Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-07-02

A faVorite argument OF goldites Is
that free and unlimited coinage OF Sill
yer would enable foreigner to bring
50 cents worth of silver to this country
and have 1t converted into DOLLAR
and that would be class legislation.
To this l reply that the monetary
value of the silver in a silver dollar
Is already 100 cents, just as the mon
.tary value of the gold in gold dollar
is 100 cents. The bullion price Of the
silver in silver dollar is but little
more than one-half as much as former
~. and only about one-half its present
monetary value, and why? Because
Of the class legislation of the republl-
can party in favor of the goldites,
which has enhanced the bullion price
Of gold to almost double the bullion
price of silver.
1t should be kept in mind that while
there has been a constant divergence
between the bullion price Of gold and
the bullion price of silver since the
republican party put the cOuntry's cur
rency on a gold basis, the same diver
gence Is witnessed between the price Of
gold bullion and the prices of all other
commodities, such as wheat, corn, cot
ION, live stock, land, labor, ETC., while
there has been a remarkable sameness
between the price of silver bullion and
The prices of these other commodities.
In other words the bullion price of sill
other things has not declined, but the
bullion price of gold meaured by all
these other things has steadily adj
yanced Hence it is an absurdity to
say that the bullion price of silver has
declined. The fact is under republican
class legislation gold bullion has dou-
bed in price. And this is one of the
chief things that now curses this coun-
try. A free silverite is one who de-
mands the repeal of this class legisla-
lion.
To put tariff on silver to keep the
,oreign silver out would be class legls-
alton, unless a tariff was also put on
gold to keep foreign gold out. Most
people who have any sense and are not
completely blinded by partisan preju-
lice admit that what this country most
needs just now is an enlargement Of
h.. Of Gnoh pnnn1a
can not believe in tariff whose ex-
press purpose is to prevent such ex-
pansion.
The men who advocate such tariff
are the same who conspired to contract
the currency and to concentrate the
residue in a few hands.
Under the reign of a single gold
standard in this country the foreigner
can come to our shores and buy the
products of the farm for one-half what
he had to pay for them prior to the
characterization of silver. This condi-
ton is the result of republican legis-
lation in favor Of gold How much
worse would be a free coinage law
even if it should enable a foreigner to
bring so cents worth of silver to our
minis and have it made into silver
dollar?
The worlds silver mines produced
S1966O5,2 200 worth of silver, coming
value, or 152,061 800 fine ounces troy
in 1892, which was a larger product
than any previous year. OF this, the
United States produced 58,0O0,OOO fine
ounces or S74,9S9,9OO worth coming
value Much of the silver. produced in
other countries will be kept in those
countries for use in money and in the
arts, so that we need not under any
circumstances expect any great amount
Of foreign silver to be brought to our
nints. And that which is brought and
coined into American dollars would
necessarily be exchanged for our pro-
ducts, thus enlarging our circulation
and creating new markets for our pro-
ducts, since the foreigner could not
use American coin in his country.
Besides, when we repeal this class
legislation which fayors gold, that
metal will descend from its high horse
and silver bullion and all other CON-
modities in this country will command
the same relative prices to gold which
they maintained prior to the complete
enforcement OF the yellow metal.-J.
D. Botkin, Neadesha, Kansas.