The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-04-04
THE SILVER BUGA-Boo.


railway has recently returned from
Europe, and, as is now his wont, has
given to an interviewer his opinions on
the monetary situation. President Hill
is undoubtedly one OF the most success
full business mon of the country, and he
is an international bimetallist. He was,
till about eighteen months ago (if We re-
member WE'LL gold monometallist. We
venture the prediction that he will be a
free silver advocate within the next eigh-
teen months. International bimetsllism
is a contamination deyoutly to be wished,
but one which, while it would seem GER
tain to come some day, is being persist
emily fought of by England. England
absolutely declines to consider the possi-
bility of her own adoption of bimetsllism,
and France and the other European pow
ers have declared that without England
they will not move. That is the situa-
ton today.
1t is true the agriculturists of Germany,
and the farmers and manufacturers OF
England have seen the fatal folly OF gold
mononetallism, and are clamoring for the
restoration OF silver; but why? Because
they find that they are at a disadvantage
in competing with silver countries. That
is the plain unvarnished truth. All
scientific economists admit that a pre-
MUM on gold is premium in favor OF
the producer In silver countries. That is
one OF the axioms of modern economic
science. The present conditions are
demonstrating its truth. 1t is beyond
contradiction that the silver countries are
rapidly increasing their productions, their
exports, their wealth and their circula-
ton, at the expense of the business Of the
gold countries.
II America adopted the independent
coinage of silver. we believe that the de-
mand she would thus set up for silver,
would bring that metal back to its old par
ity with gold, or near it, But If not, il
gold remained at premium, and that
bug-a-boo OF the goldite, a silver basis
came upon us, what then? Why then
We would have the advantage of plentiful
money--money that would be absolutely
good for the purchase OF raw material,
labor, necessaries. Silver has always
been good to buy any thing but protected
gold. Silver is thus good even today
when gold is higher than it has ever been
in the worlds history. There is, there
can be. no controversy about this, except
among the uninstructed. We would be
producing on a silver basis--that is, the
cost of what we produced would be sill
yer cost-and TO gold countries we would
export for gold prices. The producers Of
gold England admit that they cannot
continue to compete successfully with the
producers of silver countries. They have
been driven to this admission. They are
besieging parliament with their COM
plants so that all the world can hear.
And that these complaints are not merely
the unthinking cry of blind misery, is
attested by the fact that the leading
economic thinkers OF the day trace the
chain of cause and effect, and reach, by
scientific method, the same conclusion to
which necessity, the great teacher, has
forced the producer. Why should Jim
Hill and the American international BIZ
metalist wait for their tarrying god while
the people are perishing? II America
were on a silver basis she would force
England to bimetallism, or drive the
last nail into the coffin of her industrial
and commercial supremacy. If it is the
competition of silver using countries that
is hurting England and driving her to BIZ
metallism wouldn't the addition OF an
enormously powerful nation to the ranks
of these silver countries hurt her some
more-driye her little faster? America
can afford to let England go her own
way. Sooner or later she must come our
way, but meantime we are sacrificing the
earnings of one.generatlon of our people
We are forcing into idleness and want mil.
lions Of our American men, women and
children, to force England to international
bimetallism. The object was good one
but the price is making it crime.
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