The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-08-28
SOUND REASONS.


wants NNNN MNHNNs
President Samuel q, DcCourSeN OF
the Western New York and Pcnnsyl-
vania Railway, has written tho follow
ing striking letter 10 the Railway Agr'
II is one NJ the best presentations W
the money question yet published ana
will repay a reading by all seeking
light ON this subject
ut is an axiom that no two things
can be equal to the same thlng II they
are not equal to each other, No one
would therefore part with a barrel of
flower, u ton OF coal, a horse, or any
other article for u dollar In silver at
the same price that he would for a
dollar In gold, unless the silver dollar
and the gold dollar were ot equal value
at the time ot his selling II the silver
dollar IL ot less value than the gold
dollar the trader viii ask as much more
/ FOR what he has 60 sell, u payable IN
silver. as the silver dollar has dcpre-
.
In other words. II gold should 80 to a
premium ~ 80 per cent the trader who
would ask N.5O for any article " mer-
chandise payable in silver, would at the
same time be willing 10 take In 'ull
payment 81 In gold,
'Those who are urging the free and
unllmitcd coinage " silver claim that
uder unlimited coinage silver will at
once advance 10 the par with gold. or
course this claim would not be realised.
because the impulse that will be given
10 the production ot silver is likely, In
time. through the enormous quantity
that viii come ON the market and un-
der the well known law or supply and
demand to cause It to drop below even
| It's present bullion value In gold, but
FOR sake ~ argument suppose We al
| low that their claim is sound and that
silver dollar will be ~ equal value
with the gold dollar. who Is TO be oene-
lifted by unlimited coinage except the
silver mineowner. who will then be
able 10 get almost twice as much for
his product as he does nowe Evidently,
II the farmer who owes mortgage on
his farm has to pay as much for silver
dollars rs he now does for gold dollars,
the free coinage of silver will not bene-
ht him. Suppose. on the other hand
that silver does not appreciate to the
par OF gold. does any sane man believe
that when purchasing his supplies. pay
able in silver, he will not pay an in
crease in price over what he would
have TO in gold?
Those OF us who are old enough &c
remember our late civil war and th'
prices paid for the necessarles OF life
consequent upon the imitation caused
by paper money. we'll remember that
when gold sold at the premium OF 10,
per cent you could buy twice as much
sugar or -four or coal II you paid fol
il in gold as II you paid for It In silver
when -four was at $40 per barrel
payable in paper money man wh'
was so fortunate as to have s. In gold
could take II TO the exchangers, sell II
at 100 per cent and receive so In papei
money, and so pay for his barrel o'
flour. During our civil war flour went
to Sl6 per barrel. coal to SIS per ton
and other commodities advanced in lik,
proportion: wages however. did not ad
vance In any such ratio, and | ventur,
to say that during the time Of imitation
produced by said war the wages o
labor bore less ratio TO the prices o.
the necessities OF life than they hav,
at any time since. Yes, l am In favol
OF sound money. | am wage-earner
a member OF the large bread and butteI
brigade. and / want to be paid for my
services in the very best money known
so that when | come to convert my
wages into clothing, food. etc, will ge
greatest return. l hope that ever,
wage-earner will consider long befor,
he supports, by his vote, what seem e
me the fallacies OF those who are II
favor Of this country launching out int
the unlimited coinage OF silver. Tn,
very word unlimited should cause then
10 reflect: for even unlimited gold uslnl
the word unlimited In its largest sense
would, under the law OF supply and de
mand, cause an imitation Of price,
which would be against the wage-earn
er, unless he could secure an advance
in his wages exactly equal to the ad
vance in the cost Of living.
Speaking for the one railroad inter
est which l represent, | do not se'
how 1t will be possible for US to ad
vance wages, and | view with alarm
the effect upon many railroad organl
cations II by the advance Of gold 4
100 per cent or even 50 per cent. tn,
fixed charges OF said organizations ar,
likewise increased from so to 100 pc
cent
III am right in my conclusions tina
1t is better for me to receive my wagei
in the best money known, II loglcall!
follows that II will likewise be bettel
for everyone Of my co-laborers, and
hope that all Of my fellow workers anC
wageearners will see II to their owl
and their country's advantage to sup
port the cause OF sound and homes
= money"