The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-20
MFyVCO's CASE.

A valued friend writes us that the facts
connected with the Mexican silver dollar
ought TO be established and brought Out
beyond all question. for he thinks, they
should properly have an immense IN
fuence In the discussion over free coin
age. our friend Is perfectly right in re-
gard TO the influence they should have.
They ought TO be decisive Of the case.
and they ought to satisfy every man
seeking light that free coinage would be
utterly ruinous TO the United states bu'
our friend wastes energy when ne SUB
costs that those facts should be estap-
Isbed bevond question. The facts Of the
case are Just as well known to all per-
sons who have made any inquiry about
them as the facts of any other we'll
known matter whatever, and no man or
any intelligence, who has made any eX-
animation into them and has any sort
of regard for his reputation for veracity
or sense will dispute them.
The leading facts are that Mexico has
always had free coinage Of both gold
and silver That twenty-odd years ago
the Mexican gold dollar and the MeXi-
can silver dollar were at par. that
during those tWenty-odd years the two
dollars have gradually parted company
until gold wholly disappeared from cir
culatiOn, and is no longer known in
Mexico. except as a commodity TO be
bought and sold as shoes or blankets
money there, and that the Mexican gold
dollar will to-day buy nearly two MoA'-
c,n silver dollars. No one who Is not
,.oo,, ~ have himself set down as
fool will dispute any one Of these iac's'
They are patent, open, and known Oh al
men.
A regards the suggestion that the rea-
son the two dollars have parted com
many IS rhat gold has appreciated whi'e
silver has retained the purchasing power
II had twenty years ago, this Will not
doc .ye any one who really wishes 10
ascertain the facts. We have already
pnbllshcd more than once, PRICES as
tal,on from the Senate Records Of the
pricts. of certain articles when compared
with gold and silver in 1876, ana III
1891. but. as the correct solution OF this
matter depends upon those facts oei"s
Understood, we shall not hesitate 10
publish them again. They shonld DC
taken up and published everywhere uhul
all the people are made to understand
their import. They are as follows;
In July. 1876. the price Of rough hemp IN
Cincinnati was $40 per ton, ana III JuS,
1901. IL was $ll5 per ton. Rye NO. ""'
in Cincinnati IN October, 1916, 70 cents
busbeI. and In October, 1871. 1t was -
cents per bushel. Beans In Boston were
i'm January. 1876. S.1b per bushei' and>il
October. 1871 they were y per DuSh.l'
Kio coffee fair In New YORK. was III
January 1876. Il II cents per pound. ana
I'm July, 1891. It was IS ga cents "a pound
Eggs were IN New York IN October. lS'5'
l6 10 ~ cents dozen. and In October.
1891. were 20 TO e cents a dozen. Codilsh
in New York Was in May, 1876 cents
pound, and in May. 1891, II cents pound.
Herrings in Boston were In September,
1876. 70 per barrel. and In September
1891. were $3.50 per barrel. Salt mackerel,
shore, No. /. was in Boston in 1876 no
month given. $3.50 per barrel, and in
GtkNbcIs 1871, Was va NdOhNlti, Nv -
was in Boston IN 1875, Sc rs. and In October.
1871. Sl4 Spices, mustard best domestic.
was IN January, 1876. .2l70 per pound. and
IN October. 1891. was .2lS5.
These are the gold prices OF the arti-
cles IN 1876 and in 1891. and we might
go on and add article after article which
shows similar figures.
Now, in 1876. $40 OF American gold dol
lars. or of Mexican gold dollars. or OF
Mexican silver collars. would have
brought ton OF hemp in Cincinnati
In July. 1871. SIS gold dollars would
have bought ton Of hemp in Cincin-
matt, and SIS Mexican gold dollars would
have bought the same. But IL would
have taken about Slf in Mexican silver
dollars TO buy ton OF hemp In 1891 in
Cincinnati. the silver dollar being there
worth about sel nty-flve cents. The
same thing is TO be said Of all the eases
quoted. II took the same amount or
more. Of either American or Mexicay sold
20 buy any one Of the articles named In
1897 as It took In 1876. but 1t took many
more Mexican dollars To buy them than
1t took In 1873.
The way 10 simplify this matter is 10
make some one OF the articles the mr.
chasing agent and gold and silver the
things 10 he bought. thus: A ton or
hemp would buy the bullion in 1lc gold
dolIaIs ia 1875 81 fLa hullion In ITO silver