Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-05-18
A HORRIBLE CRIME.
CONCENTRATION OF IRON 2.2oo
 YEARS AGO.


 IS Entirely Practicable-our Govern
 nnens Can Do Anything-No Fear of a
 Pig Iron Basis-Wonld Give Us Hieb
 Prices and Wages and Plenty of Money
 Alexander P Hull of Atlanta is a strong l6 to l man. He does not believe III halfway measures. The free coinage or silver idea is too tame for him. Heis willing to see the silverites and to % them 100 points better. Here are his dee. iaration, proposition and argument:
 Having been deeply impressed by the arguments of Judge Crisp, Bryan, Stew. art, Jones and other silver leaders, and especially grieyed, shocked and mortified by the awful crime of 1873" as so lurid- y depicted daily in the columns of the Atlanta Constitution and other silver organs, l have changed my views on the money question and am ready to main. tain the propositions following in joint debate or newspaper controversy.
 accept the arguments of the adyo- cates of silver and agree with their rem edy as far a. 1t goes. However, it does not go far enough. Let us have plenty of remedy-in fact, enough to make debt and poverty things of the past relics Of the dark ages. am in favor or the free and unlimited coinage Of pig iron at ratio of Is to l with gold by the United States alone in dependently of all nations, and can prove by the best authority obtainable that such q policy on the part of the United States will "raise prices, ? "put plenty of money ill circulation" and give the honest debtor chance to pay his debts, " thereby making the whole country prosperous.
 Now. in the first place, it may be urged by some "who do not understand the subject ef standards of value" that free coinage act for iron would not raise its price to ratio of 16 to 1 with gold. To them l reply that the stamp of this government and the legal ten der qualities" of the iron dollar would instantly make the bullion value of pig iron the same as the mint value For who would part with an ounce of this precious metal for anything less than the mint value?2 Stewart, Jones and Bryan.
 Again, 1t may be urged that our hints would be overcrowded with pig iron 1 reply that the price of pig iron having 3een raised from $7. 50 a ton to ratio of 16 to 1 with gold the world over no one would especially care to carry 1t to the hints, since the mint price could be obtained anywhere in the open marke Atlanta Constitution.
 Next, it may be urged that gold and silver would go out of circulation I reply, first, .This is a mere assump- tion ef the tools of the money power which they cannot verify" (Atlanta Constitutio1tA; second, Suppose gold and silver 70 go out of circulation. ii there not plenty of pig iron to take their place and give the people plenty ct money" (Bryan), and, third, SuC F an assumption mixes the idea of e., culating medium and standard of val ue, that gold and silver would still be potential money metals, though not iii circulation, and would lend theif help toward raising prices and causing general prosperity" (Crisp).
 Then, again, it may be urged against the pig iren standard of value that wages would not rise i'll proportion to prices. The reply is, Wages would be compelled to rise, since no man would be fool enough to work for $1 day who could make $1, 900 per day picking up IT sty nails and old horseshoes and carrying them to the mint for coin age" (Hull,
 In addition it may be urged by the money power, by the Wall street sharks and the .'Bond street Shylocks' that we could not alone go on q pig iron basis without an international agree ment ITO such dastards as dare to lay a limit to the power of the American people to do what they please, independ- entity of all nations, hHrl their cow ardice and lack of patriotism back in their faces" (Bryan).
 The "crime'' of demonetizing pig iron took place about 2,200 years ago, when certain 'go dolators' and ''silyerites, ill order to increase the purchasing pow CT of their i'll gotten wealth, secretly and like thieves i'll the night got the demonetization act passed repeating tLa good old free coinage act of Lycurgus, ''the friend of our ancestors daddies. '' Today China is the cnly country on earth homes enough to coin iron, and there the happy laborer can carry homo the wages ct his honest toll i'll Il wheel barrow" (Atlanta Constitution).
 A ruinous fall ill prices followed the characterization of iron and has contin- ued for upward of 2,00o years. l have calculated the losses entailed upon tke honest people of this world by that ruth less act. but the figures are so enormous I fear revolution will ensue if the peo- pie learn how greatly they have been robbed. But facts are facts, and the best way to righ5 a wrong is to meet it squarely. That loss is $21, 1000, GOO, 900, 900, 900, 1000, 900, 900, 900, 900" (Coin' Financial Schoo).
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