The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-10-02

Is vastly less money metal used In the
United States than in France. the in
fiuence which this country can exert
upon the money market of the world is
less than the influence of France. And
yet no one accuses Gen. Walker of be-
ing less a patriot or less proud of the
country for which he fought than the
youngest orator of the far West. The
difference is that he is student and Il
man of sense.-Syracuse Post.
The Money of the Constitution.
What wild talk is this of the SILVER
ties convention, "in favor of restoring
to the people of the United States the
time-hOnored money of the constitution
gold and Silver-nOt one. but BOTH:
The constitution prescribes no such
money, nor any form of money what
ever.
But if it is gold and silver-not one
but both"-that they want. why are they
not cOntented now! Both gold and silver
are in circulation now. on equal terms.
in larger quantities than ever before.
In the twenty-five years since the blood
curdling "crime of 1879 was perpetrated
more than fifty times as many silver dol
lars have been coined as in the eighty
years preceding.
The simple fact is that the United
States has a very much larger actual
than any other country in the world.
excepting India and China. and a larger
supply in proportion to its population
than any other. excepting France. Spain
and Holland. 1t has more gold in circu-
lation. actually. than any in the world.
excepting only France. and more proper
tionately than any European country.
excepting Great Britain. France and
Germany. 1t also has more money of
L. Lot nd oil nf
than most nations of the world.
Less talk and more reflection would
convince these wOuld-be currency re-
formers that we already have what
they talk of as "the time-honOred money
of the constitution" in abundant supply.
for every man who is willing honestly
to earn it.-New York Tribune.
Mills, Not MINIS.
More truth cannot be crowded into an
equal number of words than is found in
this passage of Maj. McKinley's speech
in reply to cOngratulatOry address from
some of his old comrades in arms:
do not know what you think about it,
but l believe it Is a good deal better to open
up the mills of the United States to the la.
Dor Of America than to open up the minis of
the United States to the silver of the world
This goes hard and straight to the
root of the matter.
Times are not dull in Pittsburg because
there is no mint coming silver or gold
dollars in that city, but because the
great iron works are not running on full
time. There was no mint at work in
South Chicago when the rolling mills
were at work by night and by day. but
there was wage roll of $6,OOO,OOO
wear. 1t was not because of the activity
of the minis that Louisiana nearly dOu-
bled it's sugar output. but because of the
Mckinley bounty. 1t was not because
the minis were more active in 1891 than
in 1893 that in the, first year men were
striking because they could not earn
more than $3 per day, and in the last
were hunting for work at rs cents, and,
for the most part not finding it. The
minis were turning out as much money
in 1893 as in 1891. But the mills were
not turning out so many yards of cloth
or tons of iron.
come active. Return to protection. and
the currency will settle itself.-Chicago
Inter Ocean.
Free Silver ana Wages.
A correspondent attempts to explain
how wages would be increased under
free silver coinage by asserting that
Grades unions. through strikes and
other means. would force the price of
labor to a higher standard" This is
sheer nonsense.
Experience has conclusively demon
strated that wages. under debased sys-
tenn of currency. never increased IN the
same degree as the money cost of COM
modities If there was ever Il condition
of affairs which was favorable to such
an increase it was during the Rebellion.
We were not only on cheap money
basis, but the ranks of labor had been
enormously depleted to send men to the
front to battle for the republic Yet,
what actually occurred: Judged by the
borer in 1868 received only IS cents
where he had received a gold dollar in
1860: in 1864 he received about 81 cents
and in 1865 little over 66 cents.
But how do workingmen fancy the idea
of being compelled to resort to strikes
in order that their wages may have the
same purchasing power that they do
now? 1t will occur to sensible toilers
that if free silver coinage is going to
precipitate strikes. not really for higher
wages. but simply to keep the wages
that already exist. it will be the part of
wisdom to let we'll enough alone.-New
York Commercial Advertiser.
To Sound Money Democrats.
Here is a brief and simple catechism
for sound money Democrats:
do you want to beat Bryan?
eff you want to beat Bryan, do you
know of any other way of doing it than
by electing Mckinley?
eff you want to beat Bryan, and don't
know of any other way of doing it than
by electing Mckinley. why don't you
take your coat off and wade in and elect
McKinley?'
Answers to these interrogatories are
respectfully solicited from sound money
Democrats who declare the currency the
paramount issue and yet refuse to act
as if they believed what they said.-Bos
ton Journal
Curiosfties of Our Money.
Few persons are aware that silver GER
tificates are not legal tender, though re-
ceiyable for public dues. The fact was
recently, it is stated, forced on the
attention of the postoffice department by
a person who refused to accept the GER
tificates in payment of money order.
Thus. it seems, the government is obliged
to receive silver certificates, but cannot
nav them out to any, one unwilling to re-
ceiye them. Should our silver friends be-
come able to legislate, they viii doubtless
make the certificates legal tender. so as
to force the unwilling patriot to take the
paper representative of SO cents at 100