The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-30


answered. We were disappointed The
Chronicle complained that like others
who favor the gold standard We asked
too many questions. and intimated that
we resorted to questions to hide our ig-
norance. We submit this was hardly fair
treatment Even if the Chronicle thought
US ignorant 1t was hardly courteous TO
say SO. II would have been kinder to
have answered our questions and permit
ted its readers to draw their own
conclusion as 20 whether or not we are IL
norant.
The Chronicle does not seem 10 realize
that # has put itself in a position to be
asked questions. It proposes that there
shall be free coinage Of silver at the pres
ent ratio, while we object unless 1t be
by agreement with other gold standard
nations. believing that without such agree
ment this country would be forced to the
silver standard Having made this PROPOSE
ton. the Chronicle is bound 20 answer ques-
tions as to whether free silver coinage
would be for the best interest of the
country. Its complaint against us. there
fore for asking questions does not seem
to us to be just one. While il may be
true that we are ignorant of salts
factory reasons for free silver coinage,
it does not follow that we are ignorant of
the question which we have invited the
Chronicle to consider.
We are not surprised that the Chronicle
avoids answering our question as to why.
in declaring there has been a great fau
in prices owing to the decentralization of
silver il mentions only two farm products
viz, wheat and cotton. We called stten-
ton to the price of corn, which is a
greater farm product than either wheat or
cotton. and asked the Chronicle why it
was. that II the decentralization OF silver
caused the decline in the prices Of wheat
and cotton, it did not also cause a de-
cline I'm the price of corn; and to corn we
might have added many other farm prod
ucts, such as oats. pork, lard and hay, all
Of which are great farm products. We
can think of only one reason why the
Chronicle avoided answering our question
frankly. and that is. that IT could not do
so without demolshing its whole argu-
ment in behalf Of free silver coinage.
In this connection we call attention to
Mr.. Edward Atkinson's challenge, viz.
that not a single staple article of agricul-
ture or manufacturing can be pointed out.
in which the reduction in the cost of
production or distribution will no..
more than account for any reduction
in price which had occurred between 1873
and 1892. Doubtless the Chronicle has
seen this challenge. II 1t has not 1t
gives us pleasure now to call its atten-
ton to it, and to ask why none of the
silverites has accepted it? We are sure
this isn't a hard question, and we hope
the Chronicle won't think we are ignor-
ant for asking it?
The Chronicle says IT thinks our cur
rency is safe, but not honest 1t is not
honest, in the Chronicles opinion, be-
cause a dollar is worth 50 cents more
now than it was twenty years ago. The
Chronicle measures the value of "a dollar
by it's purchasing power. Has the Chron-
icle compared the purchasing power at
this time Of gold dollar with the pur-
chasing power of gold dollar of twenty
or even forty years ago? 1t does not
appear that 1t has. A dollar to-day will
not purchase more labor than 1t did TWEEN
ty or forty years ago. nor win it purchase
more corn, or beef or pork or lard and a
vast variety of other articles. There are
some articles that are cheaper now, but
it is easy to explain why they are cheaper
without any reference to silver. The
Chronicle says that a cotton farmer who
produces forty bales of cotton n year got
5000 for his cotton twenty years ago and
he gets only $1,000 now. But does that
prove that the dollar at present is not an
honest dollar? The farmer who produces
corn or.pork, or cats, or lard, gets more
for his product now than he did twenty
years ago. Does the Chronicle mean to
say that the dollar now is a dishonest
dollar measured by the products of the
cotton farmer. and an honest dollar meas
ured by the products of the corn farmer?
1t seems to us that the Chronicle swamps
itself in a maze of absurdities.
We asked the Chronicle if it believed
that a silver dollar would continue 10
have the same purchasing power as a
gold dollar if our minis were thrown open
to the free coinage of silver, and it an
swers that it does, and as a reason FOR
believing so it says: Possibly it is be-
cause we do not feel that it is necessary
TO accept the dictum of men whose inter
ests all impel them to hold to the con-
trary." We admit that this is reason
that is unanswerable. When a man says
he believes thing because he wants to
believe st, argument might as well cease.
7 And that is just about where all the sill
verites fetch up. When driven into a
| corner and shown that their position is
not tenable they get stubborn and de
clare they will not be convinced they arc