Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-24

NO. 50
wilderness and poverty in silver coun-
gold does not circulate in silver coun-
tries. tits boarded once in awhile, but
is not in circulation. Japan is not q
Gibbens, secretary of the legation at
Toxic, writing recently to the Com
merce Journal on Oct. Is, 1896, states
that:
When Japan opened her mints In 1871 the gov
ernment adopted gold as the unit. Silver was
coined ON government account, but was permit
ted to pass at its bullion value. and possessed no
to redeem the silver yen Of 4l6 grains In any
| thing but itself. From 1871 to 1878 1t was not
legal tender for any amount being used ed only In
ment refused to recognize the depreciation.
The result is this, the government
failing to back up its silver, or "main-
tain the parity,"as as we do here, the
coolie is paid in the deprecated coin,
while the importer-and Japan is rap
idly advancing rs All export country
handles all the gold with the govern
ment to buy her war and railroad sup
plies from the manufacturing civilized
nations of the world. Japan, in tables
Of all statistics, is reckoned as gold
and silver country. 1t is far from being
free-cOinage-of-silv country, yet its
silver passes at depreciation of 81
cents on the dollar-it being worth
only as SO much bullion--because the
government won't or can't back it up.
As to Mexico, gold does not circulate.
Just read the letter of Rev. Isaac
Boyce in another column. He says:
During my residence In Mexico l handled
&175, 200 OF Mexican money IN meeting the ex-
penses Of the mission. and in all that time l
never saw gold dollar. There Is no gold In
circulation.
Mr.. Boyce is a distinguished divine.
His word is unquestioned. There is no
gold in circulation. What few gold
coins OF the Mexican mint are to be
found are worth 81 .95 in their OWN
SILVER. That ought to prove some
thing Mexico has free coinage, and the
common labOrer works for 25 cents a day.
That is just what you are trying to force
upon us, Mr.. Kyle, dollar OF half it's
present value. You evidently want
the workingman dragged down to the
depths Of peon labor, to live on half
what he gets now. to eat sparingly, to
ecOnOmize more. From your argu-
ment the inference is natural that you
opine that the humble workingman of
today is paid too we'll. You want to
give him a cheaper dollar so that he
can appreciate more than ever the
pangs Of hunger and forever hang his
head as the proud American working
man. Instead OF improving his con-
dition you want to lower it. Instead of
lifting him up you want to drag him
down. Tell me, Mr.. Kyle, you who
prate so much about patriotism and
loyalty, of crimes, of bondhOlders, and
plutocrats of Wall street and the hook
nosed Jews of Lombard street, where
on Gods green earth can a man find q
free silver dollar that is worth gold
dollar? Where is it worth 100 cents?
Not spot as big as that on top of your
pate, surely. What is to be accom-
plished by free silver? Simply this
cheaper labor. Anything more. Why,
you even want to 60 as far as to cut the
laborer's savings in two that he has put
away for rainy day. Can anything be
more culpable, more despicable, more
fatal to the interests of our grand ma
tion, than the cheapening OF labor or
the lowering Of our standard? Do you
cure an evil by turning it upside down
and then tearing the bottom out of it?
Evidently, by your logic, we will have
to believe 1t. Can you find free silver
dollar worth 100 cents in value? Can
you find an enlightened, progressive,
civilized race where they have manu-
featuring and the people are regarded
as active In business and commerce
4 hot hc, ic ~
that of the free silver country.
In the second question Brer. Kyle
squirms. He would not dare saw 1t
was because the republican party was
in power. Oh, no! That would be q
give away. He would not dare to say
that from Washington down to Grant
there was only 5000, 900 of silver dol
lars coined, and since that time, in %
years, as against "a in the former pe-
riod, we had coined CABS, 600, 600. Be
cause, why? His contention is that the
republicans are unfriendly to silver.
Therefore his prattling talk OF the
cause of the birth of the new virgin
party of purity and reform" is gufiaw
and will not wash. We agree with him
that this is period for the manifesto
tion Of loyalty, Of honor, and of patriot
ism-to fight the attack that Is being
made upon the permanency of repub-
lican form of government not only in
lowering the workingman to the level
Of q pe0n, but the revival Of state
rights-something 500, 900 men sacri-
feed their lives to maintain-as we'll as
the hydra-headed attack on the funda-
mental rock OF liberty, the supreme
court of the United States. Both OF
which are sufficient to bury a party
into the everlasting pit OF darkness.
The republic will live regardless OF
these violent attacks.
When Brer. Kyle comes to the ques-
tion: ASK him why the silver STAN
dard prevails only in poor semi-civi-
lized countries" he dops around like
the nubbin on barn door. He can't
name q silver country on the face OF
the earth where civilization Is Of 4 high
order. Not one. He prattles about
Portugal and Portugal bonds. The
Portuguese are as illiterate as hogs, and
her people are oppressed by q feudal,
autocratic. despotic system Of govern
ment. Liberty Is an unknown quantity.