San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-05-05
Gold and Silver.
To the Daily LIGHT.

With your permission / desire to
discuss through your columns that
which is talked daily upon our
streets, and which seems to be the
all absorbant question, as to the
sGringency of the times, "what is
money ?" We all accept its true
definition, medium of exchange;
for the commodities OF a nation.
Now then, we are a nation of
Americans; we want a fat Ameri-
can money for home use; we want
gold for foreign trade; this we
hold sacred, to maintain trade
abroad, so that when we buy it is
in this precious metal, and as to
its intrinsic value, and we demand
gold for all our products. "But,"
says one, "this won't do. II we pay
gold for foreign goods how can we
sell to home trade for one price ?"
This is question l have heard
from able minds. We have a good
exchange certificate, to file and
leave with the treasurer certifying
that this exchange Is for foreign
trade only. 1t is at once received;
your fiat American currency is re-
ceived, gold exchanged with no
premium; why, because this is
our fortress of protection in these
relations. Then when we have
made our purchases, we at once re-
ceive as a medium of exchange
for our goods, our fiat money, let
that be greenbacks or silver, or
both. This constitutes our fiat
money. Again you say, suppose a
man makes this certificate ex-
change, but does not use it in buy
ing goods for home markets, and
does it not lessen the said protec-
ton in the treasury? Yes, but
is there not law for treason, and
are there not officers to guard the
interest of our government? One
more question:
Can gold, and silver, ever be on a
parity? l answer no. AS to the in
trinsic value never, gold is an ar
ticle Of greater scarcity than all
other metals, it is an article of
ornament, and as long as people
live, and wear jewelry, gold will
ever be of far greater value than
silver. 1 read in Exodus, away
back in that day, when a silver
vase was purchased, they paid
silver for it, and for a gold vase,
gold was paid. This evidences a
difference in the intrinsic value of
these two metals, even in that age,
before pride and dress asserted it.
self. But, how now; why, il 1t was
not for demonstration and a pub
lie expression of this pride, the
Sunday mornings paper or any
other paper would be wanting in
matter, perhaps, to fill their col
umns, and nowadays pride let's
them talk loudly of the fine dresses
and golden lace, and diamond
bedecked people who live to
proudly express their choice in
the value of these two precious
metals. In conclusion: AS
q physician, am called to see you.
The body Is sick; l look over you,
and find what functions are dis
turbed and what cause, or causes,
are creating this abnormal action,
thus make a clear diagnosis, the
cause has been reached, l apply a
remedy which will remove the OBJ
struction the blockade being lifted,
nature assumes her wholesome
laws, when the body is again placed
on the progressive track Of life.
Now then, the scarcity of
gold, and the desire Of
maintaining these two metals up
on parity, when there is no more
chance than to keep silver watch
and a gold watch, upon a parity,
as to their intrinsic or market
value, and as holding as an expecta-
ton of such is a bold absurdity,
Therefore, be it resolved, that our
Government take out the barrier
from our currency, and hold it for
protection only, issue plenty Of
fiat American money, and thereby
relieve the sick country from her
oppressed and distressed condition,
and as we had nothing after the
war but fat money, let us have it
again, for this is the only remedy.
l.. V. WEATHERS.
~s$
Of Different Types.