The Dickinson press., 1896-09-05
3. You point us to "a larger field of


abraded foreign coins. Our own silver
coins, even the subsidiary pieces, were
melted down for bullion because they
were worth about 3 per cent. more than
gold dollars. In all the period up to the
time of the great silver discoveries Con-
gress sought to make the coinage ratio
never authorized coinage at any other.
WAS that the coinage of the Constitu-
tiony' If so, will it be return to it for
us now to establish free coinage at the
ratio of 16 to when the commercial
ratio is about 81 to 1?
4. Will not free coinage Mt 1G to l re-
duce the value of the dollar unit by about
5. Will it not be in fact reputation
of about one-half of all our debts, public
and private?
6. Is there not danger that it will
cause the return to us of all the Ameri-
can securities held abroad-govcrnment,
railroad and industrial stocks and bonds
thus precipitating panic of giant pro-
portions, with long years Of depression to
follow?
Z. Will not your election upon the Chi
caso platform cause the calling in, be-
tween November and March, Of all COL
lectable debts, all loans, all mortgages
that have expired? And will not this
produce such distress us this country
has n! never known, particularly in the
West and South, where capital and
credit are most needed and depend upon
confidence us their basis?
g. Will not free and unlimited coinage
drive all the five or six hundred millions
OF gold and gold certificates out of use
as money or as bank reserves? Will it
NOT cause currency contraction of the
most disastrous proportions, inasmuch
as the utmost capacity of the mints to
=, h
draWai for several years to come?
y. Will not free coinage place us at
once on a financial level with Mexico,
India and China, and can we afford to
go upon that level?
10. Is there any country in the world
today which gives free and unlimited
coinage, to silver? Mexico does not.
South American States does. We know
of no country that does, of no example
that can be studied.
IL. Is there any. country in the world
now on the silver basis which is as pros
porous as the United States, even in this
time of depression? Is there any in
,'a which wages are 50 high as they are
wages will buy so much? Is there any
silver-basis country that has large
commerce. prosperous manufactures, or
a well-tO-dO agricultural class? Is it
not fact that in every silver-basis cOun-
try in the world abject and hopeless pow
erty on the part Of the masses is the
rule?
12. Will you explain to us for our en-
lightenment and guidance how our coun-
try is to escape like conditions if we
go to n silver basis, or how we are to
avoid the lapse to that basis if we adopt
free and unlimited coinage at 16 to
when the commercial ratio between the
metals is about twice that?
13. And if you tell us, as many. free
will raise the commercial value of silver
to the coinage rate, will you explain to
us how in that case free coinage is to
make money cheaper or easier to get,
how it is to relieve ''the debtor Glass;"
how it is to increase the price of wheat
or any other commodity?
IA. You may be aware that there was
Of Of this isl state alone $e4s, ,s7s,574. This
enormous sum belonged to 1,615,17S de.
positors, giving an average to each OF
$398.63. 1t represents mainly the small
savings of the thrifty poor. Nearly all
of it has been deposited since the pres
ent standard of value was adopted by
the government. Do you think it fair
even per cent. the value of the money
in which these deposits were earned and
in which today they would be paid?
Is. There are in this state 88,719 pen.
sioners. They drew from the govern.
ment last year nearly $14 100000. Con.
sidering the nature of this debt of honor
when justly due-can you look with fa.
vor upon any policy that might result in
paying them in Deprecated currency
building and loan association, Of which
418 are in New York. These associa
tions have 1,745,12 shareholders-all Of
the working and saving classes. Theil
assets last year were $3.50. O.667 ,594, repre-
sented chiefly by mortgage loans tt
homeseekers, of whom 455: 900 are mem
bers of the associations. These associa
tions have nearly all been organized with
in the last fifteen years under the exist
| ing money standard. Can you think
| fair or beneficial to tile working peopl
to reduce by Al per cent. or any lcsse
sum, the value of these investments o
the thrifty poor?
in proposing Il descent to the silver stan
surance companies alone doing bushes
in this state last year had in force her
nearly 100000 policies, insuring owe
$1,000, 100000. The assessment compu
nies and various benevolent orders have
vast amount more. Would it not be n
injury and wrong to the beneficiarie
LOT these polices-the widows an
sought to protect-to compel them to r.
ceive in payment depreciated money?
1S. The rise in prices" which 70
predict as a result of free silver coinae
would: of course, mean an increase in til
cost of living to all the people-to wag,
earners, salaried men, and the whol
body Of consumers. Do you know of an
| ,x,nsn sn1, rsS S,, I.
ries has been parallel with the rise i
prices? Is there any way to render
certain, or even probable that the wag,
earners will be compensated for the !,
creased cost of living?
10. You attribute the decline in silyt
to the decentralization of the silver do
lar in 1873, though that dollar was n,
and was not in circulation at all, OWN
to the fact that silver bullion was wort
| more in the market than at the min
Do you. consider that the increase in ii
worlds silver production from 81 ,1OO, OK
! ! ounces in 1873 to ICE, 900, 900 ounces
. 1895 had something to do in causing IL
decline, even though gold, the standal
money of all the great commercial n
tiOns, and the most sought after of mo
: ey metals, has also increased its vie
meanwhile?
20. You speak of the ''crime again
! silver" involved in suspending the col
! age of noncirculating dollars. Has yo
: government coined only $4,000 silv
3 dollars in 1873, but that from Janua
e 1 to June 30 Of this year it coined
e 5OO.412, or 908.691 more than in i
!, entire eighty-one years of its history
: to 1873?
These he Word ase Wond adkfe e 1eoc IN az
e have it made clear that the policy
: free and unlimited coinage at 16 to I
I wolves no danger to the country, b
? promises prosperity to all the people.