The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-10
TRTE-SILNER INQUIRER AN
sMERID.
Toano. Va. April g, 1896.

TOanO Va, April 3, 1896
Editor OF The Times
Dear Sir,-I have the highest opinion
Of The Times. Now. l want it TO answer
the following questions in the "iwice-A-
Week" Times. 1 notice it is a gold stan
dard paper:
First Would The Times take four ca
gold dollars for a years subscription IN
lieu OF six 90 paper or silver dollars,
putting the value of silver (as The Times
has 10 at one-half the value Of gold?
Second. Why if a gold dollar is meas
ured by itself. il never iuctuates in value,
but, II measured by everything else on
earth, 1t has gone up more than double
its value?
Third. "Half-price for farm products,
two prices for taxes. and trust prices Tor
supplies interest, 2 per cent. 10 slecu-
lators, and per cent. TO producers, Is the
music the farmer hears. and the gold
dance continues
Fourth. Why does the corner I'm gold
distress the farmers, bankrupt the mer-
chants, make the factories idle, enslave
laborcrs and gorge money pinchers?
Fifth. Is not the gold trust the father
OF all other trusts?
Sixth. How many farmers. clerks, la
borers. and broad-earners-i mean all
classes who are dependent on their labor
for a living and not capitalists-bid for
the gold bonds lately sold at auction ca
in Washington?
Seventh. If gold is such a wizard, why
are there six hundred thousand actual
paupers in England-2l per cent. of the
population-all out of employment The
farmers are in distress iu every country
in Europe.
Eighth. Why was silver demonetzed in
1873. when its ratio with gold was 10 Il
TO THAT IS. the silver in silver dollar
was worth more than the gold jn a COLA
dollar? Was IL not because gold could
not be cornered without demOnetlzing
silver2
Ninth. 'If gold had been demonetizeo
instead OF silver. the gold in a dollar
would be worth less than hity cents il
gold was not used as money at all, the
metal itself would be worth twenty ive
cents on the dollar So there Is % per
cent. OF fiat in the gold dollar llesse
explain.
Tenth. II the Government of the Unitea
States would give the people more hard
money-borrOw from Wall street ana
Eneland-and issue fewer bonds, would
not the greater number Of people DE let
ter off?
Eleventh. Does not international BIZ
metanism mean. get down on your knt IS
20 British mOney-lenders and the gold
GOiItls "tt+" - N''@f
FARMER.
We will answer our correspondent s
questions In the order in which ne has
asked them.
In answer to his first question. we say
that we will accept no fewer silver than
gold dollars as the subscription price OF
The Times. The reason is not that a
silver dollar IS really as valuable as a
gold dollar, but that the Government
substantially gives a gold dollar for every
silver dollar. We say substantially, Tor
II does not do 80 nominally The gold
dollar h the standard Of value OF the
country. The Government lays its duties
and taxes in terms OF gold dollars. out
A. receives silver dollars in payment OF
those duties ana taxes. Moreover IL
gives gold dollars in exchange cor It's
ereenbacks and Treasury notes when
ever those gold dollars are demanded. ana
the banks will always give their custom
ers greenbacks or Sherman notes lor the
silver dollars by these two processes
the silver dollars in the country can al
ways be converted INTO gold dollars ana
that fact keeps them circulating as the
equals Of gold dollars.
Ths Government hss seinsa ssHsthins