The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-28

Orr BI-METALLgC SYSTEM.
Among the various false statements put
forxard By the Popag.sE advocates Of free
silver during the present campaign there
are few IN more common use than the often
repeated assertion that the present finan-
cal system OF TIE country Is borrowed
from Great Britain. The same speakers
and writers are constantly reyeriing at
the same time 20 the happy condition Of
France under what they are pleased 70
style the bs-metsllac system which prevails
IN that country.
The faislty Of the statement tina, our
coinage Laws are based upon those OK
Great Britain is shown by the fact that
that country has never coined e single
shilling OF silver money OF fun legal ten
der capacity since 1915. ard there 10 no
silver money In circulation In that country
today which is legal tender for any
amount Ia excess OF forty shlllings. or
substantially $40 OF our money. Gold mono
fnetalllzm prevails there.
As far ca the treatment OF silver Is con-
esrned, tbs country approaches much
nearer the financial altitude OF France
thar II does 10 that OF aay other country.
the difference existing being that this
country has been IN lis legislation OF the
last twenty years much more favorable 70
silver than has the country which the
silver men invite us TO look up 70 as a
model Since 1879 France has not coined
one single franc OF full legal tender silver
money. From isss down to the close of
1896 the United States has coined sis7. 32i,-
lSs. fI.ll legal tender silver dollars. and the
minis are stI1 turning them out.
1, may be added that during the same
period OF time. the United States has
coined annually from three 20 nf1een times
as much fun legal tender silver as has
any country In Europe coined OF sabsid-
lsry silver money. for no European eoun-
try has coined legal tender silver during
that period.
The fact " the case Is when any talk Is
made about countries with an existing BIZ
metallic system. the United States IS the
only one in the world which. for the past
twenty years. has come within Mat cate
CORY. II is the oaly one which. during
that period. has kept on coinlng legal
tender silver and gold money and kept
them circulating at par. and during that
period 1t mas coined more than half a.
mach legal tender silver as Il has gold.
and more silver money than has been
coined by any other nation on earth. In
Guiding those silver meno-metalIic coun-
tries whore the mlnts were open 20 free
coinage. ard excepting alone India. Dur
ing the fourteen years from iss7 down to
the close OF 1891. its annual coinage Of sill
yer sa- greater than ghe combined silver
coinage or al tbe countries OF Europe
taken collectively. During some Of those
years Il coined more than one-quArter OF
tbs entire amount OF silver coined IN the
whole world This vas the ease In iS6,
lSsa and 1890. During the same term az
years there vas also more gold coined IN
ihls country than IN any other country IN
TIE world
The figures from which .he foregoing Is
taken are from che volume emitted "Coln-
sse Laws cf Tho United states" prepared
uades direction az the committee en-
finance 81 the United States senate and
Submitted 70 sse senate by senator Vcor-
hees. March 3 isat. Tie volume Is on the
ives Ia the reference room 81 she sat
ue pabHc library. and the asares are on
naxvs .ss.2oA
During he same period there never WAS
a year When the amount ~ gold coined in
al she oa,n's ot all sac countries whose