The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-08
TO STIR UP ENVY.
A Philadelphia Paper Tries to Create a
Glass PreiudIcc.

Glass Pref
Tho Philadelphia Manufacturer is OPP
posed to our present standard of value,
and is trying to secure tho adoption of
what il calls ''bimetallism, but what
would i'll renlity bo Il single silver stand
ard Writing of tho fall in pricos, which
is claimed b. silvoritcs to DO duo to the
use of gold a.; II measure of values, Tho
Manufacturer says, A dollar of high
purchasing power is II good thing only
-four nonproducers, and argues that 'the
dollar has been given artillcially high
purchasing power solely that the fow
might enrich Themselves ut tho expense
of the many"
This attempt to create class preju-
dice against tho gold standard on tho
ground that it was designed to benefit
few nouproduccrs at tho expense of
tho many would DO more appropriate
for II Populist or socialist paper than
journal published for business men.
Not only arc tho statements untrue, but
they arc designed tn appeal To tho envy
and hatred Of those who think that
their failure is duo to tho success Of
Othors This is not tho tcinpcr i'll which
bo discussed and settled.
The claim that only nonnroducers arc
benefited hyn dollar of high purchasing
power is SO nl;ulifcstly absurd that it is
hardly worthy of contradiction. There
arc about 5000, 600 adults in this
country, Of whom ninotJ -nino ono-hun-
dredths arc producers. Tho millions Of
working mon and women in mills. fac
tories and stGre' and on railroads and
steamboats, arc oil producers. Arc they
not benefited By receiving their wages
i'll dollars which will buy largo amount
OF goods, instead of Tho reverse? Will
Tho Manufacturer have tho audacity to
say that a cheap dollar which would
buy less goods would be grcater benc-
fit to this host Of producers?
Then we have the great agricultural
interest, with its millions OF workers
producing grain, cotton, etc. No one
will deny that thcy arc producers. Yot
nro they not benefited br receiving mon
ey which has high purchasing power?
Is there IL tanner III America who does
not want, 50 far AZ he is personally con-
earned, the dollars which will buy most
of all tho things which lie consumes? If
there arc any who pgof0r the other kind
they could easily be accommodated with
Mexican "dollays, which will only buy
62cents worth Of goods in this country.
There is absolutely no basis for tho
charge that tho value Of orr present dol
lar h,ui boom urtiticially Increased Gold
as money is worth juut rs much ms in
bullion, and no moro. Its value il not
| affected by law, and il is therefore Who'll
~ untrue that it is designed to enrich
tho few at The expense Of tho many. l'hc
money Of this country is the same for
rich and poor. 1t gives no favor to ANY
class, nor does il discriminate against
the few or tia many. 1t serves the III
tcrcsis OF all alike, AMI ouly dcmago.ucs
will pretend that it is maintained for
the benefit Of nunpro,luccrs on limited
class Of rich rcu. a standard of values
which measures alike the workingman s
wages, the farmers products aud tho
manufacturer goods cannot, with fair
ness, DO said TO avtiiicially reduce prices
In tue interest of any cnss