The Republican journal., 1896-08-13
A Flood OF Silver.
Portland Concern Gives its Employees a Lesson.
Fifty-Cent Mexican Dollars Paid out. What the
Lesson Teaches

EHty.SCHt MtAIC1n Palu out, mat Inc
Lesson Teaches.
On Saturday evening a we'll known
business concern in Portland gave its en-
ployes a lesson in finance, in view of the
approaching conflict over the silver ques-
ton. They had sent for a large supply of
Mexican silver dollars, which have in
them several more grains of silver than
there are in the American dollar. With
these dollars they paid of their help, Civ
ing them two Mexican dollars for every
one American dollar due them. Each
employe received with his pay this state
ment.
TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
The company pays your wages this
week in Mexican silver dollars. We bought
them in the open market at a cost of 80
cents each. We pay them to you at the
rate of two for one of the United States
money. When you come to pay your bills
with these dollars, you will have good
illustration of the real value and actual
purchasing power of the 420 grains of sill
yer contained therein.
The United States dollar contains
412 12 grains of silver, which is worth,
when melted into bullion, fraction less
than so cents. Our silver friends propose
w "AiO" eAiS WLolC NOllu W UlluS us Sill
yer to the United States mint, have it
coined free of charge into pieces of
412 - grains each, stamped Zone Dol
lar" ''In God We Trust" and make
them legal tender for all debts public
and private. They claim that what this
country needs is a rise in prices. If this
plan prevails, there is likely to be one
How long do you think the purchasing
power of such a dollar would be greater
than its actual value? How long before
it would drive all other money out Of cir
culation? Will wages and salaries rise as
fast and as much in proportion as the
things that have to be purchased with
themo
Have you any money on deposit in a
savings bank? If SO, you will be paid in
silver, if that becomes the standard of
value. If you hold life insurance policy
or membership IN some benefit associa-
ton, do you wish your family to receive
the amount thereof in 5O-cent Clollars9
1t rests with you and the other people
OF the United States to determine at the
coming national election whether the
present gold standard of value shall be
maintained, and the dollar which you re-
ceive be worth 100 cents all over the
world, or whether we shall enter upon a
career of folly, reputation and dishon-
esty, the disastrous and ruinous conse-
quences of which cannot now be foretold
The men found the silver very bulky
and had to carry it to the banks and sell
it. There the dollars did not bring quite
80 cents EACH so that the company will
probably make the difference up. They
did not wish their employees to lose, but
only wished to give them an object lesson
1t is understood that Mexican dollars
are being used for this purpose in many
portions of the country, particularly the
South.
OF course the only reason why the
American dollar, which has several grains
less silver than the Mexican, buys 100
cents worth where the Mexican buys only
so cents worth, is because the United
States government has made it policy
practically to redeem the silver dollar in
gold, when required.
Bryan and Sewall want to do away with
this policy. Portland Press.