People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-06-06
VIEWS OF UNITED STATES SEM
ATOR DUBOIS.
The Statesman from Idaho Gives His
Reasons for Advocating the Unlimited
Coinage of sIlver-says that 1t Over
shadows Every Other Issue.

Utilization Of sentiment is more marked
In the United States, to be sure. The
reasons for the change of sentiment are
easily understood. Distress and harj
times are general throughout the
world. There is a prevailing opinion
among producers and wage earners that
the era OF falling prices and consequent
depression In all lines of trade has
been brought about by the adoption Of
the gold standard by the leading ma
lions OF the world Nothing is Of stable
value now save good gold mines and
gold money. There are not many Of
the former, and the owners Of gold
money as rule do not live in the
United States, writes Senator Dubois
In the Chicago Record, the only Chica-
go paper printing over 10000 copies
a day and which has come out in sup
port Of unlimited free coinage of sill
yer.
The great majority of people of this
country understand, think, that with
gold as the sole standard of money that
metal is appreciated, and all things
which 1t measures in value are depreci-
ated. 1t is boyish and unworthy of
men who undertake to direct publicsen-
timent t. cay that silver has not been
demonetized. To say that silver is still
In use and In large quantities in the
United tSates and that 1t is maintained
on a parity with gold is a begging of
the eItire monetary question which is
entirely unworthy of some distin-
guished gentlemen who have lately ex-
pressed themselves. There must be
basic money. On this other moneys
rest. There must be money of ulti-
mate redemption in order to insure alb
solutely safe currency. 1t is a serious
question whether there is or can be
enough of both gold and silver to sup
ply this basic money. When both were
used, prior to 1873, they seemed to an
swer the purpose and remained at a ra-
ito of about fifteen and half ounces Of
silver to one of gold. The prices of la
Dor, of wheat, cotton, corn and other
products were maintained.
When silver (which comprised one
half of the basic money was demone-
tized, when it was no longer recognized
as the equal of gold at the minis, but
was made commodity the same as
coffee, 1t fell in value as compared with
gold, until now it is about thirty-two
ounces of silver to one ounce of gold.
The significant fact, however, that
wheat and corn and cotton and the
value of all other products, as we'll as
the price Of labor, has fallen with sill
yer is what creates the great demand
for the restoration of silver as basic
money.
have the greatest respect for many
of the able silver advocates in the
United States who do not see their way
clear to unlimited coinage by our coun-
try acting alone. l myself cannot see
how We are to secure bimetallism I'M
less the United States takes the initia-
tive. England is creditor nation. The
gold standard makes money scarce and
dear. This is the advantage of Eng
land, and she will not consent to the ad-
dition of silver as redemption money
unless she is compelled to. l have no
hopes of any international agreement
until after this government adopts free
coinage. England and the other great
nations of Europe will then be COM
PEELED to join US or lose their CONNER
cial supremacy.
The minute the United States adopts
free coinage at the ratio of fifteen and
a half or sixteen to one the price of
silver will be regulated throughout the
world. No one who has given the SUBJ
ject serious thought or who has any
regard for his reputation as a student
of finance attempts to argue any longer
that the restoration of silver by the
United States acting Independently
would cause the country to be flooded
with silver from foreign nations. This
country could not be dumping
ground" for silver for the simple rea-
son that there is no nation which does
not absolutely need all the silver which
it has. There is No loose silver any
where to come here. There will be no
object in foreign countries sending sill
yer here, even If they had 1t to spare,
because it would be worth as much in
each Of the foreign countries as here,
and they would lose by sending it here
what the cost Of transportation would
amount to.
Some claim that with free coinage all
the gold will leave this country. What
if it does? Where will it go to? Ad-
NIT for the sake Of argument that it will
go to England. The volume of the
money in England will increase to that
extent, with the result that the price
of our products which we sell in Eng
land will be enhanced and England will
find it impossible to retain the gold.
P. S.-Senator Dubois is a Repub-
lican who has come to the Populist way
OF thinking on the money question.
Now, if he would only endorse our
transportation and land planks we
would be more inclined to recognize his
sincerity. There must be no more
trucking to old parties or old party
men for what we want. No matter
what they may promise, the old parties