Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-10-15

islation respecting the precious metals.
enacted in this country since the foun-
dation of this government that you may
judge for yourselves as to what portion
interest OF the producing, and what in
the interest of the non-producing classes,
and as to whether or not the shrewd
manipulators of our finances foresaw
that the result of their work would be to
largely help in the subjugation of the
people. Whatever the object, certain it
is that before the demonstration of sill
yer, and the enactment of other financial
legislation which our organizations con-
denim, 8, 500 bushels of wheat, or 50, 600
pounds of cotton was the annual pay for
our congressman and senators, while
today, 10, 600 bushels of wheat, or 100, 600
pounds of cotton barely suffice. Before
demonstration, 80. 600 bushels of wheat.
or $50, 600 pounds of cotton per year
would have paid the salary of the pres
ident; today he receives the equivalent
of 100, 600 bushels of wheat, or l, 900, 600
pounds of cotton. And in like proper
tion it is with all other fixed salaries
and incomes.
Was such legislation just? Was it
honest? Does it not necessarily follow
that the decentralization of the food-pro-
ducing sections of the country, through
failure to procure reasonable prices for
| their products, causes the manufacturing
sections to accumulate excessive stocks
and that, in consequence of poor mar
ket, hundreds of thousands of operatives
are thrown out of employment, thus rob-
bing them of the power, even at the low
prices, to purchase the necessaries of
life?
Again, is it not obvious to every one
that the striking down of one-half the
world S volume of money makes the re-
naming half a comparatively easy mat
ter for capitalists to control and
manipulate, and that toilers, to obtain
money for the purchase of their food
supplies. are placed entirely at the mer-
cy of the foreign and American money
sharks. who. by contracting the currency.
can force panic or famine in money at
their supreme will?
Would they be guilty of such crime?
We only say in reply. look at our pres
ent helpless condition. Does it not seem
to you, in the light of the facts here
given that, where in the midst of plenty
there is widespread suffering and I'M
happiness, there is considerable meat in
the refrain from Wall Street: dig
on, We toilers, dig; the legislative but
ton that we press will do the rest -
PRECIOUS METAL LEGISLATION.
The first coinage law enacted under
the constitution, as recommended by
Hamilton, concurred in by Jefferson,
and approved by Washington, provided
for the free and unlimited coinage of
both gold and silver, the silver dollar
containing 371H grains of pure metal.
In 1887 the mint laws were revised,
and the standard for both gold and silver
was made nine-tenths fine; that is, nine
tenths pure metal and one part alloy,
the number of pure silver grains to the
dollar remaining unaltered, viz: 371Z
grains.
This law established our present ratio
of 16 to 1.
In August, 1885, the public debt,
which grew out of the war, reached its
highest point, the debt, less cash in the
treasury, being 81, 756, 431, 900. This
debt was not payable in gold. No bonds
or other governmental obligations were
ever made specifically payable in gold.
The interest on the bonds was made
payable in coin, the greater portion of
the PRINCIPAL of the original bonds in
AaWtssI money, and the refunding bonds
in coin-not gold coin, but coin of
either gold or silver.
In 1859, the principal of the bonded
debt was also made payable in coin.
In 1870, the standard Of coin was by
the Refunding Act nominated in the
bond: that is to say, all the obligations
of the United States were then declared
payable in either gold or silver, of the
present ratio, at tie o1tion not of the
6ondAoLders, but of the Peo6k of the
United States.
All the acts passed since the close of
the civil war, it will be observed, were
in the interest of the bondholders, and
against that of the producers and toilers.
But it remained for the year 1873 to
witness the crowning blow of all. In
that year, an innocent-appearing bill
entitled IAN Act revising the Laws rel
alive to the Mint, Assay Officers, and
Coinage of the United States, was sue
cessfully smuggled through Congress.
The bill purposely omitted. from the
list of coins to be minted, the silver
dollar.
By that clandestine act, of which the
people and the peoples representatives
were ignorant, and by the subsequent
e IT,