The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-08-22
WHAT DOES 10 TO ! MEAN



of rs to L Undoubtedly many people
throughout the country have the impres.
sion that this means that if free coinage
becomes law the government will pay
the holder Of every dollar in gold which is
presented at the treasury Sl6 i'm silver 1t
Is stated as fact that colored man went
into the bank at Charlotte, ~ c., one day
last week and placing a gold dollar at tho
teller window said, "Massa, please give
me silver for this The teller tossed him
out a silver dollar As he saw that he did
not leave he asked him what he was wait
ing for The darlloy replied. "Where is the
rest NASSAU They tell us that you give
Sl6 in silver for one gold dollar" Aud it
was with difficulty that the tpllor con-
WINGED him that he was not being cheated
Now what is meant by lG to T. II
simply means that sixteen ounces of silver
are considered by the government as being
of the same value as one ounce of gold
One ounce of pure gold will coin i'm gold
dollars $3.50. If that is TO be considered the
value Of sixteen ounces of silver and tho
government buys the silver and coins it
into dollars, it will he paying at the rate
of Sl.l6 per ounce for the silver Now tho
present market value of silver is G5 cents
per ounce, consequently the governments
will be paying the wealthy silver barons
81 cents profit in addition to the market
price ON every ounce of silver bought from
them without limit as to quantity 1t
so happens that the present market price
of wheat in Chicago is about 50 cents "A
bushcl, or tho same as an ounce Of silver
Why is it not just rs reasonable 60 de-
mand that the government shall pur-
chase the entire wheat crop of the country
at market prices and pay for it SLl6 "a
bushel thus making the farmer present
OF 81 cents on each hushel} This is exactly
what the mine owners are demanding for
their product. The purchase Of wheat
would have this advantage, that it GER
tainly would benefit "a larger number of
persons for there are a great many more
farmers than there are mine owners. If
on next election day the free coinage ticket
should be elected, silver mining will be so
stimulated in this country that the
amount Of silver taken from the mines
will probably reach the total of 100000
600 ounces per annum. If the govern
ment should coin all this at the ratio
of l6 to l, as our free coinage friends de-
mand that it should, the total profit TO
the few silver kings in the country will be
| SOL 100000 per annum.
Now who pays this profit? Undoubtedly
the farmer, the workingmen who earn
their dollars by the sweat of their brows,
! and who are entitled to be paid by a dollar
that will purchase as much as any other
| dollar in the world, and not in dollars
whose purchasing power is reduced to
nearly one-half on account of Il profit paid
to the few mine owners who are already
wealthy This profit will make the value
Of the silver dollar, and by that Is meant
the purchasing power of the dollar, coined
ut the ratio Of rs to 1, a little more than
90 cents, and while farm,r may receive
just as many silver dollars tor his pro-
duce, and the laborer for his work, as he
has been receiving he will be able to buy
just about one-half as much with them.
The silver men claim that the farmer
would be more benefited than any other
class Of men. They keep saying that hei
producer, but they forget TO add that he
is also consumer or purchaser. 1t is true
that he raises wheat, but can he eat wheat
without having it first ground into -four,
and must he not pay the miller for grind
ing itY He raises cattle, but can he wear
cattle? He must turn his cattle into dol
lars, and use those dollars to buy clothes
with Even if he does get a higher price
for his products under free coinage, as the
silver men say that he will the increased
| profit will be more than eaten up in the
| increased cost of the things that he is com
PEELED to buy. The only way in which he
could come out square would bein the i'm
mediate doubling in value of all of his
products, which is not likely to occur.
Prices for such articles as he produces ad-
vance gradually, and he meantime will be
compelled to stand heavy loss.
From the selfish standpoint no man can
afford to place himself against financial
honesty and 100 cent tdollars. The free coin
age platform means repudiation of debts
which no honest man wants to see, cheap
ening of labor increased cost of living.
and denial of financial principles the
! soundness of which has been demonstrated
in every country on the earth.
This is not a question of politics. it is a
question of honor a question of patriot
ism, and just as men in 1861 gathered to-
gether irrespective of politics to preserve
the integrity of the nation, so honest men
must now stand shoulder to shoulder to
uphold the financial honor of the nation,
and to proclaim to the world that we
neither want to deceive ourselves or topay
our debts with a debasod currency We
want every one TO know that every ubliga-
tion which this nation has made will be
met squarely and honorably, and that we
do not propose 60 shield ourselves behind
the so called free coinage plank, and try
to pay our debts with dollars worth SO
cents in place of 100 cents, 1t is time to
throw aside all mere partisan feeling, and
for the honest men Of the country TO stand
shoulder to shoulder in favor of that