The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-08-18
SOME LESSONS
On The Questions Of The Day.

clip few questions and answers to Tia
same out of which our readers ma.
extract some wanted information.
Question-How will the free coin
age of silver at the ratio of l6 to
benefit the farmer?
This question might well be ans
wered by considering what the de
monitization of silver has done for thu
farmer. by making money scarce i
has added to its value. When you in
crease the value of money you de-
crease the value of everything else
Consequently the prices of all farm
products have been constantly declin-
ing since 1873, until, in 1896 the de-
cline has reached almost one half.
On the other hand the farmers mort
,ges aRd taxes and debts of all kinds
have not decreased. He finds, how
ever, that he has to sell about twice as
much of his products as he did form
erly. The consequence is that the
farmers of this country are being
ruined. Their debts remain the same,
while what they have 10 sell to- pay
their debts has decreased in value
about one half The free and unlim-
tied coinage of both gold and silver
will help the farmer by increasing the
volume of money, and thereby raising
the price of what he has to sell. Iu-
stead of psyiag 80 for every 81 Dor
roWed he will turn dollar for dollar.
This may not please the bond and
security holders of this country and
Europe, but they have had their inn
ings long enough, and 1t is time the
farmers had some consideration shown
them. Another way in which the
single gold standard has injured the
farmers of this country is the follow
ing: The same amount of silver
money in silver-using countries, like
India, will purchase as much goods
as it ever did. The value of our
money, based upon gold alone, has
been constantly rising. Suppose that
silver is worth only 30 cents to-day
as measured in gold. The Indian far
mer can take 1000 bushels of wheat
to Liverpool and sell it there for City
cents bushel in gold getting there
for 500 gold dollars or their equiva-
lent. He can then turn this gold |
into silver money of double
the amount. He can take the silver
money back to India and with it can
pay $1,000 worth of debts or taxes.
On the other hand the American far
mer takes 1000 bushels of wheat to
Liverpool and sells it for so cents a
Dushel in gold receiving therefor $500.
lie brings this $500 back to this coun-
ny and with it he can pay only $500
worth of debts and taxes. AS the
'alue of gold still further increases
With reference to silver the Indian
armer can sell his wheat at a still
over price and the American farmer
aust meet him. There is only one ;
utcome of this process, as pointed j
ut by Sir Robert Fokler, member of {
arliment, banker and ex-Mayor Of
ondon, and that is the total destruc- {
on of the wheat and cotton growing 8
lterests of the United States. To
vert this disease return to the free t
nd unlimited coinage OF gold aud S
liver is absolutely necessary. t
Question:. Is there now, or has =
lere ever been, law passed by the
nited States Government making
Did legal tender in payment of
,bt 2. Does it pass by reason of it's :
trinsic value g. Is a creditor COM
lied to accept gold in payment if off
ed p?
l. The very first law passed in 1892
ade gold coin an unlimited legal
lder, aud that provision is in force
w and has been in force right along.
it were not for this law gold would {
It be money to-day in this country. !,
le decree of Government declaring i
article legal tender is what alone y
axes it money. If you want to {
owe this, take a five-dollar gold 4
ece, hammer it until the stamp of a
e Government Is effaced and then v
er It In payment for purchase of u
DDS. No one will take it., and no g
C can be compelled by Law to take !
The law does not make gold, the .
etal as bullion, legal tender, but q
ly gold coin of a certain weight !
d fineness, as certified to by the {