The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-15
THE SILVER INTEREST AND OTHERS


1t does not require any argument to
prove that the present free-silver move
ment had its origin. and, relatively
speaking. still has its greatest strength
in the silver producing States. In it's
present form the movement represents
a class interest. 1t owes its existence to
the persistent agitation for years past
of few Senators and members of Con-
gress chiefly from the silver producing
States. Silver has a host of friends In
all the States, honest advocates of BIZ
metallism and of silver coinage under
conditions that would insure the parity
and circulation of both silver and gold,
but they do not favor the free coinage of
silver by the United. States alone at the
ratio Of 16 to 1. because they believe that
would wreck our monetary system and
introduce long train of disastrous con-
sequences. Those who advocate this are
fighting the battle Of the silver produc-
ing States. They are simply carrying
grist to the mine owners mills. The
been nursed into existence by the per-
sistent efforts Of Senators and Represen-
tatives from the silver producing States.
most of them mine owners and all of
them completely subservient to that in
terest.
In view of this determined effort on
the part of the representatives of sin
gle interest to dictate the monetary pol
icy Of the country it is worth while to
inquire how great ii really is and to
compare it with other interests. Nearly
all the silver produced in the United
States is produced In Colorado, Mon
tana, Nevada. Idaho, New Mexico. Ari
IONA and Utah. All the silver produced
in the United States outside of these
four States and three Territories is not
worth mentioning. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to cite figures to show that in re-
spect TO population they bear but small
proportion to the whole country. On the
LIST of January. 1895, the population of
the United States, as estimated by the
Governors of all the States and Terri
tories, was 69.171. 707. of which the silver
producing States and Territories con-
tanned 1,037 900. The estimated popula-
2.406.504. Colorado. the principal silver
producing State. had a population of
425,000, little more than one-sixth that
of Indiana. Montana, which ranks next
to Colorado in the production of silver.
had population of 5000; Idaho had
$4,000, and Nevada, which ranks fourth
in the list of silver producing States,
had a population of $4,000. abuot one
third that of the city of Indianapolis.
States Senators, and the four together
have five Representatives. all of whom
are rampant advocates of free-silver
coinage on terms that would put mil
lions of dollars into the pockets of the
mine owners.
The entire silver product of the United
States has averaged in recent years
from 100000 to sSO,OOO00O year. In
1892 it reached $50, 900 and in 1893 it
was $77,575,757 The value of the wheat
crop in 1893 was s213. 1.SS1, that of the
corn crop 1891 ,625. 627, and that of the
hay crop $57O.SS2.S72. There are dozens
of other crops whose annual value far
exceeds that of the silver product. The
dairy products of The United States are
many times as valuable. Comparing the
population of the silver producing States
and Territories with that of the entire
country and the value of the silver
product with that of many other crops,
not to speak of manufacturing indus
tries and mining industries other than
silver. and the vast aggregation of other
interests, one cannot but conclude that
the attempt of the silver mining States
to dictate the monetary policy Of the
country is not characterized by an ex-
cess of modesty.