Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-02-15

and the space on The Tube between
them is divided into $50 equal diviS-
ions for The Fnrcnhrii. and 100 for the
Crntigradc. Griiun'iops for temper
atures annvr aud below are made hy
corresponding gradualiols above aud
below these points. Thi, method as-
sumo, uniform expansion IF mercury.
for high AID low temperatures, aud
uniformity ia the tube, as well as i'm
changeablenc-s in the size Of the bulb
and tube for different temperatures.
None of these conditions exist or can
exist: so, according 10 Bro Osband's
definition II standard, here can Dee
no standard thermometer since no Their
momcicr can be constructed which is
perfect measure of temperature. The
mercury IF he thermometer bears IA re-
latlon 10 temperature analogous 10 that
Of gold or silver 10 value. We both
agree that standards should be inval-
liable. but we diller a. 20 what cons,i-
tutes an invariable standard. Bro o.
baud maintains that gold. is such
standard, while we maintain that noth-
ing is-also that silver is more nearly
invarable. and that he standard can
only be arrived at by mathematical
computation which involves values of
all commodities.
Bro. Osband mistakes our saying that
any commodity, as wheat, oats, etc. can
measure value-and they can as well
a gold-fOr saying that it can be IA
standard In e,ery commercial trans
action the things exchanged may each
IN tuyn be taken as measure of value
for that transaction. If five sheep be
traded for a cow. either the sheep or
the cow may be taken rs the measure
But when transaction in Michigan is
compared with one in Nebraska, or any
different places or times are involved,
we need then more than measure, we
need a standard. since the ratios of val
uation might vary greatly at different
times and places. So we we're not
guilty of the Inconsistency of arguing
that gold has doubled in value and
decreased one half AT one and the same
time The case which Brother o.
band >uppoSeS requires hotn measure
and standard. while a single tranSac-
ton requires measure only, for which
purpose one commodity may serve rs
well as another. No, wheat, com, and
oats cannot serve as standards. because
of their huctuating character. The
same is true Of gold. only in a much
less degree. The very fact that COM
moditieS fluctuate greatly from time to
time and place to place accounts for
the lack Of uniformity of results when
man may die at twenty years, another
at fifty, and still another at seventy
years. and there ear be no certainty as
to length of life in individual cases; yet
mortality tables, based on many thous-
ands Of lives. establish a inyariable
general average of life to the fraction
of year. Prices of commodities vary
widely in individual cases and the iluc-
tuation seems 70 be erratc. but the
average range of prices automatically
deduced for lonE series Of years is
almost invariable changing at most but
gradually. If "A person sits on fast
moving vessel and all his surroundings
seem to be flying past him, which is
more rational for him to suppose, that
he Is at rest and everything else Is fly
Ing past, or that things generally are
at rest and that he is in motion? So
if everything has been apparently fly
ing downward in gold prices for a long
series of years, is that the more rational
supposition, or that gold has been fly
ing the other way?
Bro. Osband SAYS he lean readily
understand how the amount of gold
might be suddenly doubled and no ef-
feet produced on the prices of rcommo-
dities." All. yes, so can we, if the de-
mand is also doubled but how would
it be if the demand were to remain the
same? Bro. Osband makes the com
mon error of confounding the thing
with its attribute-that 25S grains of
gold are always just the same and must
therefore always represent the same
value. Value is not inherent in gold;
it is a mere variable accident which
may or may not be one of the attri-
butes, depending on eXtraneous condi-
lions. A pound of lead at the sea level
and at the same latitude may be very