Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-05-28

Jul 0Q1xdl6 anu uOG U1dh0 bu6ll u6I legal
tenders, what will Mexico have as her
coin her silver into our dollars, depriv-
ing herself of her standard of money,
and leave such dollars with us-certain-
ly you do not mean that after she has
her silver coined into American dollars
the holder will make some American a
present OF them-when the same silver
can be coined in Mexico into legal-tender
dollars. But if you mean the silver will
be left here in investments, in the pur-
chase of our products and commodities,
this could be no misfortune, but bless
ing. The American would know the
value of his property, and no purchase
could be made without his consent.
He would be governed by the price of
his commodities the world over. If the
price offerd in our silver would purchase
more here than anywhere else, immedi-
ately the SILVER price of commodities
would advance at other places and in
crease the demand for silver, bringing
about the equilibrium of both metals.
The very idea that silver would flow to
this country and remain here pre-sup-
poses that it would be worth more here
in purchasing power than at home. One
more thought as to dumping silver here:
would an American dollar coined at the
ratio of 16 to bring French silver here,
which is coined at 151s to l, and is
equivalent to gold in Francef IF so then
the French silver, although the ratio Is
larger here than there, when coined
here must be worth more than it is in
France. This completely refutes the
idea of SO cent dollar. The same thing
applies to Japan. But does anyone
think Japan would destroy her money
system for a freak?
"Mr. Speaker, may not inquire when
we shall be stronger? How long until
we shall bend the knee to England
speech is made to prove that we must
have the approval of England to make
a financial policy for the United States.
We beg her to assent; she declines, and
holds the purse-strings of this country.
In patriotic outburst we are ready to
declare war against her on an American
doctrine, and while these bugle notes of
combat are sounding over the land, and
great military chiefs are rendering their
services, the treasurer of the United
States is on his knees borrowing English
gold. Truly, to. an Englishman our
position is one ofweakness and humilia-
ton, and to an American, sorrowful
Yet America confesses she is too weak
to have a financial system of her own.
How long, Oh, how long shall England
dominate our financial policy and in
this dominate our government"
The favorite argument of the gold
standard advocate is that legislative
enactment cannot add value to a
commodity. This is thrown into the
teeth Of the friends of silver with as
much vehemence as if the statement
were an absolute fact, beyond con-
tradiction. Let us see. Does any man
doubt for one moment that if the
United States, by decree of law, should
say that 60 pounds of number two wheat
was legal-tender payment for and IN
the sum of one dollar, that every bushel
of that grade grown in this country
would not be worth dollar? And
does any man believe that the foreign
producer of wheat would sell his grain
for less price than the same would
bring in the United States, less charge
for bringing it here? The foreign wheat
grower would certainly be dead to his
own interests if he sold his wheat in
European markets for less than he
could get for it anywhere else. He
would not need to do it. The very fact
that he could get dollar bushel here
for number two wheat would advance
the price everywhere the world over.
Can the government legislate value
into anything by the imposition of a
tariff? If not, why is it that sugar
which was admitted free under the
Mckinley law, began and continued to
advance in price under the Wilson lawi
Why is it, if the government cannot
legislate value into anything, that
whiskey and tobacco are worth today
on the market two or three times what
they would be if the government did
not give them value? What is tariff
for but to create value in commodity
If it does not create value, why do the
producers of America want 1t? Every
Mckinley republican in the country be
lieves that tariff on wool or any othel
commodity produced here, would raise
the price. If this argument is denied
why are they all clamoring for more
tariff?
We are told that free coinage woul6
give us 5O-cent dollars because silver
is so cheap. AS long as silver is only
merchandise it will remain cheap Colo