The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-08-27
FAKES AND FAKES
Are the Strong Suit Of the Gold
Standard Advocates.
THE MEXICAN AND OTHER FAKES.
One Profound Fake Builder Even Goes
So Far rs to Say That Bryan's
Election Will Send All Banks
Into Liquidation,

COLUMBUS, o., Aug. 22.-[Special. i
II is clear enough now, 30 far as the
Republican leaders are concerned, that
this is to be campaign of fakes and
scarecrows.
They have no reasonable or convinc-
ing arguments to offer for the simple
reason that all the reasonable and con.
vincing arguments are on the side Of
the people and in favor of the equal
coinage of both gold and silver as pro-
posed in the Chicago platform.
With the idea of working fake upon
the people the Republican committees
are supplying certain dealers with what
they call Mexican dollars" who in
turn furnish % or 90 cents worth of
wares or goods and give the alleged
Mexican dollar" in exchange for en-
American dollar.
There are several things in connec-
tion with this fake that are worth notic-
ing somewhat analytically.
First-Experts who have examined
these coins declare that they are not
minted in Mexico at all, but are turned
out somewhere in this country, and are
therefore frauds and counterfeits under
international treaty punishable at the
instance of the Mexican government,
while not punishable under the revised
statutes Of the United States, which de-
clares it "counterfeiting" for private
parties to mint or utter anything bear
ing the semblance of an American coin,
although of the same weight and fine
ness of genuine American coins minted
by the government of the United States
Second-Under former coinage laws
the coins Of foreign governments were
made legal tender for their nominal
value, and while that provision of the
statutes remained in force they circu-
lated at their par value, relative to
American coin, and without discount,
and they only fell below that par and
to their bullion value, when their legal
tender quality was refused them by the
laws OF the United States.
Third-When these gold bug apostles
insist that one American silver dollar is
exchangable for two Mexican dollars of
a greater weight and of equal fineness,
they overthrow their own false argu-
ment'that the American silver dollar is
53-cent dollar. 1t buys 100 cents
worth Of everything, except gold, any
where and everywhere within the juris-
diction of the United States. And why |?
Not because, as it is falsely alleged, it
is directly or remotely redeemable in
gold, but because it is given the legal
tender quality by act of congress, max.
ing every 100 cents of it equal in debt
paying power to every 100 cents in gold,
everywhere except when il comes to
paying the gold spectators in the
United States treasury, where it is dis
criminated against by the government,
and the people thus made the victims of
the bond sharks and gold syndicates.
Fourth-On the Mexican side Of the
line the Mexican and the American sill
yer dollar are both legal tender and they
circulate together. On the American
side Of the line only the American silver
dollar is a legal tender and, therefore.
they do not circulate together as they
once did. And this also, disposes of
the twaddle which we constantly hear
about the intrinsic value Of coin," for
II IL were true then the Mexican dollar,
being of greater weight would have a
greater "intrinsio value" The reason
that 1t drops below its normal value
when it crosses the line to our side is
because it loses its legal tender quality
the moment it comes within our borders.
Fifth-So, too, if the American silver
dollar lost its legal tender quality when
it passed into Mexico it would fall in
value to that of a mere commodity, pre-
cisely as the Mexican dollar falls on
this side of the line.
These facts, therefore, if taken alone
and Independently, establish the falsity
of the arguments set up by the gold
standard people that the American sill
yer dollar is worth but 90 cents, or any
other sum below its coinage and legal
tender denomination of 100 cents for
every 37lI grains of fine silver. I do
not think that better explanation of
this, or one more lucidly satisfying to
all fair-minded men, was ever given
than by Mr.. M. B. Ryan Of Ironton, in
a brief letter, wherein he says:
1t Is q common thing with men un unacquainted
with the science Of money to remark that they
want dollar worth a dollar.
Such an expression brands its author az abb
solutely ignorant Of what he is talking about.
Such men believe that a dollar is some fixed,
unchangeable and infallible thing For such
men indite this letter.
What is a dollAri What is It WORTH Why
was it ever made. and when? are some Of the
questions such men should try to answer
will give my answers and let such men gain
say them.
No other nation or people has q dollar like
ours and our dollar il not dollar !n any coun
try but ours.
Our dollar was created OF enacted by act of
congress. This act said the unit of money In
the United States shall be dollar. 1t Ind
not yet said Of what the dollar should be made
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