The Monitor-register., 1896-09-18
Communicated
Making It Plain.


MR.. EDIToR:-It has been said this Is
a csmpa'g, of education. Such being
the case, how are we progressing in our
studies? From the remark we 80 often
hear, 81 do not understand it," l fear we
are not making the progress we should.
Strange to say, this remark, in almost
every instance, is made by the most pro-
nounced advocates Of free silver. II
such a want of knowledge exists on the
part of the average voter, would it not
be we'll to have schools of political econ
omy opened in every community, and
remain open until commencement day
November 8, 1862
When such an issue presents itself be-
fore a g'eIt nation as tt one we are
called on to confront at this time, one
that will thoroughly revolutionize the
whole monetary system of a country,
including the established banking system,
which constitutes one of the great bu..
warks of the American nation, through
which the greater portion of the channels
of trade are daily flowing with almost
perfect security; enter the sanctury of
the federal courts. cut off the rights of
the executive to suppress riots, to protect
life and property. and other equally rev.
o%lutionary propositions. does it not
demand the use of the soundest judg-
ment in tie exercit of the legal frau
chise ?
Although a silver dollar, as we have it,
contains but 53 cents worth of silver, it
continues to remain at par with gold,
because it is issued on account Of the
government, and in limited quantity.
Under the so.called free and unlimited
coinage of silver, as proposed by the
Chicago platform, on which Mr.. Bryan
stands. the conditions will lie radically
changed.
Therein it is proposed that any one
owning a silver mine shall have the
right to take the silver bullion to
the mint and have it coined for them
on their account at the expense of
the government. Who is, and which
constitutes the government? As l under
stand it. you and 1 and every other legal
resident. If such then is the case, Then
their proposition is that you, Mr.. Editor,
l and every other poor sinner shall work
for thcm-tfe mine owners-and find
ourselves. A rather humiliating position
in which to be placed. Under such CON
ditions. how long will silver remain on a
par with gold? or, how long will a So
cent dollar pass for 100 cents?
The silver coined, as proposed by the
Bryan party, directly for the owners of
silver bullion and passed over to them,
becomes at once private property. Does
the government propose to insure private
property against depreciation in value?
1t is plain to be seen that under free
coinage a silver dollar will drop in a very
short time to its commercial value, which
at present is 53 cents. Then every person
owning a silver dollar at the time when
the drop takes place loses AZ cents on
every dollar in th cir possession. Nor is
that all. Every silver certificate will fail
in value in the same ratio.
That under free coinage of silver it
would drop to its commercial value ia
proved by the fact that the so.called
Sherman act, which provided for the
purchase by the Secretary of the TT cas-
ury of 4. 500, 900 ounces of silver monthly
and to issue treasury notes of the United
States for the payment thereof, had to be
epealed, a it was going to destroy th g
par value of a 53-cent dollar with a gold
dollar. And the 53-cent dollar would
rdrop to its commercial value.
Could the silver, mine owners, for whom
the silver would be coined and would be-
come their private property, issue treas.
ury notes, silver c%ertific ates, or any other
kind of paper money that would be
received by the people as is now done by
the government, on whose account it is
coined? Certainly not. Then, as a nat
ural consequence and the inevitable work
ing and operation of the laws of trade,
gold and all kinds of paper money would
disappear and silver would be the only
circulating medium.
How long would it take such a vicious
system of legislation and false monetary
laws to bankrupt the nation?
AS the subject is i~nexhaustible. and if
l have not already occupied too much
space, l would like in another issue to
consider the subject further.
Yours truly,
CHARLES NEwToN.
S%harptown, Sept. 10, '9G.