Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-08-06
Debasing our Coin.

Writing on the Silver Question-the
proposed change in our standard Of valle
that would be the inevitable consequence
Of the free and unlimited coinage Of silver
at arAtio of l6 to / of gold-Juige Aguew
says s.
"Dsbssenent is a wrong sgsiast our
OWE people. Ii arrays them against eacl
other, by compelling payment in debss-
ed coin 4 folly Of tFs silver rage i, that
II supposes the only creditor class lives IN
the East But CREATORS and d btors live
| in al the ststes. The government TINS
become party TO crime against It's ow1
people
the coilf Only the mine owner and the
| spccGi.ts. il bullion. Toe cost OF mining
| is less ihan the value oi the bullion, other
| wise silver would not b. mIued Sensible
| men do rot operate &C a loss. The differ
| euce between cost and bIl.igl v4l1e j. the
mine owners legitimate p-oft. But be
watts m0-c. he lsk- ne dollar to be de-
based. so that for So cents of bullion be
nav get legal tender dollar, worth Ice
cents. Thus he adds ~ cents profit on hi
| bullion.
| " hen the government vas compelled
| By the act Of July IA 1890, to buy 4,500,-
| 600 ounces Of silver monthly, the mine
| owner had constant customer for his sill
yer. Tie law was repealed By the joint
| vote Of Democrats and Republicans. Now
| the mine owner is striving 10 better his
case By policy 10 make % cents OF silver
worth 81 to him.
What makes thi, wrong worse is, that
none Of TIE profit e. to the people of the
| silver states. The. have the mines with
! in their ter-itny. They 90 the work in
the mines. This Is their real and only
benefit. Nov. "a the mines must be work
| ed. and ther &C. the work, their only bene-
| fit i the return they get for their labor.
as none of the profit comes to them. They
al e deceived Wit. they are led TO believe
/ this debasemenl ~ he silver dollar inures
TO their benefit.
The other party ben ited by the de-
/ basement Of the coin is the dealer in bull
| lion. the capitalist who IL able to put
! money in IT, He buys silver esfO.d at IS
cents on the dollar, has IL c"i.'I free Of
| charge, and gets legal tender dollar tor
| il. worth tc him 100 cent? Bat What pro-
\ fiji does labor get' The Ia rer or the
| farmer has no capital to ms, 4 in bullion
or If he had he cannot In. raw silver or
bullion. He cannot senC road for it,
Il
| The latter will not sell al - but will de-
mand the same profit BE could get by
coming the silver. How is the lsborer or
the farmer benefited By a debasement of
| the coiDf He musl work ior his dollar
he giving dollars worth Of toll for it.
1t is said 1t will make money plenty.
But how does the l-borer get OF the plen-
tifu,nessf Still he must toll, and how
does work come to himf Not by the num-
| ber of dollars coinei or ahoat, but by en-
ployment How does Employment come
to the peoplef By the general welfare
and active industry Of the nation. But
general welfare and active industry are
NOT given OF incr ased by loss OF AZ cents
on the dollar and corresponding loss of
property. General welfare does not come
by borrowing, or by the NAL administra-
| ton Of public affairs.
To crown 1t all with tdorns. silver il
wholly unfit Tor the usefal and convenient
transaction Of bufiness. A dollar weighs
one ounce syOirdupOis-sXteen dollars
weigh q pound-l00 dollars six and one
quarter pounds-l 900 dollars sixtytwo
and one half pounds, ana ten thOTssnd
dollars weigh 625 pounds. In large trans
actions silver would have 20 be carted A
| resort W ould necessarily be had to gold, or
| to checks, to make payments. Bad blood
between debtor and creditor would Lead %
absurd and unreasonable consequences.
The Democratic platform adopted at
Chica 20 says:
ave demand the free and Unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver st the pre-
sent legal ratio Of 16 to l, without wait
| ing for the aid or consent Of ally d. III
| nations. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall be foil legal tender,
equally with gold for ell debts, pubnc Or
private"
Mr. Bryan accepts and pledge himself
| 10 this policy. He therefore, sgrfs TO
debase the coinage AZ cents on tie 'iolaT.
He agrees to TIE ruin and loss OF do
| basement and to reduce the proPed val
ues Of the people an equivalent amount.
| Ha agrees TO risk foreign complication
and retaliation. He is willing 10 a~Ts
our own people against each othfr ~
| debtors and creditors, all over the uI.on
| De agrees to give mine owners and siver
| brokers aD unlawful profit by de- s,e.nent
| Of the dollar. He agrees to let panic and
losses ravGge the people. He u illing tn
| mix our curreucy in nnutteiabIe Cpuiusion.
| He agrees 10 make O metal Ego ia IT.
proper place) legal tender, in slms III
capable Of being handled by reason Of IL
| bulk and weight In short. he is uiiing
to incure ruin, injury. and losses of vel.
| fare 10 his country in running race iII
the presidency. This is but another ex
| ample of yaulting ambition, which consid-
ers nothing bat itself
Can true American vote for such a
policy Of ruin. DANIEL AGEEW.