Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-11-08
ST. John ON ATKINSON.

The Hon. Edward Atkinson of Boston hav-
ing played such a conspicuous part III the
recent bankers convention, and assuming to
he fullv competent to instruct the untutored
west touching the proper course to be pursued
on the money question, am reminded OF an
article of his published in the Toledo Blade
Auq. IL, 1905, the two closing paragraphs OF
which were as follows:
"The present undertaking OF those who adj
vocate the free coinage of silver dollars at
sixteen dollars of silver to one OF gold is an ell
fort TO put upon the community product OF
silver of which 81 in gold will buy over thirty
two pounds in bullion. 1t is proposed to stamp
the thirtv-two pounds into thirty-two dollars,
and. under the fiat of the government, to force
the community to take these dollars which cost
less than so cents each at the rate OF 100 cents
That would put profit into the hands OF the
owners of silver mines of over $3o,oooooo
wear at the cost of the community. Heads we
win. tails YOU lose, is their motto. Those WHO
exnect CAPITAL to be lent Oh such basis OF
iepal-tender cheap money seem to think that
the owners Of capital are imbeciles, while those
who propose to borrow at 100 cents and to pay
back in cheap money which costs but so cents
on a dollar each may be trusted only as safely
as other rouges might be- There is no ground
for the implication that all capitalists are i'm
beetles or that money borrowers are rogles.
The advocates of this policy will soon be eX-
nosed TO derision and their effort will he re-
iected with contempt.
eff any of these dogmatic propositions are
contested | shall be prepared to sustain either
nv separate evidence. If any one is rash enough
TO contest any one OF the propositions which |
have submitted herein, let him be very sure to
cite his authority and to give proofs, else he will
be brought to grief i'll very summary way and
at very short notice. y
Now the good people of Kansas for years past
have been laboring under the impression that
the familiar term 70 to simply meant the coin
aoe of standard silver dollar, the WEIGHT OF sin
teen gold dollars. But now this financial edu-
Gator and single gold standard advocate puts us
to shame and lays bare our ignorance by telling
rs that it means the coinage of silver dollars
at sixteen dollars of silver to one of gold.
In contemplation of the warning givenin the
closing paragraph of the distinguished gentle
mans article herein quoted, it is with fear and
trembling that venture to Contest his toto l
theory, and also deny that there is any section
of our country, political party or individual,
who is fool enough to demand the coinage OF
silver Oh any such basis, and now call for his
"separate evidence" In view of the fact that
the coinage of sixteen dollars OF silver to one OF
GOLD would greatly increase the demand for the
white metal, would be much obligedif he would
tell us just how it would happen that the
Purchasing power of 81 i'll gold would equal
thirtv-two pounds of silver bullion. And, while
he Is about it, will he please locate the idiot who
proposes to 'stamp the thirty-two pounds into
thirty-two dollars" thus givingus silver dollars
weighing one pound each. And no doubt the
silver miners out west would b. delighted to
know lust how they could make profit of cover
$40. 600, oooa year" furnishing the country with
these pound dollars at so or even 100 cents each.
No doubt Mr. Atkinson will promptly produce
his "separate evidence" to sustain his PROPOSE
tions, as he is great man and he will not deny it,
and if he does | refer him TO to his own estimate
of himself in his closing paragraph. lnasmuch
as | have been crash enough to contest" his
proposition am now ready to be drought to
grief in very summary way and at very short
notice. John p. ST. JOHN i'll ChicagoRecord.
ROCKEFELLER has given another $4,000, 900
to the Chicago University, and Carnegie has
given another million to the Pittsburgh library.