 cents. According to this gauge the
gold dollar was reduced in 1884 from
100 cents to SO cents. In 1853 the
weight of two half dollars was reduced
from 4124 to 3S4 grains of silver.
We mention these facts of history to
show first, that the ratio is not an af-
fair too sacred for the law to touch,
but is, in fact, regulated by the law
whenever it's regulation appears to be
necessary. 1t may happen that the
gold dollar will have to be clipped
again, as it was in 1884. When 1t
comes to adjusting the ratio and pro-
ducing parity, it is as easy to clip the
unit of the metal that is Over-valued
for money purposes as it is to add to
the unit of the metal that is under
valued.
We call the attention of the Eaaquir-
er- San to the fact that parity and the
ratio involve great many considera-
tions that the goldolators are inclined
to tlout. The. Commercial Bulletin
gives as the ground for the esurreptitious
'demonetization of silver the fact that it
was worth more than gold. 1t may be
that the people, in self-defense, will
demonetize gold. Such a course would
have thousand arguments in its favor
where the demonetization of silver in
1878 had none. In 1884 we clipped
our gold coin to make it stay at home,
and in 1858 we clipped our subsidiary
silver coins with like purpose in view.
Those who lift their hands in holy
horror and say the free coinage OF
silver would drive all our gold abroad
and place the country on a silver basis,
evidently do not understand the nature
and power of the legislation that the
people are able to employ to carry out
their views. The country was on a
silver basis until 1884. and on a gold
basis until 1873. Yet the country had
the double standard and prospered un-
der it. Bimetalism means the en-