Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-02-04

nor gold in circulation as was the
case with this country from 1861
to 1873. While on a coin money
standard, the mint privileges"
from which the coin is made, n
respective of any amount of eth
err, or both kinds of coin in
actual circulation, determines
the money standard,
and other things being equal,
regulates the general level of
prices of all other commodities.
From 1884 when the amount of
gold in dollar was reduced, and
the coinage ratio changed silver
left, and gold, the cheaper metal
remained. The bimetallic stand
ard always implies the use of che
cheaper metal Of the two. If sill
yer has not been denied the mint
privilege in 1878, and had still
become the cheaper metal, we
should undoubtedly have used
silver, orif for any reason we
should have wanted to use gold,
have changed the ratio. All the
silverites ask is the restoration
of the mint privilege" Of silver
as it existed from 1892 to 1873
If after that is done it shall be
found that the ratio of Is to l is
not the proper one to keep the
metal coin that we ought to have
for the best interest of the coun-
try, the free ,silverites stand
ready to discuss the question of
ratio. But until the mint privi-
}ege of silver is restored, it is
useless to talk about the question
of ratio, and the amount and
kind of coin in circulation. The
Senator said: -
HE did not justify, nor had he
ever defended the act of 1873,
but that the act did not accom-
plish all the dire results with
which it had been charged.
Very we'll Senator. If you do
not justify the act of 1873. can
you not see your way to help re-
store the mint privilege of
silver that was then taken away.
When that is restored, and silver
does not recover it's commercial
value at 16 to / of gold,
or if gold should leave us to our
detriment, then we free silver
ties will readily agree to adjust
the ratio SO that gold will stay.
We incline to the belief that the
Senator has original views on pa
per money. Now if he has any
practical plan for congress to fur
nish this long suffering people
any relief from the present mon
ey carrier we should like to have
him bring it out. We do not
care how relief comes, nor from
where. We ali know that the
corner in money that has existed
for the last three or four years
must be broken soon or the en-
tire middle class Of society will
be practically disposed of all Of
their property. Taxes and a
very little interest will eat Up
any farm or ordinary business in
a few years under present condi-
tions. Now we want some prac-
tical measures to relieve these
conditions. If free silver is not
the thing let us have the other
sure remedy if there is any.
The present financial system
is simply impossible. No farmer
or business man however shrewd
and smart can figure out how
much of his property, skill or Ia
Dor he will pay out to get dollar
next month, next year, or five
years from now. No sensible
man will incur any debt. in these
times. And few enterprises can
he started without the use of
credit. A stable money system
is the absolute sine qua non, to
the revival Of business. It ap-
pears to us that that much is evil
dent to any thinking man, and
that our legislators should ad-.
dress themselves to this question
at once.
AN ELOQUENT SENATOR.