Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-24
QUESTIONS FOR sILyERITEs.

HE SO-calleQ arguments VI ZIG ASs
coinage shouters consist mainly OF de-
n~unciations of the "crime OF 1878"
and abuse of the gold bugs and money
sharks. When asked for aplain state
ment of the effects of their cheap dol
lar scheme they dodge and wriggle, but
refuse to give a straight answer. So
long as they conine themselves to ac-
counts of the good times which they
allege will follow the adoption OF free
coinage, they may make some converts
But as soon as their p~retences are
punctured by sharp interrogation
points, they collapse and are heard OF
no more. When q believer in hones
money is urged to vote for enriching
silver mine owners at the expense OK
the whole people let him ask the sill
yerite some Of these questions:
I. Has any intelligent business man
with the knowledge of the laws which
govern prices, ever given an opinion
that by opening its minis to the I'M
limited coinage Of silver at 10 to l the
United States could raise the COM
mercial value of silver fifty per cent?
2. Is there a country in the world
which permits the free coinage oil Sill
yer at any ratio, which has not a silver
standard for its currency?
3. Is it not a fact that the great ma
jority of the business men merchants.
manufacturers, etc. of the country.
who are the men who carry on Its
commerce and industry, are IN favor
of our present standard Of value?
4. Is not the movement for free
coinage largely due to the selfish mo-
tives of silver producers acting
through designing politicians?
5. Would not the adoption OF a free
coinage policy by the United States
drive all of the gold out of this coun-
try. thus contracting the currency
over 5000, 900, 900?
G. II so-and that such would be the
result is generally admitted by all
leading silverites-would not the effect
be at once to bring about widespread
insolvency, business depression, and
general disaster?
7. Would not the result OF putting
this country on the silver basis be
that debtors would be enabled to re-
pudiate one-half of their debts, and IL
so, would that not be equal to robbing
creditors of one-half Of the money
they had loaned?
s. Is there any country which has
the silver standard in which wages are
not far lower than in gold standard
countries?
9. Would not free coinage, by dou-
bling prices las based on cheap silver
money. reduce wages in this country
through the doubled cost of every
thing the wage Garner must buy?
10. Admitting that on the silver
standard the farmer would get higher
prices for his wheat, ETC., would he
not have to pay more for everything
he bought in exchange for his pro-
ducts? If so, how would he be beneI
flied?
IL. If the farmers can Justly ask the
Government to adopt n currency sys-
TEN which will enable them to repu-
date one-half of their debts, would
not the men who own nothing be en-
titled to have the Government take
away half of the farmers property
and give it to those who have none?
~. If cutting the value of the dol
lar in two would be a public benefit,
why not quadruple prices by making
twenty-ive-cent dollars?
Is. How would the man who now
has no money be able to get some
without working for it if we had free
silver?
IA. Under free coinage would IL
not be the silver producers, and not
the Government, who would regulate
the volume of currency?