Griggs courier., 1896-07-17

the government coin 1t into one dollar
free OF cost. In other words the value
OF the bullion is almost doubled to the
owner. and the mine owner worth to-
day $4,000 in silver bullion. under
tree coinage would be worth Siy.
and there is no one else who profits
by tito any degree whatever. The
government has not gained one dollar
OF wealth but she steps in and by laws
say that these 55c dollars, held by the
silver kings, shall be legal tende, for
all debts both public and private and
the owners OF the soc dollars is thus
enabled to pay his Indebtedness and
taxes to the government with them. re
ceiving for them full face value. By
this IL will be readily seen that tie
people benefited by free coinage law
are the mine owners of the silver
states. And we will presume it were
possible for the United States mints
to coin under such o law within the
next thirty days one billion of silver
dollars. every dollar would be in the
hands OF the silver bullion owners.
and how in the world is the farmer
and the laborer going to get any of
this money without something OF value
to exchange for it. The silver men
are not as q rule philantropists and
will not throw their money broad cast
among you without value received.
Now you will readily see by this sys-
tenn the government has not increased
the wealth in her treasury. one dollar,
she has no more money to pay Off her
bonds than before she doubled the
wealth of the silver kings, but she, like
the private individual, must give value
received for the cheap dollars before
she can obtain any of them. And in
what way is this going to benefit the
farmer or laborer can not see. And
have not the farmers of the country
just as good a right Us the government
to pass a law making SOC wheat worth
Sl.O0 and make bushel of wheat
legal tender to the amount of 81. 90. or
in other words let you pay one dollar's
worth OF debt with one buphel of wheat
worth SOC. This law would be Just as
reasonable and do vast deal more
good to the people of the northwest.
But the man who advocates free coin
age Of silver tells you that free coin
age will increase the circulation per
capita but this is not true and
tho larger the per capita circulation
of q country, or in other words, the
more money in a country the higher
the prices of commodities. Now this is
a mistaken idea. It is not the quanti-
ty but the quality of money which in
duences the prices. If country has
money enough per capita to transact
the business Of the country so far. as
as prices are concerned if you we're to
double the amount it would not change
the prices whatever. Now as proof OF
this we will take France with a circu-
lation per capita double the amount of
the United States and the prices of
commodities are lower in France than
in the United States, but according to
the theory of free coinage men prices
in France should be double. Then we
will take Italy with circulation of
gold only about 25c per capita, and
the United States with about 5000 per
capita and accordingly the prices OF
commodities in the United States should
be thirty-six times those in Italy.
Now no reasonable man believes that
they are. | could cite you TO other
countries had | time but study this
subject for yourselves and be sure how
and what you are voting for.
Nj.