The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-08-13
JUSTICE BlcELow.s VIEWS.
Ncyada's Great Jurist Tells whT Free
Colnage WIN Iniure.

Neyada's Great Jurist Tells WhT Free
Coinage win Injure.
Chief Justice r. r. Bigelow, Of the
supreme court of Nevada, had a letterin
a recent issue of the Reno New Ga I
zette which states some of the effects
of sixteen to one free coinage very clear
ly. Here is part of his letter:
It is not to be denied that the repub-
leans of this state are hard hit by the
action of the st. Louis convention upon
the monetary question. The free coin7
age of silver is believed to be so much to
the advantage of Nevada as silver
producer, and we have for so many
years heard nothing but free coinage
sat sixteen to one" arguments, that we
have almost come To the conclusion that
noone can think otherwise who is not a
scoundrel bought with British gold.
But there is another side to the question
that is believed in sincerely by millions
of as pure patriots as any who believe
in free coinage of silver. Any man who
says that this country can alone double
the value OF all the silver Of the world
and bring it and gold to par is either
ignorant Of the lessons OF the past or he
willfully shuts his eyes to them. II the
free silverites carry the election this fall
on their sixteen to one platform, it will
not only paralyze busincss-it will ut
terly destroy it. There will be scarcely
bank or business house in the land
that will not go down before the storm.
1t will send gold to almost 100 per cent.
premium, and. as measured with silver,
everything else will go up in value with
1t. but as it will take twice as many
dollars as now to buy the same article
it will be of no earthly advantage to
anyone except the man who owes
debts that he has not promised to pay
in gold His silver dollars will pay such
a debt just as during the war green
backs would pay one. although worth
but SO cents on the dollar, but they
will only buy half as much -four or
clothing or groceries MS now.
But il he owes money to banks or
money lenders-and who does not?-
who have all protected themselves by
gold contracts, he will have to take two
/ of his silver dollars to buy one in gold,
and at the same time. owing to the gen
eral stagnation in business, they will be
harder to get bold of than gold dollars
are now. 1t will be OF no advantage to
the silver states. because their silver
will be just as hard to get from the
ground as now, and pound of it will
buy no more steel or powder or any of
| the necessaries of life than now.
| But the laboring man will be the one
who will suffer the most. The Comstock
miner will still get four dollars per day,
the laborer two dollars and the clerk
$50 to SIS per month, hut it will be in
silver, and. as it is now in Mexico. II will
ONLY buy for his family or himself one
half what it will to-day. The same will
be the case with the crippled veterans,
! their widows and orphans, who are now
getting pensions. It's effect will be to
scale their pensions. Its effect will be
to scale their pensions down one-half.
There is not one of the arguments Of
J the silverites that cannot be completely
and successfully refuted. Free coinage
at sixteen to one by this country alone
cannot possibly benefit anyone, but II
can bring fearful distress upon all.