The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-03-07

time to reach the public mind and
conscience; but we must have the
names and pOst-offiice addresses. We
cannot make successful fight this
fall without such lists. Look to it
friends, send them to "The REPREs-
ENTATIvE, 673 Wabasha St; St. Paul
Minn." We can carry the state this
fall ifevery man does his duty. l. D.
The Money Question.
l have received the following letter
from prominent alliance man:
TRIUMPH, Mimi, Feb. Is. 1894.
HON. 1GNATIUs DONNELLY,
DEAR SIR:-The members of our
Alliance are somewhat split up on
the monetary question, and are
among themselves discussing the
above question. To give us more
light upon the subject will
you please give, through the columns
Of the REPRESENTATIVE, your idea
relative to which kind of money is
best for the country? The green
back system, or gold and silver?
Trusting you will grant me this re-
quest. | remain yours fraternally,
JOHN TILLMAN.
Gold and silver are commodities, as
much as wheat or pork. Suppose
some ancient superstition had i'm
posed on mankind the belief that
money could only consist of the fet-
locks or hoofs of cattle and sheep,
(there was such a currency in ancient
days., and this became, like other
superstitiOns, ingrained in the blood
of the race. Why not? In fact that
currency would be better than gold
and silver, for it could be expanded
in proportion to the growth of popu-
lation. The more business there was
the more cattle could be raised
while the supply of the so-called
ed, and may in few years be abso-
lutely cut off.
There is an interesting article in
the February "Forum' from which
/ quote:
"Professor Soetbeer, an acknowl-
edged authority, has shown that, of
the large production of the decade
1S5l-1S6O, fully so per cent was used
as money, but that of the smaller
product of the half-decade 1SS1-18S5,
only 25 per cent was used as money,
Is per cent having been boarded or
used in the arts. And although the
production has steadily increased
since 1883, Professor Suess, Of Vienna,
a celebrated geologist, a translation
of whose latest book, "The Future of
Silver" was recently printed as a
Senate document, states that the an
natdl production of gold is nOaU almost all
If not entirely used IN the arts and hoard
ed, and that IN the near future the produc-
ton aoiU decrease permanently, and so
seriously that gold cannot continue
to be used as mOney-metal in the
course of few centuries"
And in the same article the writer
gives this table:
cit might not be uninteresting to
note how largely the great banks in
creased their holdings of gold coin
since 1880.
1880.
Bank of England, Scotch
and Irish banks. ...... $158, ,0OO, 900
Bank of France. e........ 113,OOO,O00
German Reichsbank. -. 100000
Imperial Russian Bank 10000, 900
Total. ;. $453, ZOO, 900
1885.
Bank of England, Scotch
and Irish banks. ...... $141 ZOO, 900
Bank of France. ......... 231 900, 900
German Reichsbank. 92,0O0,0O0
Imperial Russian Bank. 136, 100000
Total. =. 5000 ,Ooo, 900
1890.
Bank of England, Scotch
and Irish banks. ...... 1856, 100000
Bank of France. ....... 224 200, 900
German Reichs shank. -. 132,OOO,OOO
Imperial Russian Bank. 168,OOO,O0O
Total. !. $3.50, ,ooo, 900
1898.
Bank of England, Scotch
and Irish banks. ...... $188, 200, 900
Bank of France. ....... 100000
German Reichsbank. 17O,OO0,00O
Imperial Russian Bank. 325,OO0,OOO
Totals. 81, ,O23, ,OOO, 900
The writer of the article,-a gold
advOcatea,-dds:
''These figures certainly show any,
thing but scarcity of gold, at least
as far as these countries are con-
cerned."
True; but it is gold concentrated
in the banks, and as much beyond
the reach of the average man as if it
were buried in the earth, or turned
into ornaments for princes. 1t is as if
one would tell the farmer of western
Kansas, whose crops were perishing
for want of rain, that there was just