People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-11-15
PARITY" NONSENSE.
Efforts OF the Two Old Parties to Side
track the Silver Question.

Lhorts VI ihe Two Old Partles to Side
track the Silver Question.
Anybody with three grains more
sense than doodlebug knows that the
more demand there is for anything, in
proportion to the supply, the higher
price it will bring. The more uses a
thing can be put to the more valuable it
is. The worlds production of silver is
Sl63, 900 per annum. Of this the
United States produces about Sos, OOO,-
600, and Mexico SIS, 100000 making
Sl90,0O0,0OO of the worlds product.
All the rest of the countries produce
but $4,000, 900, of which Great Britain.
with all her dependencies, produces
less than s1O,OOO,OOO. As long as the
United States had free silver coinage
the amount Of silver used to make a
dollar was worth 100 cents, for
the simple reason that it
would buy 100 cents worth
Of anything, or pay 100 cents worth of
debts, after it was coined, and it could
be coined free. Therefore the owner.
rather than take less than 100 cents for
it, would take it to the mint and have
it coined. Up to that time the de-
monetization of silver, in 1871 gold
and silver were on a parity with each
other at the ratio of 16 to and re-
manned so for eighty years, notwith-
standing England and other countries
had adopted the single gold standard
As long as we had free coinage of sill
yer all the surplus silver not used in
the arts was coined into money or bull
lion bars that passed current as money.
Those who used. silver in the arts.
therefore, had to pay the price it was
worth as money, 100 cents for the
amount it required to make a dollar.
When Congress demonetized silver, its
uses being limited and the de-
mand for it not so great, of
course it fell in price. This was
equivalent to throwing $4,000, 900 of
silver on the market to be used in the
arts when only s3O,OOO,OOO was re-
quired. There could be but one result
the fall in the price of silver. The
way to put it back on a parity with
gold is to restore free coinage at the
ratio fixed by our fathers. Why DOVE
want to wait on Great Britain? She
with all her provinces produces less
than S10,00O,0O0 of silver. Mexico
already has free coinage and is prosper
ing. If the United States would re-
sumo free coinage of $4,000, 900, or
about three fourthS of the worlds pro-
duct, England could not help herself.
We are told she owns American securi-
ties-bonds, stocks, etc. Suppose she
does. They are payable in American
money. Why should we let her dictate
what these securities should be paid
in? If we concede that they shall be
paid in gold, what guarantee have we
that her next demand will not be that
they be paid in diamonds? Why should
we shape our financial system to suit
her? The reason she demands gold is
not for the gold itself, but that the
adoption of that standard makes money
scarce and she is enabled to buy our
products low. That is what she wants.
but why we should want it is very
strange. The leaders of the two old
parties, having sold out to the bankers
of Wall and Lombard streets. now
seek to cover up their infamy under
the cry of international bimetallism' -
and parity" between gold and silver.
There is no other nation to consult be-
sides Mexico that produces any silver
to amount to anything. Why talk sill
yer coinage with nations that don't pro-
duce any silver to coin? There is lust one
way TO establish the parity" between
gold and silver at the old ratio of is
to }, that is to give them parity" of
treatment-trest them both alike. As
Mexico already has free coinage of sill
yer let the United States do the same
thing. There is a demand for more
money. Make money out of silver and
that will increase the demand for sill
yer, and of course restore the prices to
where it was when we had free coin
age. When man begins to talk lin
ternational bimetallism" put him
down for a fool or a demagogue.
When he talks parity" tell him to give
the two metals parity" of treatment.
J and if that don't work as it once did
then he can sing his song with soms
degree q consistency.