The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-26
sILvER's PLACE AS MONEY.
A Correspondent Quotes the Bible
ON the Money Question.

To the Editor of the Globe
You viii o6lige many readers of your valu-
able paper hereabout. if you find time to
comment upon the following propositions.
1. Since the beginning of the history Of tha
world, gold and silver were regarded as most
valuable metals. metals of exchange for other
Gold Is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures
of the Old and New Testament as many
times as silver. In fact-accordiing to the
Bible-silver money was even earlier and
more extensively in than gold / claim,
therefore that man who wants to ostracize
or demonetize silver. commits sin against
the Heavenly Economist.
2. Silver is the money Of the common
people! To illustrate: Can workingman in
dulge In such luxury. as to put-say-four
or I'VE golden twenty-dollar pieces into his
pocket and go "a-marketing?" And who of
the two feels rather at home, the one who
has twenty silver dollars in his pockets or
the one who has but one twenty dollar gold
piece? Again, who of the two is more in
cllned to buy something to spend money
the one with twenty silver dollars or the
other fellow? And if man should happen
to be possesSor of million of silver dollars
he cannot help-so to say-to make the money
circulate. Silver cannot easily be boarded
For such an amount many and large vaults
would be necessary, and even the counting
would require long time comparatively to
the manipulation of gold which is twenty
to thirty times less yoiuminous. l therefore
claim not only that silver is properly the
money of the common people, but that il
naturally makes man rather generous and
human, while gold makes him avaricous and
selfish.
8. AS In politics. absolutism and tyranny
are by no meas salutary to the common peo-
pie and as in a republic it is to the benefit
of the inhabitants, il the governmental party
has counter weight, balancing power in
the party OF the opposition, Whatsoever be
it's naTne so in national economics the golden
monopoly is a tyrant of the people. as be-
comes more and more evident even here I'm
the United States. Silver, therefore, would
and should be for the good of national econ
omy make a counter-poise to the golden
standard. Rothschild and consorts cannot
monopolize gold and silver combined, as they
did with gold alone already BimetalIism will
give better stability to American finances.
For this reason:
A. The two national parties, the Democrats
and Populists, demand free coinage of silver
and even the Republicans pledged themselves
to promote it, If an international agreement
could be obtained. Specialists in political
economy, scientists and learned men like the
Italian Cernusch, Bishop McGovern or Arch
bishop Walsh, proclaim the benefits Of BIZ
metallism, and even Prof. Laughlin, although
a staunch gold man, has good word to say
in favor of silver. Considering the above I
claim that free coinage will satisfy the awak-
ened tastes and wishes Of the American peo-
pie and prevent. perhaps. for long time
the agitation Of the more serious questions OF
political economy and of socialism itself The
political leaders of today ought to be re-
minded of the Latin: Caveant consules ne
quid detrimenti res pub1ica capiat.
Rev. FIR ITCHY.
New Prague, Aug. "a.