The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-12


THAI RISE IN P9SCHA
The spckexnxn-Rsvsew. the Sssding
Pepuss~tie pager cs fhe state. has aaa1sy
taken rs stand eefntfsly CO the pro2c-
sssson fsszs free coinage e< silver wou1 re-
ssss 81 tAe aossl.Es 81 the pFsres Of Al
rro1scss This To g Enai shan 3snrssns o.
tie argument that snSer free cotnass the
Price % sssve~ veuld rise 20 81 = ~ ounce.
o. would rsse ~ al. II - practically m
ecnsruvertfts~ that II the price % silver
advances 10 thx coinage ratio ~hers rsl -
10 sdssncs In prs14s. The sazse Of tse
silver Will simply appreciate 20 that o.
s1i1 The latter win remain Stationary.
ard ftss counsry viii consequently stu
hAse what the Populists are pisasec 20 ~
SER - s-3se-cens ecasAr~
But when tbs Fopaiisss coneede that
prices Of al commodities NJ Double I'M
der free coinage. they necessarily conceds
thar the price or silver via remain STA
stonAry N IL ia II. propos;ssca comss
right hack 10 the sroan1 taken BY tie
sound no1ey advocAtex from the start.
which 10 that free coinage proposes moth
ing more TOR less than 10 change TIE
standard By which prices are measured:
to Sazl what IL nov y cents one dollar.
1t y 70 be seen thar the DOUBLING Of
Press promised undsr the proposed sys-
ten 10 ssmgiy question Of words, not OF
fsrfa- While prices are 10 be doubled.
values VIII be unaffected. Here Il the ais
fiseSson which many honest advocates OF
free coinage miss or overlook entirely II
the prices Of AZ commodities advance win
exact uniformity. there 10 practically no
change IA values. the change - In the
Standard In which prlcea. not values, are
measured No ehAnss IN the standard CA
by any possibility affect values; II can
only affect prices. X there ss the uniform
doubling OF prices shieh viii follow the
free coinage Of silver dollars. the bnlon
price Of which. IN tsrms Of god. remains
stationary n 50 cents each. how can any
ose. save alone the producers OF silver
bsiion. aad. temporarily. the larger firms
and corporations employing labor. be ben
e;sds A bvste. Of wheat win exchange
for no more OF any product OF any sort
than Il does toaay 1t viii interchange for
more OF what ts called money. but that
cause IL viii buy no more than the amount
Of money paid for . bushel of wheat to-
cay. A tusnei OF wfeas viii 60 no fur
tber seward paying Cd = mortgage indebt-
taness than II does now: because while
ali other prices are doubled. the price OF
xoid viii ssso be doubled. and al mort
Cages In this country are payable 10 gold
Suppose. ~ IN illustration. that the
founders Of our government. while en-
gagged In the task Of preparirg . coinage
sysfem for this country. had adopted as
The unit Of value gold dollar OF one-haf
he present sire. There vas nosasng 10
ave prevented that. not eyen q question
( exp~dssnry. for prices were not then
neasured In dollars but Ia pounds sser-
lag. IL that had beer done, ~ that time,
The prices Of everything In the country
weuld to-day have been exactly double
what they are now. there would have been
aouhse TIE number Of dollars Ia circula-
ton. and Ia all probability wages would
have been twice a. high. tn dala-s. as
they are now. Would values or conditions.
however. have differed IN any degree
Not az all The dollar wc1sd have been
worth less ~ : measure OF pfacss. bat al
valsss woaid have been s6snticaLy what
they arc now. And there would hav. stlll
been today the esansor for q still further
depreciation OF the dollar standard Of
yaaaes
There 10 only ore thing which woult re-
main Unaffected. At least fer a consider
able tisns. ey The change ia the standard
- which prices are measured. and that
Ia !sAor. f~sos 10 measured IN dollars.
TIE change IN the standard Of the dollar
would rnesa adversely AFFECT the wage
sarner. lie woa.9 receive the same number
81 aa,isrs fer as days labor. The price
ot has labor aasd remain the same bat
sbs vase 81 x. as measured by everything
except TIE dollar. seu.a De deprecated
oas-half Qn hsa and 90 him acne would
she wnOs1 burden be shifted Il any per.
sen 9sonsed Ia any degree ~ he free ccsn-
4Es OK saver. Ut NoSi5 es al TIE expense
81 the wage esrness Of the United States
The sss eanaos create values Free coin
age would 20; add a cent 20 the va,ae q
cne single commodity IN the werid- IL
c0ai1 and IL woaie. however. give 10 some
persons an opportunity 10 profit AZ the ex-
gxnss Of sskers- This gan BE. and Ass nsen.
10ns by legssiatseFa. such legislation a.
hewsyer. chat - ealiei class legssia-
ss1a.~ which hAs beer heretofore De-
roaaced ~ beth rogulssts and Democrats
as a Eaost Inisastses abuse 81 the law
Masking possr.
TIE cpeainx 81 TIE ussss to tae free
coinage ~ silver at rate 70 xois Of one
hxif The commercial sstso v~uis he the
mess aasrans snssaaes % Sisss legislation
walsh shis coantry has ever seen