The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-18
SILVER IS TOO CHEAP
The fastener Would Rather Handle
Bacteria Money.
LETTER FROM Mr.. GOODRICH
He Has Learned Much About the
Uneducated Far Down"
People and Tells a Few
Good stories.

Great Falls, March 1.-THE Great
Falls Office of the Standard is in re-
ceipt of an interesting letter from G.
II. Goodrich, president and general
manager of the Goodrich Lumber COM
pany of this city. Mr.. Goodrich is
spending the winter at his old home in
South Norwalk, Conn, and incidental
ly taking in eastern cities in search of
amusement and pleasure. He writes as
follows:
South Norwalk. Conn, 39, go.
ITO the Editor of the Standard:
Dear Sir-While here in the East l
have been trying to do a little mission
airy work for silver, and a few evenings
since came near getting into row
over the subject. ] put my war bonnet
and hickory shirt on and walked up
street to meet some seven or eight
proselytes-known as goldbugs-to try
and convert them to the true faith-bi-
metallism. 1 was getting along sooth-
ingly explaining that our imports were
many millions Of dollars in excess of
our exports; that If the merchants of
the old world would not take our sill
Yer in payment for 'bric-a-brac,' we
had better not buy of them, but in
stead, open up the idle factories here
i'm the East and establish other new
ones by being loyal and patriotic
enough to patronize none but home in
stitutions or industries, and by restor-
ing silver, another home industry, to
it's proper sphere as money; that the
people of the United States would then
create double demand for home man
ufactured products and home labor
when a celestial appearing mossback
shylock from Pendicetusville appeared
on the scene and said he was going to
ask me question and 1t was that old
chestnut-'What is the standard of the
civilized nations of the world: taking
England and Germany for example,?
Il replied that, unfortunately for
those nations, ii was at the present
time gold, but that they were gradu-
ally, in their mule-train way, becoming
educated to see the errors of their
ways and that ii was only a matter of
time when they would recognize silver
as money, and be glad to do So l re-
lated to those present my experience
of the day before. l had been to New
York and purchased at one of the de-
partmcnt stores safety razor and a
package of mems hose. Later, on
opening the packages. / found cut in
the rezor the words. made in France
and stamped on the hose were the
words, Made in Germany ] said il
was a blot on the escutcheon of Ameri-
can independence and a foul crime
committed against the laboring ele-
nent of our own country to import
these articles. Can we not manufacture
hose, raZors and countless thousands
of other articles needed and used here
but now shipped in from foreign coun-
tries, i'm foreign ships and made by
foreign workmen to the great detri-
ment of our skilled mechanics now out
of and seeking employment, but also to
the loss of our gold, which is sent to
Europe in payment for goods ordered
and received by American dealers and
consumers. If there ever was a time
when boycotting was considered justi-
fable, then here is surely an instance
and opportunity and the result of such
a boycott would rebound i'm universal
prosperity and bring to the United
States what is commonly termed good
times.
Il find that the great majority here
in the East-and by this time | mean
almost every one-have not given the
silver question any thought or study
being prejudiced against the white
metal and blind to their own interest
/ maintain. after careful observation,
that the East has suffered more than
the West from the decentralization of
silver inasmuch as by that act II has
retarded a vast amount of development
i'm the West, and there is no denying
the fact that the East looks TO the
WEST LOT Il UldIhtl 10 uiSHoSe Oh Il large
part of her manufactured products
This is the greatest source of wealth
and income the people of the East
have, so why should they not assist in
the development of the West by recog-
nizing silver and thus incidentally Gre
ate a western demand for eastern pro-
ducts that would start up the factories
and give employment to thousands of
idle men in the East.
rhaCp hfnnarG Of
i'm the East will awake to realization
OF their immense loss, the loss to the
country at large, the loss to the work
ing classes, loss of gold, loss every
where and to everyone in the United
States, which with its natural advan-
tages. great and varied resources,
should be the most prosperous nation
on the face Of the globe. And this is
why l speak of silver and imports in
the same breath. They drift together
and there is no use of trying to sep
arate them. for they are twin factors
in the prosperity of this country to-
day.
What impresses me most during my
sojourn in the East is the scarcity of
silver dollars in circulation. / noticed
a great scarcity Of them in the differ
ent banks / have visited. Just for an
experiment | have had several bills
changed and made small purchases in
stores. and in every instance have re-
ceived one and two dollar bills in eX-
change; some Of them ragged. filthy.
a perhaps loaded with germs In
Montana banks, when change is asked
for a $40 bill. one would receive perhaps
a s. bill ard the balance ia clean silver
money. When eastern people are asi.ed
why they object u silver money they
reply that 1T is not as convenient as
paper and gold TO carry around II
makes me weary and / can but regret
that they are shiftless and blind 70
their own interests
This part 81 the country seems
flooded with dirty. filthy. greasy one
and TWO dollar bills and il occurs ~
me that If the government would re-
clu these and issue in their place sill
yer doll1g~-h-i-ht. clean money-lt
nm. L. = st.r. I'm HI. - r-hf llLral.f ton