Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-08-21

| silver dollars as w5ll a. IN gold coin
I'VE are told that an attcmpt on the part Of
the government to redeem its obligations in
silver would put premium on gold, but why
should it, The Bank OF France exercises the
right to redeem all bank paper in either gold
or silver, and yet France maintains the parity
between gold and silver at the ratio OF IN to
and retains In circulation more silver per cap
ita than We do in the United States.
I'VE contend that free and unlimited coinage
by tho United States alone will raise the bullion
value Of silver to cts coinage value, and thus
| make silver bullion worth St.29 per ounce In
gold throughout the world This propo ,ition is
in keeping with natural laws, not in defiance Of
them. Tho best known law Of commerce is the
law OF supply and demand We recognize
this law. and build our argument upon 1t.
We apply this law to money when we say q re.
duction in the volume OF money will raise the
purchasing power Of the dollar we also apply
the Of supply and demand Is silver when we
say that new demand for silver created by
law will raise the price Of silver bullion.
| The Charge Of Reputation.
sThe charge Of reputation some with poor
grace from those who are seeking to add to tho
weight of existing debts by legislation which
makes money dearer. and who conceal their
designs against the general welfare under the
euphonious pretcnse that thsy are UNFOLDING
public credit and national honor.
"lho 30 who deny tho ability Of the United
States to maintain the parity between gold and
silver at tho present legal tito wtnoug for
cgn aid point to Mexi'o and assert that the
| opening of our minis will reduce us to a oliver
basis and raise gold to premium. 1t is no re-
| Election upon our sister republic to remind our
people that the United States Is much greater
than Mexico in area. in population and in COM
mercial strength. 1t is abiurd to assert that
the United States is not able to do any thing
which Me1i:O has failed to accomplish. The
one thing necessary in order to maintain the
parity is to furnish dpman great enough to
utilize oil tho silver which will come 10 the
minis That Mexico has failed to do this Is
no proof that the United States would also
fail
ut is also argued that since a number Of the
nations have demonetized silver nothing can
be done until all of those nations res.or, BIZ
metallism. Thi, is also illogical 1t is imma-
terial how many or how few nations have open
min's, provided there are sufiic ent open mints
to furnish monetary demand for all the gold
and silver available for coinage
Silver Mine Owners.
IF 1t is asserted by our opponents that the
free coinage of silver is in,eded only for the
| b,ncfit oS the mine ownors, it must b, remem-
bored that free coinage annot benefit the mine
owners any more than demonstration took
away; and it must also be remembered that
the loss which the demonstration Of silver has
brought to the mine own rs is insignif can't
compared to the loss which this policy Brought
to the rest Of the people Tho restoration of
silver will bring to the people generally many
times as much advantage as the miners can
obtain 'FRONT.'. While it is not the purpose Of
FREQ coinage to especially aid any particular
class, yet those who believe that the restora-
ton of silver is needed by the whole people
should not be deferred because an in, dental
benefit will come to the mine owner. Tho
erection Of forts, the deepening Of harbors. the
improvement OF rivers the erection OF public
buildings-all these confer incidental benefits
upon individuals and communit es, and yet
these incidental benefits do not deter us from
making appropriations for those purposes
whenever such appropriations arc necessary
for tn, public good
Opposed to Changing the Ratio
1--WE are opposed to any changes Of the ratio
for two reasons: First because q change
would produce great injustice; and. second
because a change in the ratio is not nee essary.
A change would produ,s injustice beet use, IL
effected in tho manner usually suggested, it
would result In an enormous contraction in the
volume Of standard money. The people of the
United States would be injured by change in
the ratio, not because they produce silver but
because they own property and owe debts, and
they cannot afford to thus decrease the value
of their property or increase the burden Of
their debts.
No Danger of Ruin.
"There is another argument to which ask
your attention. Some Of the more Jealous op.
ponents OF FREQ coinage point to the fact that
thirteen months must elapse between the Sc
lection and the first regular session of Con-
gress. and assert that during that time in case
people declare themselves in favor OF free coin.
age all loans will be withdrawn and all mort
cages foreclosed If these are merely proph-
eciaa iu1ulved in nv thoaa who ha va f,rgottan
the provisio of the cons titution, it will be
sufficient to remind them that the pres
ident is empowered to convene Congress in
extraordinary session Whenever the public
good requires such action. II in Novem-
Der the people by their ballots declare them
selves in favor Of the immediate restoration of
bimetallism, tho system can be inaugurat,d
within few months IT. however, the asser-
ton that loans will be withdrawn and mort
cages foreclosed is made to prevent such polit-
ical action as tho people may believe necessary
for tie preservation OF their rights, then now
and vital issue is raised. Whenever it is neces-
sary for the people as a whole to obtain onsent
from the owners of MONEY and the changers of
money before they can legislate upon financial
questions, we shall have passed from democ-
racy to q p. utocracy. But that time has not
yet arrived. Threats AMI intimidation will be
Of no avail. The people who in 1776 rejected the
dootrine that kings rule by right divine will
not m ms genorat on subscribe TO doctrine
that money is omnipo.ent
IF our opponents would admit the right,the
ability and the duty of our people to act for
themselves on all public questions without
the assistance and regardless of the
wishes of oth,r nations, and then pro-
pose the remedial legislation which they
consider sufficient, we could meet them In
the file. d Of honorable debate, but when they
assert that this nation is helpless, to protect
the rights OF its own citizens, We challenge
thcm to submit theirs to people whose pa.
triotism has never been appealed to in vain.
International Bimetalilsm.
I'm conclusion, permit me to say word in
Iegard to international biinetallism. We are
not opposed to an iaternationa agreement
looking to the restoration OF bmetallism
throughout the world TIL, advocates OF free
coinage OF silver on all occasions have shown
their Willingness to cooperate with other ma
tions 10 the reins tatement OF silver, but they
are not willing to await tho pleasure OF other
governments when immediate relief is needed
by the people of the United State,, and they
further believe that Independent action offers
better assurance OF International bimetallism
than servile Deepen Ience upon foreign aid For
more than twenty years we have invited the
assistance of European nations, but all pro-
gress in the direction of international bimetal-