The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-06


1913, coined 500. U,J. is4.4O against siiJ,-
ST., $3.50 previously coinedy is not every
dollar OF This immense sum equal IN pur-
chase power TO The standard unit OF value
does 1t nOl look foolish, in view OF these
fac.s 10 talk about the decentralization
OF silyer-il 10 demOnetize Il metal Is 10
give II the same powers as the unit Oh
VALUE, where, then, Is the harm or in
jury dCne7
Mr.shephard asks III II ever occurred
to working and salaricd people that II the
gold standard is permanently fixed upon
tnis country. that their salaries are soon
10 be reduced" &c. DC. Is II not iact
that since 1860 wages and salaries have
increased over 30 per cent? is IL not
fact that the purchase power OF the mon--
ey IN which wages and salaries are pald
has appreciated 80 per cent? Is IL not ABB
sclutely certain that II We have free coin
age OF silver that. as general thing,
wages and salaries will remain the same
as nOw2 Is Ii not 4 fact that the free ana
unlimited coinage silver dollars VIII not
have the purchase power CT the present
doliarl
II the Poptlist expects to get an adj
Vance for his wheat and corn, &c, VINO
is TO pay this increase except the laOeI-
er-ths consumer?
Ia the laborer. the salaried man, 80
blind as to swap n good dollar for a pan
one? Is he so foolish as TO Wish 10 eN-
power than any currency ne was ever ps,
fore paid I'm for a cheap dollar tnat VIII
not buy him as many necessalies anu
comforts for his family?
Is not the example of Mexico before
him with her free coinage silver dollar
where sugar is lOc. per To-, coffee, sue
per ID &c. I'm this same silver dollar
with four grains more Of fine silver than
cur dollar has-with the Mexican gong
dollar sugar can be bought at &C. anu
coffee at 2Oc., &c The work.ngmdn anu
tho salaried man can rest assured II ne
ever has the free and unlimited coinage
silver dollar that his daily stipend or
salary Is "surc TO be reduced, ana rot
only reduced once, but continually anu
successfully until there is no telllnS h."
little you may be tofccl 10 I've Vpon
per month" ~ silver would, under ifee
coinage. continue TO Increase m puantl-
tv ms commercial value would decrease
until the working and salaried man Wchld
be- upon level with the people OF MtNl-
co.
There are but two exclusively silver
countries i'm the word-India and CHINA
what il the condition Of the w0rNing man
thcre-he gets ten cents day Tor MS
labor. Does Mir. Snephard wish to re-
duce the American iaborer 10 this con-
dition in order 10 enrich the plutocrat' the
silver monOpOlist2
Tho Richmond Dispatch. which IS re-
garded by many a. Il conservative jour
nal, in its issue CT May II, 1896 Was ask
ell the following question. 'NOuid lAe
passage OF a law providing FOR the uh-
limited coinage OF 5Ayer-thdt Is Ios
coming free ali the silver thar might be
taken TO the United states mlnts-naFe
tho effect OF lowering the price or sllF ei,
or Of enhancing the price Oh SILVER
In reply. the Dispatch says.
The laws OF nature would be reversed.
II there were a limit put to the quantity
Of bullion that could be coined under The
new law, there would be al least a stop
plng-place, and sCme enhancement OF the
price or silver 40 compared Win the
price Of gold, might be looked for, but Tor
the United States 10 undertake single
handed and alone to recon an the el-
yer coins and coin all the silver hulllou
that would be dumped into this country
bv all the nations OF the earth, would De
to undertake a work which the United
states could never ilnlah. tne cdptt4ty
oil our mints Us not sufficient 20 enable
our government TO coin the silver oil
all the world
Now I entirely agree with the Dispatch
ana surely MI Sheppard Will not diitet
with so high al authority nor VIII the
working man or the saidrled man lie
foolish enough 20 vote FOR free coinage
after reading the above sound ana eco
monte doctrine from so high an authorl-
~ ia journalism. Mr.. Sheppard Is GER
tainly one OF Jobs cOmfOrtcrs 20 the
working and salaried man, for after tell
ing them chat they are liable To lose
their positions he comforts and en-
cOuragcs them after the manner OF Eli
phaz the Tcmanitc. ana B.idad, the Slcn-
hlte, by saying. THE fact is that If you
take the country over. FOR every man
that has 70 job there nc least ten men
equally as competent 10 III IL who are
out of a job and would be ready ana
anxious 10 take yours, and even To take
10 az n lower figure than you are get
ting, 81 necessary This is certainly
very encouraging, and Will doubtless in-
duce many 20 vote for free silver II they
have gone clean dctt and lost their rcd-
son! But this wise Cd Sheppard, who is
1rylnS 10 lead the sheep astray, asks
tho working mau, "Is it human nature
for any man or corporation TO pay more
Tor services than they can get other
men, equally as competent, TO perform
the same seryleest' II these assertions
be true, and 10 one Will gainsay them,
had not the working man best stick 10
his place, stand by Ills employer, look 10
mis- own interest by voting to keep the
dollar he now gets in lieu Of one that
VIII not buy him as many OF the me-
cessarlcs OF life? Let the silver standard
be once fastened on this country and
as the Richmond Dispatch wisely and
truly says, an the editorial above referred
10. 10 VIII cause ITO tOpUle down the
whole financial fabric OF this country"
Mr.. Sheppard speaks OF contraction OF
the circulation Does he not know that
the per capita has been increased from
about $3.50 in $50 TO s22s3 in 1855? Has
there not always been enough money i'm
this country 20 pay every one for what
bee has 10 sell, be IL labor or cOnmodi-
tiesy There has been no contraction
WOrM the mentiOu-tlere may be- ana
rs "A lack of distribution, but as soon as
This free silver craze subsidies, and we
can even now hear the waves suhsidng
into gentle and peaceful ripples. bust
ness VIII start up, new enterprises be
put in operation, and the boarded money
VIII come forth and be distributed. We
have, with the exception Of France, the
largest per capita of money. and If il
D. taken into consideration that 90 per
cent OF all our large transaction in BUSH
ness are done by checks. drafts. etc,
has but few banks. and does most Of her
business with money we have, probably.
three times the circulation Of France
and Eve times that Of England.
But We are told by Mr.. Sheppard that
God himself gave 10 (silver). 10 us for
money. and AT l6 20 I. If the Bible
IS 10 be believed" Now the Bible is not
"a work on political economics. Common
tators, and scientists differ as 70 the
value OF the Hebrew silver and gold
shekel: some put the silver skekel al
go grains, but the latest scientific dis
coveries. from such eminent authorities
as McCulloch. Gregory. Lavoisue. Smilt.
and others. have agreed that the gold
shekels value was $50, ana that the
silver shekel 50 cents according 10 this
standard, the ratio would not be 10 20 /,
but not quite ten 20 one. IL Is a we'll