Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-23

What do the gold-bugs want this
year?
Nothing but maintenance Of the
existing gold standard, which means
continuance of present conditions
generally.
Are they satisfied with present condi-
tons?
They seem to be.
What do they mean by international
bimetallism?
They mean that We must ask the con-
sent Of England to coin silver-or
rather, they don't mean anything, but
merely use this as a cowardly way Of
declaring for single gold standard.
Does the government coin gold free?
Oh, yes.
Is gold really worth as much in bull
lion as 1t is in coin?
really don't pretend to know what II
might be worth if it did not enjoy the
privilege Of free coinage-but the price
is the same under present conditions,
which create an unlimited demand for
1t at a fixed price.
Does the bullion ever go above that
price?
Yes, when the spectators are buying
gold.
Now, I've got you. What do they
buy gold with when gold is the stan
dard Of value?
That's easy. They buy it with paper.
| HnW dOac Tho non ito
1t is based on gold.
Then If the man who sold the gold
wanted his paper redeemed he would
have to accept gold at premium, and
really wouldn't have any more gold
than he started with to show for his
premium?
Yes, but the government would re-
deem his paper in gold at it's face value.
Well, why shouldn't the other fellow
60 to the government, instead of the
broker, when he wanted to buy gold
and save the premium he paid?
Lots of them debut the main object
is to corner gold and force the govern.
ment to issue Understanding bonds
to buy gold. Then the men who have
gold cornered can sell 1t at their own
price. Thus you see the object in buy.
ing up the gold held by other brokers'
so nobody else is able to furnish the
gold to buy the bonds.
But say, isn't that robbery?
| Certainly.
! What does 1t cost to mine gold?
All the way from cents to 60 :enta
for dollars worth.
Why not coin 1t into money at the
true cost of mining?
Oh, the price of gold is fixed.
Well, doesn't that make the gold
dollar part fat?
1t does
Does it cost any more to mine q
dollars worth Of gold than a dollars
worth of silver?
No, usually less.
Who own the gold mines?
Big syndicates Of capitalists in this
and foreign countries.
And they get about three times as
many dollars for their gold bullion aa
they pay out for labor?
Yes.
Then they can put two dollars In
their pockets to do as they please with,
Ell?
Yes.
And one dollar out of three is all
they put in circulation?
That is true.
Must be big profit in gold mining!
Appears so.
Well in case of free coinage of sill.
yer, wouldn't there be big profit in
silver mining, too?
In some mines, yes. Fact Of the mat.
ter is more money has been spent in
mining both gold and silver than is
made out of them. Some mines pay;
some don't. 1t costs the unlucky pros
pector as much to pay for labor as the
one who strikes pay dirt" Thousands
of men are given employment and prac-
tically all the money taken out of the
mines is put into circulation prospect
ing. The goldbugs say great syndi-
Gates Of capitalists would profit by the
mining Of silver, but they try to mako
It appear that there is no profit in
gold mining. There is no more room
for speculation in the one than the
other. The men who do the speculate
ing are fellows who don't know pros
pect hole from an ore crusher. They
gamble in mining stocks, just as they
do in railroad stocks, waterworks bonds
or any other kind Of paper that prom
Uses interest. Silver bullion buys as
much Of the products Of labor at pres
ent prices as it did in 1873, while gold
buys twice as much. To remonetze
silver would, by increasing the amount
of money, increase prices of produce.
Then an ounce of it would buy the
same it does now, while an ounce of
gold would be reduced in purchasing
power to the same level it held before
silver was demonetized. Thus gold
would be forced to restore what 1t had
stolen by appreciation, while silver
would be simply restored to its own.