Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-08-04
Free Silver and Prosperity.

The depression of prices and conse-
quent imprisonment of the people
have resulted from legislation at
Washington on the money question.
Had there been no law power chang
ing our monetary system as it existed
in 1s65-gold silver and greenbacks
all alike legal debt-paying money-in-
creasing constantly in volume by the
great production of silver and gold in
our mountain sta ties of the west, the
United States today would be out of
debt-no bonds against the govern
ment and practically no debt would
exist against either individuals or
corporations. Lands, honses, pro-
ducts and labor commanding double
the present prices.
The enemy by his own admission
cofirms my belief that the above is
true. Mr.. Dana of the New York Sun
is prominently gold standard sup
porter, but in late editorial he de-
clares:
"The owners of real estate and of
tangible personal property will
neither lose nor gain by any altera-
ton in the money standard. Hence
every one who has money at his dis
posal can protect himself against loss
through free silver by converting his
money into land, houses and mer-
chandise of various kinds. If, besides
he borrows more money and uses it
for the purpose he will make profit
on the transaction at the expense OF
the man from whom he borrows.
Under the reign of silver at 16 to 1 q
farm or a house and lot now worth
$4,000 will be worth 500 1000; a busheI
OF wheat now selling for so cents will
sell for one dollar and sugar, tea and
coffee and similar articles will ad.
vance in the same proportion"
From the experience of greenbe ok
days we know that what MIR. Dana
says is true. Then, of course, when
it pays to invest money in product
i've property money will be so in.
vested. Then will there not be great
activity in all kinds of business? Then
young man can pay for a home
stead. Every man will be busy and
prosperity and happiness the order
of the day.
And there will be no depreciation
OF silver or greenback money below
the value of gold coin as during the
war, greenbacks declining to so low
an ebb that one gold dollar was equiv
alent to nearly three of green
backs. This cannot occur again
Why not? Because it is to the great
interest of Wall street to have green.
backs and silver money at par with
gold-greenbacks and silver coin be.
ing money of payment, nearly the
whole of our debt, private, corporate
and state are payable in them. Wher
Wall street could not make 400 pei
cent profit by depreciating green
backs it was very certain thing tina
depreciation would not be brough
about. But now it would be agains
the interests of Wall street to hav
any disparity between our money o
payment. That is the reason VIII
parity exists today between all form
of our money. And that parity wi
always be kept up as long as we ar
in debt and can pay in all forms Q
our money.
But why will prices rise with fire.
coinage? Because silver metals will
be thus monetized and that measure
values today and it will do SO tomol
row. Wheat, cotton and all othe
products, lands and all other proper
{ ty are worth the same price in silve
metal today as prior to 1878. A
ounce of cheapened silver will pul
chase as much as it ever did before
was cheapened. The price of Pre-
ducts will go up and keep even will
the price of silver if it rises.
LEONARD BROWN.
!