The Washington times., 1894-04-29
The Peoples
90 Forum.
MIR. ROGERS VIEW.

Some Suggestions As to How the Silver
Question Might be Settled.
To the Editor of THE TINEs.
Last Summer was patient listener to the ar
guments advanced by Senators on the financial
depression then. as now, prevailing throughout
the United States, and was led almost to believe
that when our country was put on gold
monometallic basis that the natio.ial bank
ers and money lenders throughout the land
would erect booths on the street corners and
peddle their gold like fahirs In fact, they would
be so anxious TO loan and invest that not only
every old industry then closed but new ones
would start anew, wages would increase, ana
workingnen would be compelled TO work twelve
10 eighteen hours day to supply the product oil
their labor, the demand would be so great
But thought o. the worlds product OF pre-.
cious metals and wondered if this could be true
Again, wondered il the money changers had
become more humane ami generous since our
Saviour thrashed them out OF the temple ~'Voo
years ago
Since then have closely examined Dr. Adolph
Soetbeer's tables of the worlds product since
1893 down TO 1885 and Director OF the MINT
Ieech's estimate from 1885 to 1S92, and ind that
the gold product of all these years has only been
in money value S. 204. .9)3 ,00O while silver dur
ing the same period reached only S9,l20,U's'uOo
1t is well known that the annual product OF the
mines is only about Sl0600O,OO0 in gold, and that
not less than s 600 900 of this is annually used In
fine arts So 1t is impossible to increase the err
cuation of gold not more than SsS,OUOVo yearly.
caused the s.low-grade" mines to shut down also
These "low-grade" mines (the product OF whlcn
is gold silver and lead) produced nearly one
half of the gold during the past twenty years. so
the gold increase in money annually now is not
to exceed S20000,000 and our population IN TINS
hemisphere increasing at Maud ; gait
II is now time for the common people To right-
about-face and take an inventory OF 'where we
are at" and do a little thinking and voting for
themselves outside OF moss back hnes' % other
wise the skilled laborer OF America VIII be IN a
worse condition within ten years time than his
English cousin
By the way, a. Maine statesman said last
February in the House in discussing the tariff
that sthe American workngman received SLIGO
a day for his labor and had 60 cents day above
his actual expenses TO buy tneries and Injuries
for his family, while the Engnsh worklngman
received only 81 per day
few more years of corporation and watered-
stock rule in Congress will completely obliterate
the .6gcents-a-day-f neries-and-luxuries" for the
American workingman.
What is the remedy, you ask?
Why educate the toling masses to the true
situation, educate them in finances, in gov
ernmental ownership and control, in co-opera-
tion, and they will soon send men to Congress
that do not have TO get tips from Wall street
and Lombard street to whether they shall
represent their constituents or the watered
stocks of Wall street
France has less paupers and millonaires than
any of the large nations to-day, and France is
not a silver-producing country; yet it has in cir
culation: Silver, SlOO,OO0,OOO: gold, S90O,OO0UOo,
and only sSl 402 600 of unprotected paper, with a
per capita circulation of S431l Our country,
free (?) America is both gold and silver pro-
ducer, and yet we have i2e,39u,OOO in unpro-
fected paper in circulation, while our gold
amounts TO only S6S7 100000 and silver only
$3.50 O0.000. and per capita of S25.62
Even ancient China, that has 10 purchase silver
bullion from foreign countries TO coin its haik-
vans and shanghais, has no unprotected paper
whatever but has in circulation S7OO.OOO,UOO in
silver S146 100000 more than the United States,
q silver-producing country.
Now. there is but one solution: Give us back
the dollars of our daddies." Throw the mints
open to the free and unlimited coinage OF both
silver and gold alike, and double the capacity OF
the mints, run them night and day, until the
gold and silver in circulation reaches 800 per
capita This will stimulate mining and put ZOO
0OD miners to work, and their labor in the mines
will be the means of putting 100000 more rail-
road men TO work in moving the ores to the
smelters, refners and iiuXing works. which Will
give employment to 1O0OO0 more. ON these Co.,
900 laborers who Will be put work are dependent
for bread about 100000 mouths.
But this is not all 1t will require millions of
dollars worth of improved machinery TO operate
these mines; it will require millions OF dollars
worth OF railroad supplies to move the ores tfor
new roads and new spurs will be builD, and
wooden and cotton goods and hats and shoes viii
all be required, and they will all come from the
manufactures of New York, New England, and
Pennsylvania. Then the demand will be so
great that once more cotton and wheat viii vie
with each other as TO which shall be king, and
even the sheep raiser will not have to shear his
sheep backwards because he will not have to
clip so close but that he can look the sheep
square in the face.
If the middle or common class of people will
study the situation and the advantages of free
and unlimited coinage OF silver and gold tand we
had both up to 1873, when we surrendered body
and soul TO the national bankers, am sure they
will retire to oblivion great many States
men q next November
Until this is done there will be Coxey armies
tramping from city to city and stalwart skilled
mechanics begging bread from door TO door.
Workingman, the ballot is your remedy. VIII
you execise your God-giyen right or viii you con-
tinue TO be serfs TO shylocks:
j. B. ROGERS