The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-08-07
CHIEF JUSTICE sIeELows VIEWS.
Eevada's Great Jurist Says Free Coinage
VIII Ipjure Silver Miners, Pensioners
and All but u Few Debtors.

anu All out n rev DeDtOfrs
Chief Justice r. r. Bigelow of the
supreme court CT Nevada had letter in
a recent issue G.; the Reno New Ca
zette which starts some of the effects of
10 TO l free coinage very clearly. Hers
is a part of his letter:
1t is not to be denied that the Repub-
licans Of this state are hard hit by the
action CT the st. Louis convention upon
the monetary question. The free coinage
of silver is believed TO be so much to
the advantage Of Nevada as silver
producer, and we have for so many
years heard nothing but free coinage
Eat 16 TO 1" arguments, that we have
almost come to the conclusion that no
one can think otherwise who is not a
scoundrel bought with British gold.
But there is another side to the question
that is believed in sincerely by millions
of as pure patriots Is any who believe
in free coinage of silver. Any man who
says that this country can alone double
the value Of all the silver Of the world
and bring it and gold to par is either
ignorant of the lessons Of the past or he
willfully shuts his eyes to them. If the
free silverites carry the election this fall
on their 16 to / platform, it will not
only paralyze business-it will utterly
destroy it. There will be scarcely o.
bank or business house in the land that
will not go down before the storm. 1t
will send gold to almost 100 per cent
premium, and, as measured with silver,
everything else will go up in value with
it, but as it will take twice as many
dollars as now to buy the same article
it will be Of no earthly advantage to
any one except to the man who owes
debts that he has not promised to pay
in gold. His silver dollars will pay such
debt just as during the war green
backs would pay one, although worth
but SO cents on the dollar, but they
will only buy half as much flour or
clothing or groceries as now.
But if he owes money to banks or
money lenders-and whodoes not?-who
contracts, he will have to take two of
his silver dollars to buy one in gold, and
at the same time, owing to the general
stagnation i'll business, they will be
harder to get hold of than gold dollars
are now. 1t will be of no advantage to
the silver states, because their silver will
be just as hard to get from the ground as
now, and pound of it will buy no more
steel or powder or any of the necessaries
of life than now.
But the laboring man will be the one
who will suffer the most. The Comstock
miner will still get "a per day, the la
borer So and the clerk $50 to $75 per
month, but it will be in silver, and, as
it is now in Mexico, it will only buy
for his family or himself one-half what
it will today. The Same will be the
case with the crippled veterans, their
widows and orphans, who are now get
ting pensions. It's effect will be to scale
their pensions. It's effect will be to scale
their pensions down one-half
There is not one Of the arguments of
the silverites that cannot be completely
and successfully refuted. Free coinage
at 16 to by this country alone cannot
possibly benefit any one, but it can bring
fearful distress upon all.