Kansas City daily journal., 1896-11-01

The following is a pickup from
Ninth street discussion yesterday on the
burning issue Of is to /:
RepubIcan-"Now, my friend, II the free
coinage of silver is such good thing, why
has 1t not carried silver up in Mexico Chi
ma, japan and other free silver countries?
Why have they all got deprecated mon
ey?"
PopuHst-'Do you mean to compare this
country with Mexico? Shame on you."
Republican-"No. my friend, l do not
want to compare this country with Mexico
or any other free silver country. and for
that reason I don't want it to do what
Mexico has DONE but, my friend. l assert
this to be fact, that If fool does
certain act and a certain result folloWs,
then IL an intelligent and enlightened man
does the same act, the same result will FOL
low: therefore, il the Americans, with all
their intelligence and wealth, do what
Mexico and the free silver countries have
done. will not the same result follow, to-
wit, debased money!"
Populst-"No. sir. / do not"
Republican-"Then let US suppose, Sir.
that you witness the fact of a Mexican
jumping from a house 100 feet high. and
meeting death. then, sir, If a civilized
American jumps from the same house,
would not the same result follow, to-Wlt,
death?"
PopuAst-"Yes But then that Is differ
ent to the American people"
Repubhcan-"I admit 1t is different. but
in what does the difference consist? In
the one case, 1t is one civilized man act
ing the id fool against light and knowi-
edge and in the other it Is the great Amer
lean people as a whole, doing what Mexico
and all the other free silver countries have
done, with like results
PopuHst-"But why talk about China and
Mexico? What do we care about their
money!"
1o$-
ever about their money, but We are inter-
ested that you Pepulists don't force the
same kind of money upon us. against light,
reason and experience. Patrick Henry SAID
experience was his guide and the history OF
the past-then il you would consider Henry
good authority. we would be fools 10 1oaio"
In the wake of free silver countries
Populist-"Aren't our silver dollars good
as gold now?''
Republican-'Yes, and that very express
sion Of yours, as good as gold,' you meas
ured the silver dollar by gold Then, my
friend, there is a vast difference between
the free coinage dollar and the present dol
lar. This is good for 100 cents in debt
paying and purchasing power. Why?"
Popuist-"Because of the government
stamp" -,
Republican-"No, my friend. 1t pays 100
cents of debt because the United states
saws 1t is a legal tender for the payment
of all debts, public and private and 1t ex-
changes for 100 cents worth of goods,
wares and merchandise; because the credit
| of the United States is behind it.
Populist-"So it will be with the free
| coinage dollar"
| Repubucan-'"Tha is an assertion OF
yours, but not true 1t will be the same In
! debt-paying power, but not In purchasing
power To illustrate: The silver IN THIS
| dollar was purchased by the government
and issued on it's own account. The gov
ernment did not pay this dollar ous toI
| nothing-it got value for 1t; she paid 1t out
to mail carriers, soldiers, to farmers for
| horses, hay, etc. Now, IL the government
received 100 cents in value when she paid
| them out, then If she doesn't masDealIl
| them at 100 cents she would perpetrate
id fraud upon the honest man In whose
hands they may have gone for full value In
labor, etc But free coinage means the
| government is to stamp the 50 cents worth
| of silver in these dollars a dollar, and turn
i them back to the bullion owner without
charge. Then why. sir. should you, anu al al
the American people, stand back OF a b
cent dollar and make 1t good to the holder
when we haven't received solitary cen
| consideration or value for such reSponslpll
dty? The law is that even q note giver
| without consideration cannot be collected
by law, and neither will the government
he responsible for free dollars. Where
then. is the 'nigger in the woodpile? IL
this. money has two powers, debt-paying
derived from law, and commercial, derived
from the economic law of Of commerce. L
congress says So cents isadollar. legal tende'
for the payment of debts. and owe a la
borer g for one days work, the iapore'
cannot refuse to take 1t, because 1t Is {
debt, but when he goes to exchange it TO
goods, it will exchange for only 1es cents
worth, the value of the bullton-and her
is the fraud Of the whole business. t
swindle the great creditors of this country
| lo1>o md dishonest
to nav their debts in a debased, dirty dol
| sir kra1y II ~