Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-10-15
THE MINE OWNERS.
WHY THEY ARE CLAMORlNG FOR
FREE SILVER



Means II DECEASED aud Deprecated
DellAr-Thsir Cry False One.
How do the silver miners expect to
profit by the free and unlimited coin
age Of silver? Through q rise In the
value Of their product to $.2s per
ounce2 Oh no, they are perfectly well
aware that no such thing can happen.
They don't want 1t to happen. II 1t dlo
1t would absolutely defeat the object
they have in view, for It would make
the real or bullion, value OF our silver
dollar 100 cents instead Of 90 to %
cents, and 1t would retain In circula-
ton our gold coins concurrently with
our silver and paper money on a par
ity of actual value instead OF an artin-
cial parity consisting Of part value ana
part credit, as at present. Regardless
Of national and individual honor, they
are deliberately working for national
and individual reputation and robbery
by means of debased and deprecated
dollar for in such dollar alone do
they see an enormous profit for them
selves.
Their cry for an increased circulation
/ is a false cry. No one knows better
than these men that we now have
volume of money amply sufficient Tor
the needs Of legitimate business, and
larger than that Of any leading CONNER
cial nation on earth, excepting only
that of France. What they do want IL
to cut the purchasing power OF two
thirds of our money In two, and the
exile of the other third by bringing sill
yer down to its bullion value. which
would necessitate double the number OF
dollars to do the same amount OF work.
Nobody knows better than they that
neither our congress, the chamber OF
deputies of France, the reichstag OF
Germany, nor the parliament of Eng
land can, by simple act of legislation
create out of absolutely nothing except
the words in which the statute Is ex'
pressed value equivalent to more
than S6,OOoOOO,OOO, Yet this Is precise
ly the miracle congress would have L
perform If 1t attempted, quoting Mr.
Bryan, ITO raise the value OF everl
ounce Of silver, here and everywhere
to 1929" Why do they know this to d.
impossible?
Because this same statement wa
made In congress prior to the passag
of the Sherman act Of 1890. But wha
are the facts? Speculation forced tn
price of silver up from 90 cents to N.l'
but before the year was out 1t had fall
en- back so far that the average for tn
year was only $l04.
I Silver production increased IN Tn
: United States alone from bO,cO0o'
ounces in 1889 to $4,000 900 ounces In III
D AN increase of 100000 ounces. !
!. 1881 the worlds production Of silv'
:, increased l1,O75,S47 ounces over that
1890, and the price fell to an average
98 cents for the year. In 1872 II
| worlds production increased l6,ssO,S
L ounces over that of 1891, and the ave
age price for the year fell to 81 cent
a In 1893 the production again advance
by 1890, 2S5 ounces, while the averal
price was only rs cents, the treasu
purchasing its last quota at 65 cent
1t must not be forgotten that duril
Us this period QS9O-93) India took III
92O.875 ounces of silver for COMA
10 alone, thus aiding enormously in 81
A. tanning the market, and in spite of II
Nv unprecedented demand for coinage,
,r, total of 1926 tons of silver in less TIL
four years, the price after touchl
$1.19, dropped like lead to So cents.
, After such an experience as this 1t
he evident that the silverminers cannota
d. tjcipate any considerable rise in
value of their product, for they KIN
81 that the offerings of silver to the tres
ury were largely in excess OF the qua
Vi tity the secretary was authorized
purchase every month during VIII
-, the Sherman act was In operation.
though Mr.. Bryan does not seem
of have heard about it, the minis of
dia have been closed to silver e
M since 1898, and that vast market Is n
barred and barricaded against
mine owners. 1t is quite evident, tn
Vi that rise in the price Of II
products is not the object they have
~ view. Then what Is It? There Ii
ate woodchuck In the hole. Let US SCI
we can smoke him out.
raj In the Anaconda copper mine at Blu
ate Mont, and In other localities they
large quantities of silver mingled v
for the copper ore, AS the copper al
paws handsomely to mine, every Oh
'"u of silver they get costs practic
,,h nothing, and Is so much clear gain.
Little Cottonwood, In Utah. where
,tv celebrated Emma mine is located;
Leadyille, Col; at Eureka, New,
ton in many other localities, lead or
mined mingled with silver 1t /
nty, handsomely to mine the lead,
again the silver Is practically a
KIN product and all clear gain In e.
mine in which gold Is found In gu
'''" formation the gold Is mingled with
,om- silver, which must be extracted be
ian- the gold Is commercially available
this case, again, silver Is the bi-p
)wn- uct of another industry. The ce
OF 1890 shows that the total numb
'ick- men engaged In the silver mining
ness was less than $4,000, and that
'R'h- than 10000 Of these obtained the s
from the ores Of other metals--as
a. ..d,,ot ~ uona othpr mininU In