The herald., 1896-08-31
Speaking TO THE POINT
Charles D. Lane Tells Why
He Fav0rs Silver
HIS OPINION IS CHALLENGED
He Himself Experiences the Ap-
preciating of Gold
PUBLIC OPINION IS BLIND
The Rural Population Standing Still
and Cities Swelling
Men Driven to Idleness Rob Capital of Its
PUBLIC OPINION IS BLIND
The Rural Population Standing Sill
and Cities Swelling
Men Driven to Idieness Rob Capital of Its
Required Protection
General Curtaliment Of Wages the RIle Now
Siiver's Purchasing Power Not Decreased.
Que stion OF Civ >ilization-tard
Nuts for 0olJiteJ to Crack

1t has been with great perturbation of
spirit that the g. o. p's of this state have
viewed the action of Charles Il. Lane
in helping to lead the silver hosts
against the party who take pleasure in
advocating what is known to them as
sound money"
As a part owner in the Utica mine
one Of the largest and most regular pro-
ducors in the state. it might naturally
have been expected that Mr. Lane would
have lined up with his sold friends, and
many reasons are being put forward by
organs of the Republican party why he
has not done so. Perhaps the strangest
reason ascribed is that after all his in
1erests are indentical with those of the
owners of silver properties. The pro-
duet of the Utica mine. say these false
prophets returns high percentage ot
silver. oftmes running to so per cent
of the entire months run. OF course
this is not so, but assertions of THIS kind
is the mental pabulum being dealt out
to followers of the g. o. p.
AS a matter of fact, the Utica mine is
essentially a gold one. and Mr.. Lanes
mine in Arizona, from which it is eX-
pected $4,000 per month will soon be
taken out, supplies free milling gold
ore He has interests in other prop
critics, but the two mines mentioned are
those which hold largest promise of JIM
mense returns, and in gold.
y short tr/ ago the editor of the Gin
cinnati Post wrote to Mr. Lane asking
him why he, with his interests all on the
side of gold, should stand forth as one
of the champions of silver. The an
swer to that query is worth reproduce
ton. and shows that Mr.. Lane rot only
has the courage of his convictions bat
is able to speak of the faith that is in
him:
1t is true that l am gold miner. and
quite as true that believe the full res
toration of silver is essential to a re-
turn of prosperity.
1 have no personal interest in silver
mining So fast as [ have any money
to invest | buy more gold mines. and
lrave ventures from Alaska to Arizona
But We're ] not gold miner. ! would
not know of anything in which couid
invest that would not be worth less
wear hence than it is today. ! lind that
the property most. coveted under nor
mai conditions has fallen 80 per cent
during the past twenty years. ana IS
still declining in value. | find that every
$50 piece that l have saved has twice
the purchasing power that il had twenty
years ago. My neighbors engaged in
what is called legitimate business are
growing poorer and poorer. Those
that owed 40 per cent on their property
fifteen years ago have worked ever since
for nothing, and moreover. have lost
what they possessed. That is, money
is worth so much more than property
that there is nothing left to producers.
When producers can make nothing IN
little while they can give no employ
trent to IL Dor. The natural result is that
fewer ana fewer laborers are employed.
If the unions keep up the wages, then
those employed are pat on shorter
hours-there is a general curtallment.
| know that out on the farms men are
working for the wages paid before the
first gold was taken from the sands Of
/ California
A. | look into the future it Will not
be long under present conditions until Il
great host of men VIII be idle, and when
that time comes. fear that neither your
property nor mine will be safe, for men
will not see their children stGrve with
out struggle to prevent it. and, when
impelled 10 violence by the cries of hun
1 SrY children, men will not remain con-
servative.
You know that prices are regulated by
the volume of primary money-the alb
solute measure OF Values-in the Werld.
IN 1873 the world possessed about 5000
million Of dollars ia gold ald about the
same amount ia silver The 1emoneti-
tion of silver by England did not af-
feet prices. for silver was in general use
and was the standard of values in Ger
nd ,.tI I,,,,,
when the United States took from it
its primary money function, when Ger
many did the same and threw her mil
( lions upon the market, the other Eu-
/ ropean states We're forced to follow, and
SO tar as civilization was concerned haif
of the worlds primary money was
stricken from existence. The natural
result has been that prices have fallen
90 per cent when measured by gold.
But you win notice that silver has not
I lost a grain of its purchasing power. lii
the rough bullion it buys as much of
anything YOU may desire to buy as Il
! did under the stamp of the government,
when it was worth more than gold tWen-
ty-three years. ago.
| take it that silver has not depreci-
ated in value, but that gold has appreci-
ated 100 per cent. Theresult is that pro-
duction has ceased to pay, While all
debts have become payable in a money
you will go out on some beautiful farm
iii the Miami valley and talk with the
| farmer, you will find many cases of
which the following is an illustration.
In 1876 a. bought farm for $4,000.
| He paid $4,000 and borrowed $4,000 at Z
per cent. What he made in five years he
| put in improvements. The next ten
years he could barely pay the interest.
| During the last five years he has not
| been able to pay the interest. His ac-
! count now stands a. follows:
Principal of debt, $4,000; five years in
terest $2100; total. $500; present value
of farm, $500: in debt, 5000
| He invested $4,000, worked hard for
| twenty years; he has received nothing
/ for his labor; he has lost all of his orig
| inal capital, and now in his old age he
| finds himself Il bankrupt and $500 in
| debt.
You will tell how much per capita the
money of the country has increased.
You are mistaken. There is no real
money but the 5000. .O00 600 In gold The