The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-02-19

silver as money, but take care to have
nothing to do with our silver; it is
bad money: it is worthless: IT is a
fraud" ".. =-...
Let the administration Of the law
governing our gold and silver cur
rcncy be carried into effect upon the
same lines and upon the same theory
which obtains in the French govern
mcnt, and the statement OF the gen
tlcmcn from Maine and those Wh1
act with him will be correct. Let
the United States government. the
government Of nation Of 10000. 600
Of people and siXty-tivc billions Of
wealth, follow the example Of the
great bank of France and use the
option which it possesses under the
law to pay the demands against it in
gold or silver. and the United States
government will stand On a par in it's
credit with the great French repub-
lie. Who has heard Of any assaults
upon the credit OF France? Who has
heard that her ability to pay any
| portion of her six billions of ndcbt
ness has ever been questioned or
doubted for Il moment? What
FrcncE,n,ln has ever been compelled
to read in the public prints charges
that the money Of his country, or any
Of it, was Il cheap or worthless money:
France has 3S,000,0 900 people, owes
Il debt Of $4,000, 900, 900, and MAIN
tain 500, 600, 900 of silver currency
ut par with her gold. The United
States has $1,000, 600. owes Il debt OF
SS47, ,36l $50, and had July !, 1898.
$500, 243, 62} Of silver coin. And yet
we are told That with our superiority
Of resources, with almost double her
population, and less than One-sc venth
Of her debt. we cannot absorb and
maintain at Il parity the annual pro-
duct Of the silver which would come
to our mints. The total product Of
the world Of gold and silver for the
year 1894, at it's coinage value, was
only, S2l6, S95, 900. or this amount
|Sll3. O95 900 was silver at its coinage
value. OF this amount the United
States produced only &G4 200, O0O-
less than ST for every man, woman
and child within the limits Of our
country. Does any one contend that
with the population Of the United
States increasing. regularly at the
rate OF three per cent per annun,
the trivial increase to the currency
Which would be uccusiOucu by add
ing less nan 81 per cHplta Or snNel
would in any way impcril the parity
of the Two metals, it the United
States would exercise its option and
maintain the parity by rcdccmlng its
obligations rs the law authorizes it to-
in either gold or silver?
Sir. it las always been the contcll-
tion or the advocates Of binlctalliSn
on tic part OF the United States, in.
dependent Of any other nation, THAT
the exercise of the option conferred
by law on the government WollIC
maintain the parity both bctwccl
gold and silver coins, and bctWccl
the coinage and market value Of olll
silver,
That it would do 50 is best proven
, by the experience Of France. Iit
, United States, under the administra
, ton Of It's laws as they now exist, j;
purely on Il gold basis. France, il
} the administration Of its laws, is up
5 on ii binctallic basis, not coming gOlt
J and silver freely, but using its option
: to pay either.
l Every member Of this house i
: probably familiar with the fact tia
t il a citizen Of this country or an.
| other YOcs to the bank Of France Will
| Il draft upln which he desires money
+ he will be paid that money in cithc
gold or silver at the option Of tia
h bank, and by this means, "cvcu wit
n persistent pressure on the part 9
d gold using countries to dcprcciat
), silver in the markets Of the world
v France has always maintained til
: intcy rity Of her currency. \Hd sh
: is today Il prosperous. thriving nation
Il Wnilc we arc under the curse Of til
G twin producers Of cleapncS>-1h h
II gold standard and the dcnucrali
: tariff for revenue only.
. The gentleman from Maine in
o uuircs for what reason the advocate
}, Of independent binlctuIism bciicN
that the United States could uloli
t coin silver freely without dctriucn
= to the integrity Of its currency? Th
G answer to that is, first. that prior t
t it's characterization it did coin siIvc
d freely and without injury: Sccon
;. Japan with only 81 100000 ptppI,
II less skilled in the sciences and art
d than ours, and with fewer resources
q col S silver freely. and presents