Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-15

M wheat and Silver.
The current issue of the United
States Investor contains the following
editorial:
The noteworthy thing about the rise
in wheat Is that il has been unaccom-
panied by an advance 10 silver. These
two commodities are supposed by some
persons to bear marked Resemblance
10 the Siamese twins. But 1t seems
that during the last lew weeks the one
shameless fashion. We find wheat ad
September 1st while silver has had
hard work to keep itself on level
with the then price (661s centsi. We
shall have to 60 hack TO 1892 to
find prices for wheat in October at all
comparable to those quoted since the
beginning of the present month. and
whom We get back to 1892 we find that
the average price of silver for the year
WIS over 81 cents per ounce, the mini
mum quotation for that period being
over IS cents. With October quotations
on wheat so far about on level with
those OF October, 1892, we note a
heavy falling off in the price of silver.
An explanation from the frec-silver
faction Of the advance in wheat is
awaited with interest. The answer
may be that peculiar conditions have
INTERVIEWED this year to counterfeit the
usual tendency to union on the part
of wheat and silverr-a short crop
abroad and manipulation at hume, for
instance. But if this is the plea OF the
5ilrerites, is it not incumbent upon
them to show beyond all question that
all the phenomena witnessed in con-
nection with wheat and silver since
1878 have not, in like manner, been
due to peculiar conditions?
This is matter of peculiar interest
in Delaware. The very backbone Of
the free silver coinage contention in
this State has been its relation to the
price of wheat. The leader of the local
silver movement, the man who cast
the first vote for Bryan at Chicago,
has been heard, time and again. to de-
clare that the price of wheat is regu-
lated by the price Of silver; that the
| decentralization of silver caused de-
cline in its bullion value, whereupon
wheat fell correspondingly; that free
silver coinage would increase the value
of metal silver, and wheat would 60 up
accordingly.
Well, what do we see now? Silver
declining still further in price, while
wheat is steadily advancing. If there
was anything substantial in this argu-
ment of the silverites, wheat should
drop with silver; but it does not
Then there is nothing in this argument
of the silverites. And the same may
truly be said OF their other arguments
On Monday, silver fell to CAS- cents
per ounce, and wheat, for December
delivery, rose to T57s, Since Septem-
Der LIST silver has declined nearly two
cents, while wheat has advanced l0ss
cents. This object lesson is proving
SO embarrassing to the silver advocates
that thoy are forced to charge that
it is all the result of manipulation,
and that Mark Hanna is using Repub-
lican money to boom wheat and depress
silver. They give no heed to the law
Of supply and demand, which regulates
the price of silver bullion, wheat, and
every other marketable commodity.
Perhaps, as one brilliant Bryanite in
New England is said to have sug
gested, they expect to "repeal thai
law after Bryan is elected but
meanwhile it remains, to knock all the
logic out of their rainbow reasonipgs
How can the sensible voters of Della
ware, particularly our practical farmers,
give heed to a cause that advances suct
shallow arguments for its upholding.