Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-24
A LHrrRR ON SILVER,
A. A.. Wise Of this City Writes, and a New
ycrk Paper Comes Back ut him.

ftNh fAr%h tHuftt N~t@ ~ ANAMs "
--
Tho following Is taken from the
Shoe and Leather Reporter. The lei
ter wri,ien By Mr.. " SO was TO q friend,
but il was hsndcd to ths papers for re-
ply.
A correspondent in New Mexico
writes us n letter, from which we x
tract the following:
"Wo have very dull times here.
Free wool and demonetizing silver, tho
two principal industries Of New Mexico,
have been a deadner to this Territory.
| While it has killed us for the time be-
ing, ii has almost bankrupt the gov
crnmcnt--so much so that there has to
be bonds sold very often Ia pay cx'
pensos. We all know this gold stand
ard business is a scheme for the finan-
| ciers OF New York City TO make money
out OF, and the individuals OF the pres
ent administration are not getting any
poorer. We must have protection
enough in some way to pay the run
ming expenses of the government, or q
few OF the money sharks will soon own
ever thing In the United States and
then mol be satisfied. Silver was good
enough with gold for the people Of
this country for 200 years. Less han
fifty years ago there was an effort
made to demonet.as gold and make
silver the standard, and In about
twenty pears after the sharks did de-
monetize silver, and then we in this
country came to a halt, and prices Of
all American products began to decline
and laboring men got out OF employ
ment. We all know that prices, es-
p%ecially all farm products, have
steadily declined, and more and more
idle men every year. As long
as this government is run by the
blnkers and the few rich, times will
get harder and harder, prices continue
to decline, and more and more idle
men"
The writer is evidently honest and
earnest in all he says. We quote him
to show what illogical and unreason-
able ideas prevail among the advocates
OF silver coinage. He is not only
wrong in respect Of cause, but equally
SO in respect Of effect. He deals IN
the old stock phrases, which are
familiar through constant iteration by
all lh9 men who fancy that the govern
ment can, BY a little legerdemain,
make fifty the equivalent of 100.
He rails at the bankers and the rich.
calls them sharks and attributes ali
the misfortunes of the country to them,
with apparent conviction that they are
hindering the free course OF industry
aud enterprise. This is such a wild
delusion that we cannot comprehend
how it could ever have entered into
the mind OF a man OF average rational
faculty. Nothing is more certain than
that if silver monometallism was
forced upon the country, the bankers
and the rich would escape injury.
The industrious and the poor would be
cruelty despolled. The bankers do
o want a debased currency, because
they are fully aware Of the
blighting influence it would have
upon the public welfare. But
if such a calamity should befall
US, they would be the first to adapt
themselves TO the new order Of things,
and employ their capital so as to rem
der it productive, not only of the aver
age profits, but OF enough more to
guarantee any losses to which they
might be subject after the craze was
over, and the painful and exhausting
return march to the true standard fully |
under way. They a always take
care of themselves. The wage ~earners
are helpless. They must pay double
price for what they buy without getting
any addition TO what they earn. These
postulates have been sc thoroughly es-
tablished throughout the history of the
world that it is astonishing they are
recognized as being as immutable
as the multiplication table. And yet
there are multitudes who seem to ig-
more them as absolutely as our friend
in New Mexico does. We wish him
we'll, and the greatest good fortune
with which be can be favored, Is to
have the financial atmosphere purified
by the emphatic decision
OF the people at the next election, that
there shall be no wavering in sthe ad-
herencs to the only standard value,
which is accepted by the civilized
Just as soon as an end is put
10 the fantastic notion that a govern.
ment stamp cen possibly add any value
% a piece of metal, we shall experience
era of prosperity which will extend
Ill over the land, and gladden. the
ieart Of every citizen. We have been
.rying this currency tinkering for a
,eneration--first with greenbacks and
hen with silver. There has been q
concerted and determined effort to
the treasury by compelling the
government to pay artificial and ex.
ravsgant prices for silver. Itswas all
mistak', not less or the score of ex-
'ediency than Of morality. Silver has
one lower aud lower, while the de- ;
ices were most rife for Initiating the
rice Of it. Now, let us get back to
ommon sense, count things for what
hey are worth. and govern ourselves .
Y the sterling principle that honest
honey is the best for all. Bankers can :
along without It, but the scores Of
liliiuns whose means are limited, and
efivable from their toll, must suffer II !.
aey do hot have 1t. The masses who
l2port free silver will be the real
emf i~lciaries of the financial reforma- /.
on, which is Indispensable to the sta
ility of the currency.
Atthe European hotel, Gallup, S. S