The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-08-16

rERTINENr QUESTIONS on FINANCE
We invite the readers attention Go
the following correspondence, which
we publish by permission, between
Col. L. l.. Bridges, OF this city, and his
friend, prominent Republican Of
Sedalia, Missouri
Col. Bridges has been lifelong and
conscientious Republican and a wheel.
horse in many a hard fought Republi-
can campaign in Missouri, whore for
many years he was recognized
leader, but he refuses to swallow tho
financial plank Of his party. The
Colonel is profound thinker and in
his letter his views on the act Of 1873
are set forth in pungent English, to
which The LEADER invites attention:
QUESTIONS.
SEDAL1A, Mo August IL, 1896.
Dear Captain-In great haste reply
to your last communication, which,
translated, is as follows:
Dear Henry-lt is too hot TO even
talk politics, so ! shall not discuss
them, but you perhaps will excuse me
for asking two or three questions
l. Why and at whose instigation was
silver demonitized Tor IL you don't like
that word relegated to the rear in
1873?
2. Are not the low prices Of commod-
tiles in the main due To, or the natural
and direct result OF that act2
VIII not the free coinage of sill
yer, il it becomes a law, nearly or
quite double the price Of commodities?
Other conditions not considered.
A. IL so, is this not TO be desired
tat least by all except those who live
on the earnings OF capital or are de-
pendent upon pensions or fixed sal
aries2)
Now, captain, you probably notice
| that while you assume that ] would
| forgive you for asking two or three
questions, yet on what theory was IL
| thAt you went beyond the limits set
/ by yourself within which you could
possibly be excused? But waving the
question OF jurisdiction, let me ask
you this question in answer to your
! first. How many silver dollars had
been coined up to 1873, and OF the
very few millions coined how many
| had been coined for use and actually
! in use in the United States?
And still, in answer to your first in
quiry, let me PROFOUND the further
question: Was the amount of silver
in the American dollar in 1873 worth,
aB bullion, more or less than gold
dollar II IL was worth more at that
time, and IL there was none or next to
none being coined was not silver in a
state Of innocuous dessuetude, and
does not the tact that silver at the
coinage ratio was worth more than
gold throw some light upon why the
silver dollar was dropped?
II IL was the result OF conspiracy
by lUug headed and unscrupulous poll
ticians, who were they and how did il
come that they succeeded in doing
what they did do without any of the
balance Of us finding them out at tho
time the thing happened?
And still, answering your first cues
tion by asking you another, / vii
PROFOUND the following inquiry foi
your consideration:
What position did silver then have
in England, France and Germany
And IL IL had lost caste in those coun
tries at that time and il we had bu
little OF it, at that time, may IT not b'
possible that in order to float our re
sumption bonds in Europe and get thu
gold upon which TO resume specie pay
ment lof which act the Republican
party was always proud and is still
proud a possible reason for putting
beyond question that these bond
would not be paid in a money whicl
was discredited in money centers.
believe that II you will answer me th,
foregoing questions that candid AM
intelligent answer TO each Of then
will sufficiently answer your own frs
inquiry
Now, in regard TO your other ques
tions, 1t is too late 10 take them ul
this evening. Tomorrow or the mex
day l shall adopt the Socralc metho,
and shall ask you some more question
in relation TO matters included in tn
balance OF your interrogatories, bu
for the present the foregoing mus
. suffice