The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-22
WHY THEY WANT FREE SILVER.
Telephone No. Sc.


have Just returned from the silvei
states, says Ell Perkins, and l fnt
that every man, woman and child IL
Wyoming, Idaho. Colorado, Utah, Neya'
da, New Mexico and Arizona has gone
pen nell. for free coinage. Even Cleve'
land free trade Democratic newspapers
which abused John Shernan's limited
coinage bin. and declared that the Re-
publican limited coinage bill had ruined
the country. now jump up and demand
free coinage.
Why" I said to them, when your
Democratic free trade had stopped the
mills and brought Coxey's tramp and
poverty Ito the people you laid 1t to the
colnlng Of silver and YOU destroyed the
only bimetalllsm we will ever have In
this countryj and now you same Demo.
Gratis jump and demand unlimited free
colnager'
But free coinage will double the vaiue
Of our mines-can't you bee" they said
1.-THE commercial value OF silver Is now
90 cents for a Mexican dollar. II our
government VIII only agree to free coin.
age and let us miners take 90 centA' worth
Of silver to the mint and get q dollar
marked 100 cents, with gold Under It, why,
we can make millions out Of our mines
can't. you seer"
Then on the cars near Helena met
big miner, who is also q senator In the
Montana legislature.
"You have big miner" l remarked.
''Yes," he said, It's the biggest silver
mine In Montana. We've put million
dollars into H."
docs It pay?" asked.
mo, It does not. We get just enough
silver out of It to pay our men. We
make no profit on our million dollar In
veBtment."
''How would you like free coinageG"
1 asked.
"Lice Hv' ne said, his eyes sparkling
with joy: at would make me million
aire In Ave yearsl"
"What would free coinage do to the
worlds silverY" I asked.
why, II our government would guar
antee 100 cents in gold for 50 cents worth
Of silver. It would double the value of
al the commercial silver In this world"
Would you increase your mine" I
asked.
why OF course. I'd put a thousand
men where you now see fifty. ia rush
thingsl"
What would the other miners DOR
They would open every closed mine
In the country. We mined 1000 900
worth OF O0-cent silver last year, but we
would double It to ,i6O, ,OOO,O 900 in 1896, and
s2Oo, 900 in 1897"
And what would the government nay
for this s2OO,OOO.OOO worth OF 5O-cent sill !
verT' asked.
IT would cost the government II free !
coinage were successful, just ;iOO, 900, ,OOO."
Would you open more mlnes?" / asked !
mo. that would be risky" said the
miner thoughtfulIy. MY present mine
Ia more than an average mine. I'd take
no chances at oil. I'd 70 for sure
thing"
whats thatP"
I'd buy all che silver at Its present mar
ket price I could buy. Then I'd go TO
Mexico and get trainload OF Mexican
dollars and take them to our mint and
double my moner on them. Then I'd 20
to South America and China and get
more"
And II our government took ind coined
y all. what would be the result?"
why, Dii, then the United States would
double the wealth OF 1900, 100000 half-civ-
ilized people. and double the value OF all
the uneolned silver In England. Germany.
France. and all the Latin nations too.
The man in China now worth $500 would
be worth 1900"
Wouldn't It be a pretty big Job for
100000 Americans TO try to double the
wealth OF 100000 half savages, ana
double the value OF all the uncoIned silver
OF the SOo,OOO,OOO Of civilized nations tooY'
| asked.
We'll, should think So" he asked.
The bEtlliancy In his eyes had gone. An
awful fact had struck him He was silent
and thoughtf,h after this.
mo" said the miner, half dreamny,
atter q few moments reflection '1he ma
saVn cAha 90 H. Sne would be bankrupt
In one hour. l see II all now. Free coin
age sounds well-like free 6rade-but all
the cIvaIzen nations on this earth could
not shoulder an the 6o-cent silver OF i,bOO.-
10000 people It would bankrupt clvili-
1atlon."
''Then. what can We doY' asked.
why ELL" he said. and the tones OF
that honest miner meliowed down as low
~ morther's moan over her dead
baby. ''a1 We can DO Is 10 follow that
good old Republican party that brought
10 out Of the wilderness In a and nursed
~ through thirsy years Of prosperity.
We don't want 70 stray on after false
lods. Let us set as near the double
'landard as We can-buy all the silver we
ICED AZ Aa Commercial value. coin Il and
lamp y with the American hag. make