The representative., 1896-09-23

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yer Is remonetized gold will depreciate
and silver appreciate.
The United States report of the value
Of all cattle, oxen, swine and sheep in
this country in the year Of 1870 was
nearly one hundred millions more than
in 1896, quarter of century later,
and yet their number is now more than
double what it was then, and every one
knows that their quality in real value,
head for head. has improved from 20 to
rs per cent. Has gold appreciated?
The directors of Harvard college, 60
and 80 years ago, in writing 80 year
leases for their most valuable property
in the city of Boston, made them paya-
ble in silver Of stated number grains in
weight, as they thought silver, for a
term of 100 hundred years, as stable as
any commodity they could name.
The inhabitants Of the earth are in
creasing SO fast, and as they increase in
intelligence increasing in much great
er ratio, should gold become the stand
ard must still neceSsitate still greater
shrinkage in values until we come to the
level Of European prices, wages and
customs.
Cernuschi, the celebrated French
economist, called in Europe Founder of
True Monetary Science" writes I'm
der the regime of the reconciliation of
silver. the productive power of the
United States would receive SO enor-
nous an impulse. and this development
would have such a disastrous effect up
on the economic and financial interetss
of England and other European nations
now governed by the gold standard,
that it may be confidently predicted in
advance that the course of events would
force the adoption of international BIZ
metallism as the only true solution,
even upon those who dare deny the pos
sibility and efficacy Of it."
Remonetize silver and it would In
crease the redemption basis money
double it's present amount, this would
greatly lessen the danger Of panics, and
really make panics impossible. The
money markets would be harder to COR
ner. 1t would reduce the unnatural
and extreme value of the gold dollar to
the place and value it occupied 10 and
20 years ago. 1t would bring the silver
dollar back to the value and place 1t oc-
cupied in all past ages, and thereby
make a more just basis of settlement be-
tween debtor and creditor. For exam
pie, take the farmer, our greatest class,
with oats at &c to 10c, corn lie to 14c,
wheat 23c to 40c per bushel, and it re-
quires too great an exertion to earn the
dollar, while rates of interest, taxes and
railroad charges remain the same with
him, this unnatural irregularity is
working great hardship.
Values Of all articles would rise be-
cause of the increased redemption medf-
UNI upon which, or by which, they are
measured, and all values would assume
more stable character. The prices
and values of one year would under the
same conditions be about the price Of
the next. Calculations for the future
could be made with more certainty.
Farmers, manufacturers, and all kinds
of producers would be encouraged to do
their full share; the wheels of commerce
would be started; men desiring work
could all be utilized, each doing his
share. Consumption would also be in
creased, and extreme want and suffering
would largely disappear.
Continue the gold policy and the
blight of the shirnkage goes on, harder
and harder; the struggle of the debtor
to meet his obligations increases; one
by one the manufactures of various
kinds will shut down, each throwing
out of employment a number of men.
who in turn support their families; and
still the process goes on without place
to halt, and hardship and suffering and
loss Of houses, lands and property by
foreclosure increases.
Three years ago they told us: RE
peal the Sherman act and
confidence will be restored,
and good times will come
again. We did so. How has that
statement been fulfilled? 1896 has been
a worse year than 1893.
Let us look around us and at our coun-
try's condition and take calm, honest,
candid, unprejudiced view of the situa-
ton, and ask ourselves are not these
facts too true?