Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-08-08
HAeiT AND OPINION.


Their Influence In ShapImg Sentiment -
to silver.
In considering the general attitude
of east and west upon the silver ques-
tion, too little weight has been given,
we are convinced, to the power OF hab-
it. The two sections are as different
in their use of small change, rs it they
were two distinct countries. Here in
the west, the silver dollar 10 in uni-
versal circulation. For al sums of less
than s. it is the common tender. Peo-
pie have got over their old objection to
its weight and clumsiness They have
become accustomed to il, and it IL
nothing unusual for man tocarry half
a dozen or more in his pocket at time.
if he is the fortunate possessor of that
much ready cash Not only have small
bills practically disappeared from cir
culation in the west, but the people
have actually begun to object to them
There is steady demand on the ban1<s
and post offices for small quantities Of
these bill; but, save for few fastidious
persons who still prefer them, they are
mostly for the purpose of transmission
by mail These bills are dirty and in
convenient to handle. If placed in q
pocketbook, this has to be dragged ont
and the entire contents unfolded every
time the owner makes a small pur-
chase If carried loose in the pocket
dropped in making change without be-
ing noticed. On the whole, as a prac-
teal convenience, the people of this
part of the country have not only be-
come reconciled to the silver dollar,
but begin to give it the preference.
When. one goes east he finds all this
changed. There is the same reluctance
there to accepting silver money that
there was elsewhere when the big
coins were first put out by the minis
There are comparatively few in circu-
lation. In the stores, at the railroad
stations, everywhere that money is re-
ceived and paid, the hulk of it, for
small payments, consists of 81 and So
bills. If an attempt is a,ade to substi-
tute silver dollars for these, the strong
est objection is made. And in defer
ence to this popular custom the silver
dollar is kept out of circulation as far
as possible. This difference between
the two sections is not based upon any
attitude of the people toward the coin,
but it certainly does react upon it.
Each is governed solely by habit, and
each thinks that it is consulting its
own convenience exclusively. But the
result is that the silver dollar as the
actual money that passes from hand to
hand is most familiar to the one, while
to the other it is an interloper, if not
stranger. Consciously or uncon-
sciously, this use of daily life is
reflected in the disposition with which
they meet the agitation of the silver
question. One says that the money
with which most of his business is
done is good enough for him. The
other feels that he does not want to be
compelled to take any more of these,
to him, inconvenient pieces 1t is alb
surd enough that the disposition OF
the people toward great financial is
sue should be to any extent deter.
mined by so fanciful and irrational a
consideration as habit and prejudice.
Yet few men are naturally eager to
make study of finance for themselves.
The majority make up their minds ac-
cording to the daily habit of living
| and thinking. And we would not be
afraid to wager that q large proper
ton of the people have had their views
of the silver question decided by the
extent to which silver coins enter into
the active currency of the community
in which they live than have had their
beliefs determined by any of the books
or pamphlets put forth on either side
of the controversy.-St Paul Globe.
SILVER AND PROSPERITY.
Business Keeps Pace with the Prospects of
fha NJ In