The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-02-14
WHY 1T Is l6 TO |.
LEARNED REASONS GIVEN For
THE COINAGE RATIO.
bos Every Pound ~ Geld rroaue.d
Sisse<a Feasds of Silver are Alec
fredo~sd-Why ~ liant TO The
Mess Hoaess nss~y IN Earth.

The opponent OF bimetallism is -
com so well pleased as when attac kiu
the ratio Of Is 10 l. Men Who never
their lives bestowed an hour OF INTEL
gent and consecutive thought upon IA
subject will assume a look OF sup.aric
wisdom and ask Why that oarti.., IA
ratlo. rather than some other, WI
not an TO or to l. Very sagel
they remark that IL the United State
can open It's minis 10 both metals an
make sixteen ounces OF silver equal 4
ounce OF gold in the coinage. there i
no good reason why ounce Of siIvel
cannot De made equal 10 ounce q
gold
Having thus iearnedly m disposed Of
the 10 10 proposition. they proceed
TO say that IL SILVER is 10 be coined al
All II should be al the market price =
which represents . ratio OF someth nc
like 80 to 1.
In former issue comment ~as made
upon Judge Aldredge's ridiculous claim
tnat she farmer is nov better OF with
% cent wheat than he formerly was
WIN his wheat al a dollar. We ven
cured 10 suggest that If a drop to 50
eents had improved the farmers con-
eAaon. drop to Is cents would i'm
prove II still more.
A correspondent writing 10 the Ma
uond Biime.allist attempts 10 apply
The sane line of criticism to the ques-
uon OF ratio. He asks. If Is 70 is a
good tsing. Why would not IL TO | De
better, Ia this way he seeks TO show
The faHacy Of the ratio OF Is 10 l.
The weakness OF such reasoning lies
IN the assumption OF an analogy where
hone axiaGA
Il = - clear a. light that the farmer
Aas 1T -, benefited by a fall Of 81
DsT csnt in the price of his wheat. but
\ 49, Aoe follow that because IL would
y epod thing 10 coin silver al 81. -
- sunca. II would be still better 10
esin IL st 3 sr - a SO or $50
Our essT1spoodent's conclusion would .
- soand II the bimetalHc idea we're ,
Deresy % increase the volume OF money
l.de1ntsay and without limit In that
eAse 70 would be Is times as good s :
Is - l. The ~ 81 whole mountains OF Z
paper would Be better still. n
But the bimstaiIist seeks 10 do moth :
Ag q the kind His purpose is merely
. restore the monetary system that 2
rs subverted IN 1879. and utilize the b
20 metals in the best and most equir- IA
BILE way. i
In hxtAg . ratio between them for m
1ooey ne al the elements which il
Tosld naturally affect the value Of CT
aeh for that purpose should be taken Va
INTO consideration ct
TA6 u exactly what the bimetallisc
oes In advocating the ratio of Is to III
le V not leaping blindiy in the dark to
~ demanding . purely arbitrary ra- in
o. Wholly regardless Of existing con- re
ItionA "a
There are three excellent reasons xhy co
meeAuists In this country have gener- de
~ Ned upon the ratio OF Is to I.
that was the legal OF
Ito existing from 1894 until the de- tic
oeeehing act OF 1873. There vas ra,
'tning wrong With that ratio in 70
seif. but ~ France and the other cer
Ates Of the Latin Union coined at ISL doc
yer vas given a valuation in Europe as
out per cent higher than We gave II. die
snce but little was coined at our mint. OF
u the minis Of the Latin Union being 9th
= closed to silver. there would be no I
nAtet Of ratios and ii il believed tina. the
mint rate would control the rela- a n
e value OF gold and silver every ure
TIL.
bimetallists believe adm
ls4 would be the more logical is n
70. because the full legal tender sill the
OF Europe Is generally coined at But
rate But monometallists have Die,
Messed 10 fear that IL our mint we're can
ned European countries would at as
z seise the opportunity and get rid into
Aefr silver coin by exchanging il for imp
ericAn gold II
he fear rests upon no substantial an
Is. because European governments hea
DOT anxious to get rid Of their silver. silv
n Germany. who took the lead in valu
'onetising 1t. nov perceives the folly rate
he act She has sold no silver for mar
Ut Is years. and in fact has no more rati,
. sbe needs for the smaller trans viii,
ons Of her people The other coun- coin
} Of Europe which hold the principal r;
II Of silver have shown no desire TO com
VIII II and could gain nothing By o,,ir
q % On the contrary they would ma.
, because Of the expense which such ana
Isnge would involve. copn
u eut Of Difference to this fear isrv
ever ilI-founded. bimetallists say
10 further guard against the sun
d danger let US coin IL at Is TO
IL to say. let us put per cent ~
: silver into our coin than is con-
ID in the silver coins OF Europe. INA
, IL any European nation attempts -
,load silver upon US IL will suffer a
not only OF the 3 per cent difference ~
lining ratio. but the expense of ship
and loss BY abrasion amounting
rhaps a. much more. As the silver -
Of Europe Is already worth 81. 81 an
night where II is. IL we coin il al
ve will be ef7ectually guarded -
NJ flood" from that quarter. - !