The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-10-21
OUR POLITICAL COLUMN.
They Talk il Over.
NNNNNNNNNC

tnOD lain IL oNCi.
The following clipping is published by
request of a Reynoldsville Republicans
$50 you believe in free silver" said
one workingman to another.
"Yes, John, | think it would make
better times. Here we are, out of work
half the time, getting low wages when
we are lucky enough to find job, and
hardly knowing one week how next
weeks rent is to be paid. I'm sick Of
economizing and pinching and seeing
my wife and children dress shabbily.
Bryan says it's all owing to the grasp
ing greed Of the gold gamblers and to
our slavish submission to European die
tation. II we want TO be prosperous we
must declare our independence and vote
for free silver"
"How are you going to make silver
free?" asked John, thoughtfully.
by electing Bryan, Of course"
And then will silver dollars be free,
so that we can help ourselves TO themY"
well, not exactly that"
"We1l still have to work and earn
them, won't we?"
Certainly"
"Well, then. what | want is steady
work | have always been satisfied
able to earn. Your free silver talk has
nothing 20 do with the case"
But what | mean is the free coinage
of silver bullion into dollars"
"Do you own any silver bullion?"
asked John, bluntly.
No"
"Well, neither do I, so / can't see
how we can be helped by free coinage
law"
'It would produce more money, would
it not?"
Not for us. 1t would be big thing
for few mine owners, who are already
worth millions upon millions. They
want to double their wealth by having
their silver coined at double its value,
and pass out 50-cent dollars for l0O
cents. But you and l could't get them
any more than we can now"
"Perhaps not, but If money was plen-
ty business would revive"
you've got the cart before the
horse" said John. "Busy workshops
plenty Of work and good wages must
come frst-then money will circulate
fast enough"
"How do you propose to get plenty oI
work and good wages?"
"Well, | was pretty well satisfied
the rule and idleness the exception
American industries had protection
then. But since that time we have i'm
ported millions of dollars worth o.
goods that we ought to have produced
at home, and it's plain to me that the
money paid for them don't go into the
pockets of American laborers."
THAT may be, but there's this infer
nal gold standard-n
''Hold on minute: what's the matter
with the gold Standard"
'Everything is the matter with it,
"Well, now I'll tell you why it's ,
good thing. If You have five dollars o.
silver or paper, and have a five dollar
gold piece, your money is as good al
mine, is it not?"
Certainly"
"Then you ought to be satisfied, fo
the gold standard simply means keep
ing all money as good as gold in pur
chasing power"
But II silver dollars are as good a
gold, why shouldn't the government
coin them without limit"
II will answer that question by ask
ing another. If paper dollars are a
good as gold, why shouldn't the gov
ernment print them without limit?"
THAT is absurd. The governmen
should not issue more money than /
can keep up to par"
EXACTLY. And the same answer ap
plies to silver dollars, which contain
only about so cents worth of silver
The government should not issue mor
of them than it can keep up to par
that is up to the gold standard.
''Oh, we'll, from that point of viey
the gold standard may be all right"
"Of course it is. Now my idea of tn,
situation is this: Unlimited silve
coinage would not give me an extr
days work nor put an extra dollar int
my pocket. 1t would not be OF tn
slightest benefit to anybody but a few
rich mine owners. And II il shoult
cut down the value of silver dollars Il
their actual value as bullion, would b.
swindled every time | was paid a day
wages. Plenty of work and good none.
is my motto, and l think the crazies
scheme ever proposed is the Bryan plal
to put out cheap dollars for the benefi
of the silver ring, while doing nothing
whatever for the laboring classes. Tn
poor mans dollar should be as as goo,
as the rich mans dollar and | shall no
vote to cut it down one-half. McKinle,
is my man. He struck it right whel
he said it was better to open the mill
of the United States to the labor O
America than to open the mints OF tn
United States to the silver OF tn
world. y Rochester Democrat an,
Chronicle.
Ernest Seyd was here