Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-08-13

silver all tho advantages offered Icy indC-
pendent bimctallism at the same ratio. In
ternational bimetallists cannot accuse the
advocates of free silver Of being "bullion
owners who desire to raise the value of
their bullion, or ''debtors who desire to
pay their debts in cheap dollars" or
"dcmagogucs who desire to curry favor
with the people" They must rest their
opposition upon one ground only-namely
that the supply of silver available for coin
age is too large to be utilized by the Unit
cd States
Our Capacity to Use Silver.
In discussing this question we must
consider the capacity of our people to use
silver and the quantity of silver which can
come to our mints. 1t must be rcmem-
bcrcd that we live in Il country only par
TALLY devclored, and that our people far
surpasS any equal number of people in the
world in their power to consume and pro
duce. Our extensive railroad development
and enormous internal commerce must
also be taken into consideration Now,
how much silver can come here? Not the
coined silver of the world, because almost
all of it is more valuable ut this time in
other lands than it VIII be ut our mints
under free coinage. If our mints ARE
opened to free and unlimited coinage at
the present ratio, merchandise silver can
not come EcrC, because the laborappl.2d to
it has made it worth more in the form of
merchandise than it will he worth Mt our
mints. We cannot even expect all of the
annual product of silver, because India,
China, Japan, Mexico and al the other
silver using countries must satisfy their
annual needs from the annual product
The arts will require a large amount, and
the gold standard countries will need u
Il ,beif
age We will be required to coin only that
which is not needed elsewhere, but if We
Stand ready to take and utilize all of it
other nations will be compelled to buy at
the price which we fix. Many fear that
the opening of our mints will he followed
by the enormous increase in the annual
production of silver This is conjecture
Silver has been used as money for thou
sands of years, and during all of that time
the world has never suffered from an over
production. If for any reason the supply
Of gold or silver in the future ever exceeds
the requirements of the arts and the needs
of commerce, we confidently hope that the
intelligence of the people will Ec sufficient
to doVisc and enact any legislation neces-
sary for the protection of the public. 1t
is folly to refuse to the people the money
which they now need for fear they may
hereafter have more than they need am
firmly convinced that by opening our mnts
to free and unlimited coinage at the pres
ent ratio we can create II demand for silver
which will keep the price of silver bullion
at Sl.20 Per ounce, measured by gold.
Some of our opponents attribute the fall
in the value Of silver, when measured by
gold, to the fact that during tho last quar-
ter of Il century the world $ supply of silver
hes increased more rapidly than tho world
,,f
answered by the fact that during the last
five years the annual production of gold
has increased more rapidly than tho an
nual production of silver Since tho gold
price of silver has fallen more daring the
last five years than it ever fell in any pro
yiou5 live years in the history of the world
it is evident that the fall is not due to in
creased Production. Prices can he lowered
rs eifcctunlly by decreasing the dcmand
for an article as by increasing the supply
of 1t, and ii seems certain that the fall in
the gold pri of silver is due to hostile
legislation and not to natural laws
Our opponents cannot ignore the fact
that gold is now going abroad in spite of
all legislation intended to prevent it, and
no silver is being coined to tako its place
Not only is gold going abroad now, but it
ihuSV continue 20 go "proa'l Nv lolis us lhe
leoS VIC continue 10 pofro" from ''cfoSS 'ie
o.e''il' .iu e'en .iioii VIC siiil1J FoStPohe
VIC oNli' M nc-ouac 'Hc ''ii'oui.o porro"Iu' 10
Be.-;cr "ltA l!lto.csU upon ~ nil,SV l'o re
p'id - IlPrtcit''Ii8 uoii'trS' Inc AI1'rl'
c"-i tc'E,c no" "Me a. ii'3c sum 10 huro-
lc,'h oi'Nlupr', "iiu i'iiih}5 lri''" nave ielU
Ii iISo. 'tilV h-rBcr MARIAN hc'"een our
ne ii't'ioii'l iooIiic 'h't our t'i'h''i inter
vs. c.I'rse' ihSro oAiS ono way % stop
tho ihcI@!SiilS no" oi i!oiu iro'l our s!loreS'
sili .ih'U IS 10 SVuP iaiiilis prices inc res
tor.tloh oi "iiilGt'liiSin VIII h"V only stop
l"iiins pri'VS, puO VIII 70 Solilc VA'cH'
NsIoT5 prices ny TSuuclhS the world oc-
MINT lor Soi'' 1t II Is ''rgueu ,hi't rise
III PRICES lcSSulS 'ho Nai'lp oi inc uoi''rs
winch "o P'y - our cteuitor'h rely
tiiaU IN 'io p"i"iloiilS i''S Vi clul'ios we
Ainerlc,,n luol'io li'No ~ iluGll rl3i' 10 IA
Nor 4" l.l'',lvii s'c'i "iilci WI. HUH
,all or rSStoio Prices ta lorcish CREATORS
htvo 10 ,hS'SU upon iili''iioidi system t'aS