davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
SILVER nor DEuONETIZED.

The charge that silver was demon
etized"-that is, that it ceased to be
money in 1S73-has been one of the
chief arguments OF the free coinage
advocates. When it is pointed out
that Instead OF the few millions of sill
YER then in use we now have over four
hundred millions OF silver money, the
~sllverites reply: cit is true that We
have far more silver money than when
we hal free coinage. BY the law OF
1873 gold was male the standard of
value, AMI so silver is only token
money. Our silver dollars and GER
tifcates are not money OF ultimate
redemption"
Like the cool old lady who loved
to hear the blessed word "Mesepo-
tamia," the silverite press and orators
enjoy using big words and have caught
up the phrase money of ultimate re-
demptlon," and are using it to prove
their false claim that silver is demon
etized. They cannot deny that our
silver money is full legal tender anu
therefore on an equality with gold. But
they pretend that the Government re-
deems silver in gold, and that a silver
currency is sincerely token money. 1t is
on this ground that they repeat the
old exploded charge that the law of
1873 destroyed one-half of the coun-
try's money.
1t is easy to show that all the talk
about redemption money! is founded
on a delusion. Our paper currency is
redeemable in coin, either gold or sill
yer. But silver is a full legal tender,
and does not require redemption. The
statement that il is token money, like
u subsidiary coinage, is simply an
invention OF the silverites, who are
irving to find a hole to crawl out OF
their baseless fiction about the strik-
Ing down of silver. The n fact that
we are using W four hundred mill
ions OF legal tender silver is sufficient
answer to all the misleading state
ments about "the crime OF 1873 by
which silver was demOnetized."
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
A Question Of Honesty.

Mayor Warwick. of Philadelphia,
hit free silver a hard blow between the
eyes when he said in his speech before
the Union League, of Philadelphia, on
June 24:
"To juggle with this question is
c~owardice. We cannot climb over it,
dive under it or sneak around it.
This is more than a question of party.
1t is a question of principle
and honesty. The Government
has no more right to debase the coin
than the rogue has to clip it. The
Government does not make standards
OF value. They are made by com.
merce and the laws of supply and de.
mand. The Government can't make
honest c thing that is dishonest. 1t
may be able to compel obedience to
its DEGREES by force, but it has no
more right to stamp fifty cents worth
of bullion with the declaration that it
is a dollar that l have to steal a dollar
from my friend here. The moment
it does that it makes the Goddess of
Liberty ON that coin tell a lie. 1t is
simply a question of honesty, and in
the name of God don'tlet tho Govern
ment of the Republic be dishonest. If
the Government a take fifty cents
worth of bullion, and can by its i'm
press make it a dollar, it can by the
same power take twenty-five cents
worth and make it $40"
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Ther p1n,t Mani Cheap Moner.

The all-important question which
will be the main, if not the only,
issue in the Presidential campaign
next year, is whether the people
wish a currency with half the pur-
chasing power OF the present currency.
Do the laboring men who get s., Sl2.
or SIS a week desire to be paid in a
currency that will buy no more than
80. So, or 50 will now buy? Do they
see any indication Of prosperity IN
that? No doubt they could ask their
EMPLOYERS to double their wages, but
does their experience justify the be-
lief that it would be done? Do
they not know that wages are the last
TO go up when the currency Is de-
Graded? II they 10 not, they have
only to consult the history of the
country aud OF the world.
Ind Herald.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Ex,lain tile Facts.

How do the organs of unconditional
free silverism account for the fact that
business has improved SO remarkably
and that the number OF persons en-
ployed in the industries of this coun-
try. and the wages paid them have in
creased 50 largely in the last few
months?
Such things have no right to occur
if we are to believe one-half of what
these silver monometallists tell us.
They say the country is going to the
devil and can take no other direction
until we have the free and unlimited
coinage of silver.
When they are told that the most
wretched countries of all that pretend
to civilization have the free and un-
limited coinage of silver and that it
does not obtain in any great or lead
ing Nation, they say that has nothing
to DO with the case; that free coinage
is the thing for us and that until we
adopt it things are bound to get worse
and worse with US.
But somehow things refuse to go
that way. Business is better than it
was two years, u year, six months or
n month ago.
In our cotton mills, shoe factories,
clothing factories, iron furnaces, man
ufacturing industries of every class
there are more employees than there
were at the opening OF the year and
the average OF their wages is greater.
The wages OF hundreds Of thousands
of men and women have within the
last three months been increased ten
and fifteen per cent. and in nearly
every instance the increase has been
voluntary.
Money is easier than it has been for
years and can be obtained on good Sc
curity for any legitimate enterprise,
whereas it could not be borrowed on
Government bonds during the latter
months of the operation of the act IN
der which we purchased 4,5O0, 600
ounces Of silver a month.
And yet we are told that the return
of prosperity depends upon the free
and unlimited coinage of silver.
II the silverites are right the condi-
ton OF the country should grow worse
the longer We refrain from coming sill
yer. What. then, is the reason for this
great and general improvement in
business and this general increase of
wages? Is this a time to %revolu-
tionize the currency? Is this a time
to abandon conditions under which all
the material interests of the country
are improving and adopt a system OF
currency which. wherever it exists, is
found in connection with National in
feriority, commercial i~nsigui6cance
and degra led lA5or?-Atlanta lGAl
Journal.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
A Blind Guide.

Is it not surprising that all sorts Of
financial heresies should h3 believed
in bv the masses when those who as
sumo TO be teachers hold such mis-
taken views. For instance, President
E B. Andrews of Brown University,
in his book, "An Honest Dollar, SAYS
that the world is billions of dollars
poorer because OF the gold standard
Nov, if shat statement means anything,
e means that there are billions of dol
lars worth less Of houses, railroads, YES
sells factories. clothing, furniture,
etc, in existence than there would be
under a different financial system.
But how, OF why, this Is SO he does
not tell us. The world Is rich or poor
according as it has many or few of the
things which minister TO our comfort.
An increase in prices is not an increase
OF the things for lack OF which men
are poor. President Andrews ought
TO know better than 10 mistake prices
for wealth.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Sound Money.

The Richmond State says: a silve
dollar passes for a sound dollar when
the Government will give a gold dollar
in exchange therefor. But let the
Government once decline to make such
an exchange, what then? The bullion
in a silver dollar is worth say about
sixty cents. Therefore the silver dol
lar cannot be worth intrinsically az
much as a gold dollar. Gold is re-
cognized the world over as a money
metal and it circulates everywhere as
money at a fixed value. Silver is not
so recognized. 1t is not an inter-
national money. Therefore It's circu-
lation value, its fictitious value If Won
will. is not equal to that of gold. In
short, asilver dollar cannot walk alone.
1t must go with a crutch or it falls.
1t is not sound money"
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Working for Mexican AMI Chinese
Wages.

The Kansas City Star Ind calls
attention to the statement, in recent
consular report from Shanghai, that
the manufactures who hires laborers
in Asia, AMI pays them in silver, Is
enabled to produce gools cheaper
thaa they can be made by the manu-
facturer in the United States, who
pays wages in gold or its equivalent.
''rhe remedy proposed for this un-
equal competition, says the Star, sis
the adoption OF free silver in the
United States" and this ~"involves the
proposition to cut down the pay OF the
American laboring nan to a level with
the pay of the Japanese, Chinese. In
dian and Mexican laboring man.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
ALL MONEY IS NOT CAPITAL.

The origin OF mauy o. the cheap
money delusions Is the popular belief
that an increase in the amount OF
money in a country means au increase
of capital. 1t is this idea which IS be-
hind the demand for free silver and
greenbacks equal to So per capita.
Many of those who are IN favor OF
these schemes honestly believe that IN
some mysterious way doubling the
amount OF currency will double the
wealth Of the country. And their ar
guments are based on the superstition
that if the wealth now in the country
in the shape of silver bullion we're
STAMPED as coins, or some pieces OF
paper were stamped with the Govern
ment's promise to pay. everybody
would have twice as much of the
products OF labor which we call
wealth.
1t is true that metal money is a form
Of wealth. Bnt it IS because the gold
or silver is valuable as bullion, and
not because the Government has
stamped it with a certificate OF its
weight and degree OF purity. The
value of bullion depends onits utility,
aud its cost of production. 1t would
be no more useful in the arts, mol
would it cost more to produce 1t. II 1t
were stamped as money. That this Is
SO is seen by the action OF the pro-
ducers of gold, who might have their
entire product coined into money, but
prefer to sell a large proportion OF 1t
as bullion. The gold shipments be-
tween this country and Europe, which
are described by Populist papers when
gold goes to Europe as sending our
money out of the country" are near
ly always gold ingots, and not eagles
or s~Overeigns. Running metal through
a mint does not add 20 its value.
The other delusiou, that Govern
ment promises to pay wealth which it
has not GOT would create capital for
investment in agriculture, manufac-
turing or commerce, has not even the
shadow Of a fact behind it. Govern
ments have no wealth except what
they take from the people by taxa
tion. All the capital of this country be-
longs to the 65, 900, 900 individuals who
live and work here. The various pub
lie buildings aud other Government
property were paid for in wealth
taken from the people. Andthe issue
by Government of any kind of paper
promises TO pay Is nothing else than
a forced loan. Printing ten dollars
on one hundred million pieces OF
paper adds nothing to the stock OF
food, Clothes, furniture and other
necessities or Injuries which we call
wealth. If anybody takes such paper
in exchange for his products the total
wealth of the country has not been
increased one cents worth. Nor
would there be the slightest increase
in that part of the wealth used in pro-
duciug more goods, which we call
capital.
Real capital is the mainstay of pro-
duction, for it furnishes buildings,
machinery, materials, etc, for all the
the industrial processes OF modern So
ciety. But borrowing by means OF
fiat money or other Government prom
ises to pay creates no capital and does
not aid in any way the production OF
wealth.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17

A silver dollar in this country passes
AZ its face value of one hundred cents
and Is exchangeable for a gold dollar.
The Mexican dollar passes at IT'S face
value In that country, but It Is not ex-
shangeable for gold. The result is
thar a flty-cent piece of American
money has the same purchasing power
In Mexico as the Mexican dollar. And
vet the lis To- 1 fatists declare that the
gold behind the American dollar IS
not essential TO its current value
Arapahoe lNebl Public Mirror.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Pennsylvania fOr Sound Money.

efforts have been made, says the
Philadelphia Record Ind.), ''to create
the impression that Pennsylvania is
wavering in its belief in honest money
but as the emphatic utterance of the
League represents the sentiment OF,
Philadelphia, so also does the attitude
of the city typify the position Of the
State. The hard-handed and clear
headed workingmen In the industries
of this great commonwealth recognize
the baneful effects that would follow
the debasement of the National cur
rency, and they are not to be deluded
by the ~fallacious theories OF the silver
ties. They ask an honest wage, and
are willing to pay their debts IN
honest money"
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
The Improvement in Wages.

The New Orleans Picayune closes an
editorial describing the recent general
advance in wages throughout the
country as follows: "With these facts
before the country, the lamentations
Of u silver friends are somewhat
~ludicrous, and the Picayune does not
belief that their arguments will prove
convincing to the w%orkingmen, who
see their condition steadily improv-
ing, and who have enough to
realize that they cannot hope to live
as comfortably, if paid in a depre-
oiated currency. as they do at present.
OF what advantage to them will be the
advance in cotton, wheat, pork and
the other necessaries which the silver
ties hold must be brought about by
the recognition of silver, If the money
in which their wages are paid has a
diminished purchasing power?'
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17

Everybody has heard Of 'Trilby"
with its story Of the woman who knew
nothing of music, but when hypno-
TIED became a wonderful singer.
Sveugali Stewart, of Nevada. has
evidently read the book and is trying
his best to hypnotize Miss Columbia,
in order that he may make her sing
the doleiul songs of the silverites.
But weird and uncanny as are his in
carnations, which his trusted follow
ers consider speeches full Of financial
wisdom, they will have no effect on
Miss Columbia. Sac Is a very prac-
teal young woman anl will not put
herself IN the power OF a political
quack. The Senator from the silver
mines may charm never 50 wisely, but
It viii be all in vain. he is discred-
lted and his performances are all
humbug. As hypnotist ne Is a fail
IRE, and he may as well 60 ont OF
business.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17

When one comes TO think about 1t,
the moderation of the silver men Is
remarkable. If it Is possible to main
tain an arbitrary ratio between silver
and gold of, say, l6 to ], why not 60
further and MAKE the two metals OF
exactly equal va,ue2 some OF the
English bimetalists talk OF Isl to /.
others Of % TO /, and another of p
70 ]. while still another says the ratio
must depend ON circumstances, but
none have vet proposed 20 make them
eoual. Let Us hear from the l to /
man.-Dry Goods Economist New
Yorkl.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17

The Savannah News says: "Ihe 72lI
free in the silver question j. ~
drop of molasses that has altric's'
great many flies. Wipe that p~
out, and the storm about the Hy-'l-P
would diminish rapidly and percsA
tibly. The word free has q mis-
power to charm. 1t is the emoo-
ment of the idea of getting sonelll-e
for nothing. That idea has a!s'!
been o fatal one TO people VINO 10.
followed it up. The hope "nd as -,
to get valuable articles free are
life OF lotteries and gambling az
Green goods men play u.?oa
weaknesses and find the business
profitable"
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
4 Sud iOr sIIrerIle, TO crank.

Under the free coinage of silver,
who issues the coin? Does the Gov
eminent? Not much. All it does il
to take the bullion from the man that
brings 1t, test it, aud stamp it, and
give 1t back to him to issue. The
Government does not Issue a cent of il
directly. The silver miner Issues II
ard does so on his own terms, Just as
much so as the National banker. who
takes his securities to tue Treasury
ana gets bank notes in exchange AMI
issues them Oh his own terms-New
York Voice.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
"ProsperIty with a Vengeance

'If the country cannot prosper
says the Lawrenceville News, ''i''
both gold and silver in use as money,
how will the people get along W..
nothing but silver? Wages wiI lD.
be raised, nor the volume OF money
increased. but the price Of eyery'llls
will be doubled. 1t will require W,
dollars of such money to buy "a-'
gold or silver one would purchase -
der the double standard, aud with ',y
half the number OF dollars IL cif'-.
ton at that. This would be ~pro5y-."'
With a vengeance"
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Don't Want Cheap Money.

The MilledgeviIle GA Unloa.RF
corder says: "Many OF rs are poo'
and in debt and willing 10 pay olt
debts dollar for dollar, AMI we do 99'
wish cheap money to pay with. we
fear that what we have to sell we VII
have to take cheap money for We
may get a good price, nominally. y
will not be because the commonly
will be worth tie price, but because
the money is worth 80 little.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
SMALL CHANGE.

"Stop thief has always been the
cry of the pickpocket who feared cap
ture. So we now fiud the silverites
who want to enable debtors to repudi-
ate one-half OF what they owe, shout
ing loudly against our dishonest
one systom." This mly deceive a
Jew people, but not for long. The
people know that If not quite perfect,
our present system is better than we
ever hal before, AMI far better
than one based on fifty cent dollars.
The silverites all claim to be BIZ
metallists, anddeny that they want sill
YER monometallisn. At the same time
they are loud in their assertions that
previous to 1873 silver was the unit OF
value, aud the country hal a silver
standard. This is especially insisted
on in the new silver Bible, Coins
Financial School" As the free cJin-
age advocates protest that all they de-
mand is the restoration OF silver to the
position it held before 1873 it is clear
that they really want to establish the
silver standard. For ii unler free
coinage we were on a silver basis, 1t
must be evident tnat restoring free
coinage will put US back again on the
same standard.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Honest Dollars for Honest Mcu.

The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph ,Dsnl
says: Spectators AMI schemer' esa
live, no matter what kind OF money!
in circulation, but the honest man
wants an honest dollar. He should Ds
certain that he is going to get 1t De-
fore he gives the order for tas sup
nly.D
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
Poor Mans Money.

What insuferable demagoguery
is that cry about the poor mans
money" They say "gold is the
more valuable; it is the money OF the
rich, silver is the cheaper metal, it Is
the poor mans money, therefore all
poor men should demand free silver"
Now, in the name of all the gods at
once, why should there be one kind Of
money for the poor and another for
the rich? What is money for, any
way? Ii a laboring man wants 1t as
pay for his services as a fortlfcation
against time of sickness, or as a COM
potency for old age, he wants the best
money going, not the poorest. If
poor money Is the thing for the poor
man, why advocate money as good as
silver? Why not make the poor
mans money out Of copper and
brass? Is there any sensible reason
for talking about poor mans
money" anyway? Why should not the
poor have the same standard of
value as therich? You might with equal
sense advocate poor food, ragged
clothesand rancid butter as being espe-
cially adapted to the comfort and hap
piness OF thepoor, simply because they
are cheaper. Give thepoor man the best
money in the world. His share OF it
is small enough as it is; do not make
that share still smaller by giving it to
him in "cheap money, money which
is not worth dollar for dollar Just as
much in purchasing power as any
other dollar in the worlI. When you
erase from the free silver doctrine the
suggestion that the poor man needs a
different kind of money from the
rich mans, you have erased a large
part Of their entire stock OF argu-
tnpnta
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
SOME NORTHERN OPINIONS.


- SUNNI NIUWNl I|""|N'
L. response to the Chicago Times
Herald's request for a definition OF
Sound money" the Sioux City Fri
bune submits the following: ~
none that viii not fall down when
the Government lets 60 of it. -Des
MONIES Iowa Leader.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
SOUTHERN SILVER SENTIMENT.
A Poser for the Populate.

eff the free coinage OF silver Is slel
a good thing" asks the Memphis
Scimitar, "why is 1t that the greatest
and most enlightened Nations have
abandoned it?"
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17

Free silver coinage means granting
the privilege to every holder of silver
bullion, resident and nonresident, to
take his bullion to the United States
Mint and have it coined into standard
dollars free Of cost, as the holder OF
gold bullion does. Any one a buy
silver bullion at less than seventy
cents an ounce. That Inc converted
into coin would have a face value OF
S1.29. But the holder OF gold bullion
when he takes 100 cents worth of his
bullion to the mint to coin, can only
get 100 cents worth of coin. The gold
bullion man makes nothing by the
transaction, but the silver bullion nan
would make ifty-nine cents on every
ounce of silver. -Laporte und.) Re
publican.
Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17

The 16 to l shouters protest over
much that they are working solely in
the interest of the people, because OF
their unseldsh desire to promote the
public welfare. How truly cool OF
them! But suppose that there were
no offices in view, and no spoils for
the free silver politicians. Would
these same 'leaders" work so hard for
cheap money? And if there were no
silver mine owners to put up funds for
the free coinage agitation, would the
country be flooded with silver litera-
ture? Not much. The free sill
YER movement is born of the selfish
motives of silver producers working
through schemers who want the spoils
of politics.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-28

ish house, occupied by Rev. Father Nu-
gent, were q total loss almost in an instant.
Machine-shops, lumber-yards, wood works,
planning mills and dwelling houses added
to the ferceness of the flames, which now
travelled at racehorse speed. The new
three-story warehouse Which the Califor
MIA Casket Company of San Jose had just
fitted up fell in within ten minutes from
the instant the flames first attacked it.
The fire spread throughout the blocks
adjoining Brannan street on either side.
AT Bluxome street its southerly course was
checked by the big brick warehouses OF
the Overland Freight Transportation Com
pany and the Breslauer wool stores.
Trucks and piles of lumber on the south
side of the street were burned, but the
brick structures would not take fire.
On the north side of Bluxome street
George Fuller & Co.'S mandatory of fine
office furniture offered fine mark for the
flames, and within fifteen minutes $4,000
worth of property was in ashes. An oil
storehouse of brick belonging to F. B.
Joyce d Co. went next, and burned with a
thick heavy smoke which stifed the fire
men and seriously handicapped their
efforts.
At the corner of Bluxome and Fourth
streets the Southern Pacific Hotel resisted
the fire for time The wind however,
was blowing sparks and embers from two
blocks of burning buildings directly over
it and soon the flames captured it also.