Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-17
HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST I?
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP.
Private Cain? or National
Integrity-WHICH?

Let us compare commodities with
silver.
Speaking of commodities generally,
their price is about eight per cent. low
er than in 1860.
How is it with silver.
Silver is so per cent. lower than it
was in 1860.
Will the gentleman insist that, meas
ured by commodities, silver could pos
sibly have the same purchasing power
as that of 1860 or 1873? How, then,
can you Justify free and unlimited coin
age of silver at sixteen to one.
1t is not, and cannot, be fair and
square. Why should commodities be
cheapened?
Notwithstanding the fact that in the
period of which we speak 1902, 900, 600
of redemption money has been coined
by the United States mint, why should
prices fall?
Because the amount of production is
more, while the cost of production is
less. That is the reason why prices OF
commodities have declined, and any
man who uses his thought factory to
manufacture honest goods knows it
and must admit it.
If you still insist that somehow OF
another the fall of prices since 1878
comes from the decentralization of sill.
YER, how is it that more silver circu.
lates as money throughout the world
to-day than in 1873?
The United States alone has added
nearly 5000, 100000 of silver money tc
the circulation. What malignant foe
of the white metal the United States has
been!
Why do the free coinage advocates
continue to insist that prices are
cheaper because so much silver has
been driven from our circulation, when
the fact remains that hundreds Of mil.
lions more of silver as well as gold have
been added to it. We shall give you
facts and figures along this line little
later.
How is it with wages?
They have advanced during the same
period.
Well, if prices of commodities have
declined and wages have advanced
why in the name of "gray matter
should the worl1ingman complain Of
the evils of our currency system?
How would the depreciation of oul
currency benefit him. Aside from af
fording him the opportunity of paying
off two dollars worth of debt with 6
dishonest dollar provided, always, he
could get the dollar), how would il
benefit him?
If he can get more money for his
work and more provisions for his
money. Why l.. should he stay up nights il
raised; unless the price OF lab0r +
raised CORRESPONDENCE, of what advan
tage is it to the laborer?
Still further. If free coinage ad
vances prices, it would reduce wages
1t would, beyond peradventure, dimin
ish the purchasing power of dollar
If it doubles prices, it will divide wage
by two. But some one suggests tina
wages will keep pace with the prices
All, will they?
History tells me that wages are tn
first to fall and the last to rise. If tn,
wage-earner has to pay twofold TO
everything under free coinage, wha
shall it profit him to bring it to pass?
If there is any individual in the wild
world more than another whose vita
interests are with sound and stable cur
rency it is the wage-earner. He is thu
first to suffer and the last to recover
from debased dollar. His power o
resistance when the financial hurricane
is on is at the minimum.
If we can believe in the report of tn,
senate finance committee, wages in 1879
were 80 per cent. higher on the average
than in 1860, while the earnings of labol
in 1890, according to the census of tina
year, had increased over 40 per cent. il
ten, years. ...
Now notice; if the price of staples
has declined so much, while the price o
labor has increased, what striking ad
vantage will free coinage be to tn,
wage-earner? No greater calamit,
could be visited on him than to doubl
the price of commodities, which he mus
obtain, by debasing the value of the dol
lar that he gets for his toll.
Another thing; $1,S00,00o,o00 are OF
deposit in the savings banks of tn,
United States to the credit of the work
ing classes. With deprecated dollar
what will prevent these institutions
from settling with their depositors a
so cents on the dollar, and so cent
for dollar? Don't you see, my friend
the danger of upsetting standards? Thu
value of every insurance policy and o
every pension would be cut in half
Building and loan association stool
would be knitted in similar manner.