The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-09-12
"WITHOUT WAITING FOR
ANY OTHER NATION
ON EARTH.v

ON FAN He
Mr.. Bryan in all his harangues is
very fond of saying that he is in IA
yor of the free and unlimited coin.
age OF silver, at the ratio of 10 TO /,
without waiting for the aid or con-
sent of any other nation on earth.
The inference seems TO be that il
might be proper to wait for the con-
sent of some nation on the moon or
some of the other planets, but no
nation 'on earth is of any account
whatever. International agree
ment or international coinage he de-
spises; he is wholly above and be-
yond it. This raises the question
why should we wait for information
a cooperation and assistance? The
international monetary conference
of 1868 came to the conclusion that
money is a tool or instrument OF
commerce; that the great CONNER
cial nations could not afford TO work
with any but the best tools that
gold was far and away the best
monetary tool that the world af-
| forded, as a standard for measuring
values; that silver was proper in
strument for etfecting small eX-
changes, but that gold was the SUI
perior and only fit metal for uni
versal measure. and tender for
large payment, and therefore recon-
mended its adoption as the general
monetary standard
Immediately thereafter the move
ment set in to conform TO the judg-
ment so expressed by monetary ex-
perts.
The secretary of the treasury re-
Gently published Circular l23 of
information respecting financial
matters, and in it is found a sum
mary of monetary events from
1856 to the present time. 1t will be
interesting to watch the events sue
ceeding the conference of 1868. We
find the following:
ls7l-Replacing the silver standard in Ger.
many by the gold standard
ls73-Replacing the double standard by the
gold standard in the United States. Creation
of the trade dollar.
ls'3-Suspension Of coinage Of 5-franc pieces
in Belgium
1873 Limitation OF coinage of 5-franc pieces
on individual account In France
ls13-Suspension of silver coinage in Holland.
MARI, Sweden and Norway by that of gold.
lsi5-Suspension of the coinage of silver on
individual account in Italy.
ls15-Suspension OF coinage OF silver on ac-
count OF the Dutch Colonies
lsT-Replacing of the double standard in
Finland by that of gold.
lss2-Replacing of the silver standard in
Austria Hungary by that of gold
l%S-Suspension of the coinage of silver in
British India. and of French trade dollars ON
individual account
isa5-Adoption of the gold standard by Chile.
Thus it is seen that the whole com
mcrcial world abandoned the free
coinage of silver. and no country in
the world has coined as much silver
since 1873 as has the United States.
Oni Y two countries in the world have
as much coined silver, today. as has
the United States, and they are
China and India-certainly not
mCdels for US to initiate.
Meanwhile the production OF silver
in the Tn ted States has increased
from on average of $1,000. 900 for
tie decade from 1851 to 1870. in
elusive, to $40. 600. 900 per year from
1871 to 1894. inclusive. and the silver
production of the world has risen
from 63.3l7, IA ounces for the years
from 1871 10 1873, to 1876. $50
ounces in 1895. of coinage value OF
S2l6, So, POO. These two causes
operating together-the rejection OF
silver as gen eral money by the com
mercial world, and the tremendous
increase of its production-has
forced silver down from l29 cents
per ounce to about 81 cents.
But in the face of these crushing
facts the confident and vainglorious
Mr.. Bryan proposes that the United
States alone shall undertake the her
culean task of raising the price of all
the silver in the world from 81 cents
to l29 cents per ounce. without
waiting for the assistance OF any
other nation on earth.
Here is confidence that would be
sublime, if it were not idiotic. De
trOit Evening Journal.