The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-09
s100.oS7 81

s1O0.0s7 81
What wear and tear is here indi-
Gated by carrying in their store house
supplies to such an amount? How sol
idly this fact alone refutes the charges
against silver mining and coinage that
the industry and benefit Is purely local.
Let us look further into the local
benefit as compared with the market
made for supplies. In three years and
seven months the Alice company paid
out for labor and supplies the sum of
s.. $685. 7S06S, of which sum $225.O36.26
was paid for labor as per pay roll for
the time. This represents the beneht
10 the mining camp as local interest,
while the enormous sum of S2,76S. 144.42
represents the amount contributed to
foreign industries. We ask you In all
candor TO consider these figures and de-
termine in your own minds how far sill
yer mining is local in its interest and
how much greater is the distribution
of employment given to industries tri-
butary to mining and the consequent
benefit in the distribution Of wage and
wealth to the country at large.
Let us now add to these the mar
ket made for all the commodities con-
sumed by the communities engaged di-
rectly and indirectly in these industries
and we find an expansion to the labor
proftably employed that is grand
contributor to the wealth of the ma
ton. The blessing comes with silver
lining. The interest of every wage
Garner is linked to the silver question
In the interest of labor. The magni-
tude OF the industries effected ~ dis
continuing silver mining is indicated
by the fact that the principal cause
which forced the Union Pacific and the
Northern Pacific railroads into the
hands of receivers was the loss of the
tonnage of freight and passenger
traffic consequent upon the closing
down of the silver mines following the
repeal of the silver purchase act The
silver miner must have a market for
his product in order to employ labor.
1.-THE arts do not furnish a sufficient
outlet; but the coinage of silver and
the arts would consume all the silver
that could be produced and IL would
be maintained at a staple value. In
relation to gold the much-talked of
parity OF values could not be disturbed.
as the value of the volume of gold has
increased beyond the possible output OF
silver. If either metal had preference
at the mints IL should be silver. be-
cause OF the greater cost of the metal
when labor is made the unit of value;
and beyond all comparison iS the bene-
At Of giving employment TO the great
est number of people. SO far we have
been considering the production OF sill
yer solely as an industry and have
pointed out It's advantages over gold
mining in the interest of the wage
Garner We can but briefly touch on
the Importance of the use OF both the
royal metals in our coinage system.
ITO abandon the use of either metal
as the money of ultimate redemption
would have the effect of contracting
our volume of money as a medium or
exchange, unles paper money or some
other substitute replaced II. But bills
of exchange and bank notes are SIM
ply promises to pay. 1t Is just as UNI
safe for the government to have an
over-issue OF paper as for the individ-
ual as is evidenced by the embarrassed
condition of our treasury. We need
both metals In our coinage system In
order for the wage Garner of this coun-
try to compete with the labor OF other
countries.
"As men aspiring TO the highest pos
sibilities of life this money question
demands our gravest attention. If
gold alone Is TO do the work of COM
merce one-half or more of the money
of the world is destroyed. All COM
modify values must be in relation to
the volume of money.
The reduction of the volume of mon
ey means the cheapening of every
thing in relation to money. The chief
cheapening possibility and the first
brought into action is the reduction of
wages The lower the wage rate OF
country the more unfortunate is the
condition of life there. Though COM
modities be cheap the amount of money
paid to the wage Garner Is limited and
ne Is forced to buy the necessaries of
life in limited quantities. These small
purchases operate TO his serious disad-
vantage in the amount of tax repre-
Cd in xxyra nninR about
his groceries and the fraction of money
always taken by the dealer when the
amount of change Is not even. But
still further disadvantage to our coun-
try i'm the abandonment OF the coinage
of silver is that all silver using coun-
tries with whom we have commerce sell
their product 20 US on a gold basis and
buy our silver at bullion value. This
silver Is taken TO their country and
coined and paid out for labor. Already
China and Japan are reaching for our
markets with the double advantage of
cheap labor paid in cheap coin. for the
sole reason that this valuable metal
is discarded from our mints. Restore
the value 10 silver and yet stop one
point of advantage to cheap labor and
thereby give your own labor a higher
value in the world The falling prices
are the tracks of the wolf TO your door.
"If the American people would throw
of the yoke of the moneyed conspira-
tors they could utilize the wealth OF la
bor which they possess. which Is In
I finitely Of greater value than all the
: foreign commerce that Is made the
reason for enslaving them by the gold
B standard. The clamor that the fall
/ ing prices are caused by over produc-
/ ton is as false as the promises that
prosperity would be returned 10 our
/ distressed country II the silver in
/ cubus" were repealed. Each week and
\ month and year since the repeal OF the
/ silver purchas act is strewn with the
/ wrecks Of hopes and fortunes. Distress.
I despair and suicide Is the rich harvest
/ mingled with the gold or relentless
/ avarice.
Restore silver 10 its royal right OF
| coinage and the stream OF prosperity
| viii start the mines. mills. factories
/ and farms TO industrious activity. mon
/ ey the medium Of exchange. with we'll
n 4. Toll