The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-02
a EREE COINAGE CATECHISM.
Facts ana Figures From Official Sources
Disproving the Claims of the
Silver Pirates.
Silver iratas.

(From the Evening Post Of Yesterday
a,he purpose cf this series of questions;
the problems raised BY the free coinage
controversy, with a plain answer to eacn.
All statistical facts given are transcribed
from ofIicial pubilcatlolls, and a list Of all
authorities used is putiisled at the end
Of the Catecnisrn
Q. What is the fundamental claim OF
tie free coinage adyocatesy A. They
clam that the amount of money in cir-
euiation has been decreasing since the
deHlohstfzation Of silver, and that this
decrease has caused a general fall IN
prices.
@. Is it true that the money supply has
been decreaSiEg2 A. II is not
What are the facisg 4. So far as the
United Slates is concerned, there mas been
an enormous increase. In 1860 the money
1o2. AT; in 1872, ii was S7sS 30s. $40, BY the
Treasury bulletin al the opening OF the.
present month, i was = 81 ,os4. .2Ss.
9. What does this show? A. 1t shows
t1at our money supply has increased 20
Per cent, az compared with 1850, ard 105
peg cent. as compared wfti 1872.
O. Has the money supply increased
faster than the populationy A Very much.
faster.
ing the total money in circulation at each
dat8 by the total population of the coun-
try at the same date. and thus finding
O. What does such a process show2 A.
The per capita crcMatf tfon of the United
States on July l. lSleo, was sl4.0S; on
Of the pnesent month ii isgs Il was ST.
O. But has mot the money supply OF
the world at large been decreasing? A.
rapidly
G, How is this proved? A. BY the sta-
ie q H6w os rsw srge s0a @ s psfaqsn 1Tosnotivn
A.. The reports of the Director Of the
Mint, which are ackncwl edged authority
worlds total new gold production has
been 81, ~, $4,000
ing or decreasing? A. 1t is ncrea sing
with enormous rapidity.
,gs worlds gold. . pEaSaei0n ID ssi vas ss e 9es e
was Sis, ,a49.o .ooo In 1894 it was $3.50 625. 100
Fer 1895 the exact total Is not yet COM
piled. but it is closely estimated at $780,
9, WHAT does this mesn2 A. 7 means
that the amount of gced annually adde7
tSanl l''s doaSiss MSi in g The lsst twenty-thsss
years.
9; T. not this annual rate Of production
ali experts il the Amer can. Aussra.:ass
and South Asricar gold fields lock for
further and very heavy. increase over the
present rate of production.
G. But has not the disuse. CT silver with
fun coinage facilities cut dcwp the total
apnaal anav aadt59n e + the aE wqrds 1f ste
produetion vas sSs, 5oS,og6; Is silver pro
QuCtlOn, $Sl,Sy0.eu9, tCIdI, Sile,DtJ.Vt0. Af44Ss
year the production Of gold alone was
$19s, 500, COO
q. Was net the combined annual produe-
.ticn of gold and silver larger than this in
the s'bonanza days?s' A. Il was not
@. What was the highest record Of that
period? A. Between 1855 and 1850 the
worlds average annual production of gold
YVES slS4.cSs. .0o0: Of silver, s376iS. go: total,
sl7l ,701.0o9. or lesz, by s27.2o90eo, than last
Q. What are We TO say. then. Of the
argument that the money supply. since
silSer i,as, dres censge swamT m apanu9nea Z; nas
! false as applied to the world at large