The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-24
THE WORLDS WEAKNESS.

The New YORK World Is a grear
newspaper of its kind, and its kind is
sensa tional Its strong feature is its
news. Editorially it is weak, never
thinks deeply, and spends most of its
editorial time and space in self-admira-
tion. Whenever it does turn from edi-
torial self-contemplation to discuss
some proposition and therein ventures
upon an argument it bids farewell to
consistency and logic-we refer TO a
case in point
The other day in discussing the Mis-
souri, Democratic platform. which. by
the way, we hope will become the plat
form of the national Democratic con-
vention-the World criticizes the de-
mand for the free and unlimited coin
age of silver and gold at the ratio of
/ Is to l, without waiting for the action
or approval of any other government.
1T rests it's demand" says the World,
ION the assertion that from the be-
ginning of the government, following
a policy formulated by Thomas Jeffer-
son and firmly established by Jackson
the Democratic party has been the
party of bimetallism''
Then it asks, But what are the
facts? What are the conditions? On
what terms did Jefferson, jackson and
the Democracy stand for binetallism ?"
To these questions it makes the fol-
lowing answer:
The bimetallism of Jefferson and
Jackson was based upon a coinage ra-
ito representing the ratio of actual
value. The silver and gold dollars they
favored were worth the same. The BIZ
metallism of the Missouri convention
proposes silver dollars worth about one
half a gold dollar each. The bimetal-
lism of Democracy was honest. The
bimetaIlism of the Missouri platform
proposes a swindle of so per cent.
So far this seems all plain sailing,
and if the World had rested it's case
here, there might have been no ques-
tions asked, fer these are just the ordi-
nary off-hand, stock-in-trade assertions
of the gold standard press; but the
World made other assertions This one
for instance:
Up to 1873 the silver in a silver dollar
was worth a gold dollar or a little
more. 1t was the stablest metal in
the world and therefore the best meas
ure of values. Since that time its pro-
duction has greatly more than doub-
led. while the production of gold has
not averaged higher than it had been
for twenty years before 1873. AS a
consequence a fine ounce of silver.
which was worth about $1.30 in 1873 is
now worth about 6S cents.
Accepting these statements as true.
it must follow first that if up to 1873
the silver in a silver dollar was worth
a gold dollar, or a little more" then
there was no necessity for demonetiz-
ing silver in 1873 on account of the
parting of the metals as TO their rela-
tive values.
Second, if up to 1873 silver was the
stablest metal in the world and there
fore the best measure of values,'' why
is it that it should not have borne those
characteristics since 1879, and still have
been the 'stablest metal in the world
and the best measure of values?" If
the World could give certificate of
good character to anything, it has in
this statement given a good character
10 silver. But, to the question:
The only reason the World assigns
for a change in the value of silver as
the stablest metal and best measure of
value is the amount of its production.
Since 1873 it is claimed that ''its pro-
duction has greatly more than doub-
led, while the production of gold has
not averaged higher than it had for
twenty years before 1873" From these
facts this lame and impotent conclusion
is drawn: "As consequence a fine
ounce of silver. which was worth
about $1.3O in 1873, is now worth about
6S centsi"
Here we take direct issue with the
World First, whatever else may be
assigned as the reason for the demone-