The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-03-15
A SILVER FIGHT AT ALBANY.
! Exposure of tho Effort to Invalidate the
Present Sterling Law.

Albany, N. Y. March Enthusiastically
| In legislation here there is something Of
| interest outside the realm of politics en-
| irely-something in which women as well
as men arc concerned, and families quite
as much as the frequenters OF saloons
and corner groceries.
| Such Is the attempt to practically In.
validate and make of no cffe,- the peneh-
cent Sterling silver law passed liz 's9i as
an amendment to the Penal Code. and
which makes it Il mis- sme Inor, punish
able by fine and Imprisonment. for airy
one in the State either TO manufacture
or sell goods marked Sterling that do
not contain 925 parts of pure silver to
| 10 parts of alloy
| The law as ii stanis Is cminently irst
! and proper 1t works hardship TO no
particular, out is intended to prohibit
and, If strictly enforced, 1t would pro-
hibit a species of swlndling against Which.
| unfortunately, there il, otherwise, very
| little protection.
For it can not be too widely understood
that in no description of goods is II more
easy to deceive the purchaser than in
silverware. Such is the peculiar nature
| of tho allow that 1T may be fully half
| base metal, and yet pres mt the same APP
pearance to the eye Is thohth IT were
| J2o-lWO pure silver, which is the Sterling
| standard.
Consequently, great guam tiles of DIS
honest silver have been paired tff fcr
| genuine, and even after the passage Of
| the present law an Investigation IN New
| York city disclosed the TACT thai rae 81 of
the leading dry, COOL and department,
stores were still selling for STERLING"
| stun that had no clai n or title TO tho
| namo. out of % specimens collected at
random only one reached the le,ar stand
| ard, and in May there was not a
farthing's worth Of silver in their com
| position.
| or course these exposures and the cen
sequent action taken TO enforce the stat
ute, struck a pretty hard blow at this
| fore tho legislature by which 1t is pro-
posed to amend" ,le pr. sent law is
clearly enough an attempt to destroy its
effect. For while reading very plausihly
manufacture, of the dishonest, or what
| has been called dry euots" silver and
| as most OF 1t is made outside the State
| this would have little l. any deterren.
under the amendment, It would simply
! open an outlet for the dishonest stuff
/ through any dealer disposed to handle H.
g.. 1t Is no secret that The Goi1sm Manu-
| been associated with the cause of honest
| silyerware for more than half a century.
and whose trademark. the Lion, Anchor
! and letter G, is In itself the best guar.
antee Of Sterling value than siierware
| can nave are actively engaged in fighting
| this obnoxious bill and that they have
/ the moral support at least, of all the
| leading slversmiths and jewellers in Tho
| State '0
| 1t would he strange thing. under the
! crcumstances, II allen manufacturers and
| their resident allies should have suf-
| cient influence over the legislature of tho
| state of New York to bring about fhe
| passage of a measure so plainly against
| me nest interests of the purchasing pub
lie Nevertheless the bill will bear watch
sion. fN-'N''' '''