Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-07-19

To vote against free coinage of silver
because it would help silver mine own
ers would be as bad logic as to vot,
against prohibition because if enforced
il would iniure brewers and d:stillers
We may grant that it would, but what
boom it would be 10 the people, what
an uplifting of humanity. if they would.
As they easily can, if they will stop the
drink trade in alcoholic liquors.
am sure am in no sense an enemy
to England, neither do | mean to be a
ranter against capital, but do not be-
lieve it wise for us to allow England To
control ou' financial policy in the in
terest of her creditor. class, and the
question comes 10 every American in
this shape: Shall we allow England
and Wall Street to control our money
system in The interest of class. the
large moneyed interest that loans money
and that makes every effort of shrewd
bargains and class Legislation to extract
every cent it can from labor, or shall
we break loose from this domination
and run America for Americans, and
each of us consecrate his life 10 good
and independent citizenship, that the
reign of the real people may begin and
the reign of capital through corpora
tons, combines, and place-hunting pol
iticians cease.
| do not urge that free coinage at l6
to l would be remedy for all our ills,
but it would tend in the right direction
and all would end well. Let Us at
once declare for it. and by every means
in our power seek trade with the silver
countries of the world; with Spain,
Mexico, South America, China, Japan,
and India. The recent war between
China and Japan has opened immense
facilities for trade, and America, as 4
silver nation, il you please, will have a
far better chance for commerce there
than a gold standard nation.
Bear in mind that no nation ever,
from the dawn of creation, has suffered
bankruptcy or loss from an inflated
currency consisted of either gold or sill
yer, or both.
Do not worry about national bank
ruptcy and repud alton flowing from
restoring silver to its old place, nor fear
evil results from foreign silver coming
here 10 be coined. How can Americans
be injured by having too much silver
money? Gold, it is said, would all 90
abroad, disappear, and foreign silver
come here. If silver is to DO the worth
less badge of bankruptcy, we are told,
why should foreigners send it here
They would not bring it here to give
away. If it comes here il would be
because it is worth more here than
there. Our government does not now
maintain silver at parity with gold
any more than it does the paper dollar.
Its single standard policy requires 1t to
exchange gold for greenbackS or silver
without reference to intrinsic value.
But gold would hide. Gold would all
20 abroad, and We are tod, dire results
would follow, If gold should all 60 out
of circulation, that would be all the bet
ter for silver, and If all comes here from
other countries, then what would they use
to pay US for our wheat pork and other
exports manlfestly they would have to
pay us in gold and thus we should get it
back. No one need worry about gold
hiding. Every owner of money, whether
gold or silver, will keep it at work, unless
it, as now pays better to hoard it, With
plenty Of gold in Europe there will be
pay for our wheat there. Prices will be
better there rs wei, as here.
The objection to changing the ratio and
putting larger amount OF silver in the
dollar is primarily based on this: Running
the centuries back to 1900 years b. c., we
find the ratio between gold and silver as
to l3. 33; 800 years b. c., II was as ! to 10;
20 years b. G. il was as / to - For 1900
years b c silver at no time fell below
rs. 80 to / of gold. After the coming of
Christ, for the next 400 years silver did
not 60 below the ratio of IA. 40 to of gold
From l491 to 1850, at no place in the var
ious countries Of the world did it fall be.
low the ratio of - 30 to of gold.
For 1876 years prior to 1873 the ratio Of
silver to gold ranged from 1874 to /, in
1857 to II - to in 1913, the greatest sep
aration occurring in 1913, when the ratio
appears to have been - to of gold.
During this time great changes in the rela
tive production of the two metals took
place yet they were maintained in the re.
lation named at a substantial parity.
After silver was demonctized in 1873,