The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-09-03

Sue Sohstitutloh, or Tn which of the fif- teen amendments, does the fundamental or any other coinage? In which does it mention any coinage further than to au- tnorlze the general government to 'coin money and regulate the value there or Acting under that authority Con gress at first authorized coinage at 15 to a.o T; was w .h that the "gold aad silver coin has l6 to 1 come to be the coinage of the Constitution? Under the first ratio silver was undervalued and refused to circulate except in the form of worn and aoraded foreign coins. Our own silver colns, even the subsidiary pieces, were melted down for bullion because they wIfe woT dNS,p mErtn about per cent. more than time of the great silver discoveries Con gress sought to make the coinage ratio the same as the commercial ratio. It never never authorized coinage at any other. Was that the "coinage of the Constitu- tioh!' If so, will it be a return to it for us now to establish free coinage at the ratio is about 31 to I?
 4. Wlli not free coinage at 16 to re- One-half?
 9. Will it not be in fact repudiation of about one-half of all our debts, public anu Prlfate!
 6. Is there not danger that 1t will cause the return to us of all the Ameri- can securities held abroad-governmen railroad and industrial stocks and bonds mus precipitating a panic of giant pro- follow? W
 '. Will not your election upon the Chi cago platform cause the calling in, be- tween november and March, of all col an rn that have expired? And will not this produce such distress as this country mas never known, particularly in the West and South, where capital and credit are most needed and depend upon confidence as their basis?
 .. Will not free and unlimited coinage drive all the five or six hundred millions of gold and gold certificates out of use as money or as bank reserves? Will it not cause currency contraction of the nlosi disastrous proportions. inasmuch as the utmost capacity of the mints to com silver cannot make good this with drawai for several years to come?
 U. Will not free coinage place us at once on financial level with Mexico, India and China, and can we afford to go upon that level?
 io. Is there any country in the world today which gives free and unlimited coinage to silver? Mexico does not. India does not. None of the Central or south American States does. We know that can be studied.
 II. Is there any country in the world now on the silver basis which is as pros- porous as the United States. even in this time of depression? Is there any in which wages are so high as they are here, or in which the dollar received in wages will buy so much? Is there any silver-basis country that has large commerce, prosperous manufacture or well-to-do agricultural class? Is it not a fact that in every silver-basis coun- try in the world abject and hopeless pov- erty on the part of the masses is the rule?
 P. Will you explain to us for our en. lightenment and guidance how our coun- go to silver basis, or how we are to avoid the lapse to that basis if we adopt free and unlimited coinage at 16 to 1 when the commercial ratio between the metals is about twice that?
 13. And if you tell us, as many free coinage advocates do, that free coinage will raise the commercial value of silver to the coinage rate, will you explain to us how in that case free coinage is to make money cheaper or easier to get. how it is to relieve "the debtor class" how it is to increase the price of wheat or any other commodity!
 H. You may be aware that there was last year on deposit in the savings banks of this state alone $G43,S73,57i. This enormous sum belonged to 1,615.17S de- positors, giving an average to each of S39S.G3. It represents mainly the small savings of the thrifty poor. Nearly all of it has been deposited since the pres ent standard of value was adopted by the government. Do you think it fair iuSt tn iyfnnir hv lT Inv even 1 per cent. the value of the money in which these deposits were earned and in which today they would be paid?
 15. There are in this state SS,7 pen- sioners. They drew from the govern ment last year nearly 14,OOO, GOO. Con- sidering the nature of this debt of honor when justly due--can you look with fla vor upon any policy that might result in paying them in a depreciated currency?
 16. There are in the country 5S3S building and loan association, of which HIS are in New York. These associa- tions have 1,745125 shareholders-all of the working and saving classes. Their assets last year were $450,6f7 ,594, repre- sented chiefly by mortgage loans to homeseekers, of whom 455.OOO are mem- bers of the associations. These associa- tions have nearly all been organized with in the last fifteen years under the eX:st- ing money standard. Can you think it fair or beneficial to the working people to reduce by AZ per cent. or any lesser sum. the value of these investments of fhe thrifty poor?
 r. Is it not a fact worth consideration in proposing a descent to the silver stan- dard that the thirty-nine old-styie life in- surance companies alone doing business in this state last year had in force here nearly 100000 policies, insuring over S5,OO0.0O0, GOO. The assessment cOmpa- nies and various benevolent orders have vast amount more. Would it not be an injury and q wrong to the benefciaries of Srhese polices-the widows and orphans. whom a prevalent love had sought to protect-to compel them to re- ctive in payment depreciated money?
 IS. The rise in prices" which you predict as result of free silver coinage would, of course mean an increase in the cost stf living to all the peopie-to wage carners, salaried men, and the whole body eJf consumers. Do you know of any case m which rise in wages or sala. res hsss been parallel with the rise in prices: Is there any way to render it certain, 'or even probable, that the wage- earners will be compensated for the in- creased cost of living?
 19. You attribute the decliNe in silver fo thc tle,mOnefizatiOn of the silver dol