The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-10-10

creature of the law. it may be made
from any substance the lawmakers
select and of any value they may de-
termine. If to create dollar, govern
ment has only to print on a piece of
paper, this is one dollar. it would only
require difference Of figures to make
it one Thousand dollars. Therefore, in
stead of stamping on the standard sill
yer dollar, Sin God we trust, one dol
lar" a simple change of the dies would
make it, "in God we trust, twenty dol
Iars," and twenty dollars it would be-
In the fiat money doctrine there can be
no conception of ratio. All substances
are at absolute parity. Populists
would probably vote for the free coin
age of gold and silver at ratio of 16
TO l, not because they believe that to
oe the true ratio, not because they be-
.ieve in metallic money at all, but be-
cause they are in favor of more money
Under every and all circumstances.
they inserted free coinage into their
platform for political purposes only.
The Populist monetary scheme does
away entirely with the idea of intrinsic
value, so, clearly, there can be no ratio
# values between abstract, intangible.
Jalueless nothings. The Populist doc
,rine has some queer phases. To illus
rate: No Popullst will deny that by its
lat alone government can impart
value. Now we will suppose that gov
srnment takes piece of paper and as
serts on its face, "this is one dollar"
Admitted by all Populists. it is essen
TALLY and unequivocally one dollar,
Using the same piece of paper. goverl,-
nent erases the one dollar and prints
instead thereof one hundred dollars
Truly, it is one hundred dollars. That
is fiat doctrine pure and simple, by the
operation of which one dollar is in
stantlv increased one hundred fold.
That piece Of paper is now one hundred
good, legal tender dollars, and every
sound Populist will swear by it. Well,
why can't government take one pig
and stamp on his back one hundred
pigs and work the same sort of a
miracle? That would only be another
application of the same power. Fairly,
then, the Populist record, If there were
one on this subject, would show abso.
lutte decentralization of both gold and
silver and a bounteous issue of rag
money. We are not questioning the
correctness Of the Popqlist theory; we
simply make fair statement of facts
and leave readers to draw their own
conclusions. Summing up the whole
matter and hasing the result on facts in
history we have this condition.: On the
silver question, the Populist ratio stands
everything against, nothing for; Demo
cratic ratio, six against, a trace for; Re
publican ratio. one against, two favor.
| able. This is an impartial showing on
naked facts. There has been no at,
tempt at misrepresentation or discolor'
alton. If anything, it is favorable tc
the Republican party; yet, we frankly
admit that the Republican party is
not wholly blameless. Judging from
the past, however. it is but fair to infer
that any legislation favorable to silver
| will probably come from the same
source that gave US the Allison anG
Sherman laws. Populists do not be-
lieve in metallic money at all, except
for platform purposes; Democrats are
wholly converted to English finances
and economics and believe in the golC
standard as piously as in free trade
hence, there is little hope for the re-
Mobilization Of silver except through
the Republican party.