Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1895-11-08
A PLAIN SILVER ARGUMENT.

The silver dollar OF 1873 or the gold
dollar of 1893, which is friend TO the
labOrer and farmer?
Much has been said about the dishOn-
est dollar Many of our statesmen in
the Northeast who hold the same views
as the capitalist of England are in favor
of an honest dollar for the working
man. They are much alarmed over the
growing sentiment in the South and
West that favors bi-metallism. They
think it would be an outrage on the
working man to give him silver dollar
whose bullion value is only 30 cents.
The monometallist says, Let the Gov
ernment put a dollars worth of silver
in the silver dollar. We want honest
money" This single statement is the
greatest obstacle in the way of the free
coinage of silver The laboring man
says, THAT is fair: | am in favor or
free coinage: but / want a dollars
worth Of silver put into the dollar.
This statement that the dollar must
have dollars worth of silver in it APP
pears to be fair and honest when we
first read IT, But little reflection will
show it to be full of fraud and decep-
ton.
Within the last four years l have
talked to not less than 100 different
men on the subject of free coinage.
and nine out OF ten wanted silver as
money; but wanted the dollar TO con-
tain n dollars worth of silver. Six
Years ago took up the study of finance
so | might vote intelligently on that
subject. | soon became bi-metallist.
In order TO know the strong points
which the monometalliSt presents L
read several books on that side ana
found that they all suggested that the
silver dollar should contain dollars
worth of silver. Now. if you believe III
the free coinage of gold and silver at
the ratio of IL to | you must believe
that 412la grains OF silver comes as near
making an honest dollar rs % $40
grains of gold | believe that. Then |
believe that | must answer the ques-
ton why should we not put SD grains
of silver into the silver dollar. The
statement-that the silver dollar should
contain a dollars worth of silver-suG-
geSted these questions To me:
Why is it that - $40 grains of gold
is worth Just 81. no more nor no less:
Why is it that - SO grains of gold
always make an honest dollar: Can
the gold men prove their assertion that
p $40 grains OF gold is always an hon
est dollar. and that i12l4 grains of sill
yer makes 4 dishonest dollar: These
questions suggested the following ques-
lions TO me: What is money? What is
its function? Answer to the first queS-
ton: Money is an instrument created
by law TO represent property. goods or
labor in condensed form. Answer to
the second: The function of money Is
10 assist people and nations in the eX-
change of values. | wish To emphasize
this statement that the exchange func-
ton of money is the only one that con
Germs us. There is not 81 in S1.OO0.DO
that is earned for the material of which
il is made. They are earned simply to
exchange for something else. The next
question that presents itself is this:
What is honest money. or In other
words an honest dollar: Above we have
stated that money represents property.
goods or labor.
Then honest money must always rep
resent the same amount of properly.
goods or labor An honest dollar repre-
SCENTS the same amount of human effort
veal after GEAR during any period of
tim. Now we are ready to show why
SO grains o. silver should not be put
into the silver dollar. In order 10 DO
this we Will use the following illustra-
ton. We Will take the side of the room
in which you are sitting. Let the wall
lie fifty feet long. Let this wall repre-
sent the trade population and wealth
of the world over this wall we will
place ali elastic tape just fifty feet long
and divided into fifty parts, each repre-
sen!inc foot Let this tape line repre-
sent tie worlds entire stock of money.
Let this illustration represent the bust
ness, wealth and population in 1873
when silver NaS demOnetized.
If there ever was such thing as hon
ast dollars we will let them be honest
inst before silver was demonetiZed in
1873. They were not far from being hon
est. for the common people were pros
porous We will add five feet to the
length of this wall each year 10 repre-
sent the increase in business and pop
ulatiOn.
Now. the tape line stretches the whole
length of the wall, which is now fifty
five feet. Is it got evident that five
feet must be added to the line before it
will measure honest feet, or in other
words. honest money? Before 1873 gold
ana silver were coined at the ratio Of
IL to and put into the line.
This increase was just about right
to keep pace with the trade and popula
ton and meet the worlds demand fOl
money. The worlds stock Of gold and
silver is about four billions of each
metal. This shows that one-half of
this increase to the line or addition to
the money in circula ton must be made
of silver. When the world demonetized
silver. gold was the only metal left to
go into the line The gold was able tC
fill up only two and One-half feet eacl
wear Business demanded five feet in