The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-28
WHAT is FREE SILVER coINAGE'

-
The free and unlimited coinage OF sill
var that Is demanded by some Of the
Western and most of the Southern states
Is very imperfectly understood by many
who support 1t with the vague idea OF
getting an increase of money. Let the
facts be cooked sQuarely in the face. and
then let intelligent citizens determine
whether they can favor the Gree silver
craze.
The free coinage of silver as defined by
the frieads Of that policy in the hill pend
Ing in the United Staets senate, says the
Philadelphia Times. means that any per-
son owning silver bullion to the value
II IS. may deliver 1t to any United States
mint and receive for It lo legal tender
dollars. II means that the government
shall coin, free Of charge. in standard
or legal tender silver dollars, all the
silver bullion that may be presented to it,
and thus pay a premium OF 81 per e
to every holder of silver bullion
When it Is remembered that the silver
iueing interes, embraces but an in
sinai portion OF the people OF the
' as compared with those who pro-
- n coal. cotton. cottons, woolens'
d other products Of the farm.
Gus injustice Of the govern
to one petty class OF pro-
double the value Of their
ID make every honest
reeoil against il In
- coinage means that
~ all buy all the silver
lrly double its mar
bullion offered ar ne.
ket value.
'cers in paying
toward the silver prodt II, 10 III
nearly double the market suau nor
their product would be but
lion Of the appalling wrong I ,hpsnu.r,
lone to the country by the est IT,. aay
of such a financial system co. .,
that the free and unlimfted col II 10
Va "dSs 10 10 L sh wit
ms government WauIA -ial
less the entire change of our fran "A
Esssm from a gold to a silver basis a
his g,-ernmeut would take rank VIA
10 napan nd semi-ciytlized nations oe
he world. and forfeit the credit and com
denee Of the great civilized nations that ,
so larrely aided our advancement, fu'
nd rssAout which we could not main my
- commercial and Industrial prosperity :
or a day. ";
when the government wanted 10 bSr- OF
,,w money it would be required 10 pay -
2 for has Mexico, China and Japan NOV re
Al and labor would have little II any ra
fucrsase in wages. while the dOllsr earned 10
xoud s%ie only nifty cents worth Of III
necessarles q No nj
Another Important point u generally u
overlooked by the demagogir adsdcates n
a, ,,se silver coinage N the free silver 10
r,ussy5ez Of The world have an honest be
financial system They DO not stamp
afty cents as a dollar The Mexican
dollar. ike the American gold coin. is
worth. what il passes for whether in coin
Or IN bullion. They have silver cur "
rency from necessity. as they are Ho'
able TO maintain the gold system. but f
they do not commit the disgraceful folly .
of stamping a coin for any more than its q
actual value. Here in this most en- 0
hghtened government Of the world Is the a
only place where it is proposed 10 make =
a dishonest dollar by stamping fifty odd @
cents as worth one hundred and making 0
II fat money for the payment Of all .
debts. 9
Thus far we have been able to main t
tain this dishonest money because the
government credit is strong enough TO ,,
nav out honest gold dollars for silver {
Collars or paper when necessary, out in
this effort we nave strained the credit :
Of the government to the utmost, as Is
shown by the necessity to purchase gold
10 sustain our money system when the
balance of trade has been in our favor.
This system cannot continue without
bringing general distrust and repeated
Danics in business and Industrial circles,
and there is but one safety for any politi-
cal party, for the country and for all
the interests Of commerce, industry and
trade and that is in thoroughly honest
money on the standard universally
adopted by other civilizations Of the
world.