Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-23
FREE SILVER-WHAT IS IT?

10 the EQI.OI Ol llt INOoAotSAs
Sir-The free, unlimited coinage OF
silver at the ratio of 16 TO what does
this mean?
VIII the Register, or some free silver
advocate give candid replies to the fol-
lowing queries?
Free coinage of silver: Does that not
mean that the government shall coin
into dollars al silver presented for the
purpose Of coinage at the minis, and,
when coined, deliver the dollars free
Of any charge for coinage, to the owner
of the silver who presented 1t, to be by
him used and circulated as money
wheresOever and hOwsOever he pieases?
Does it not mean that the owner OF
silver in billion or other form, shall
control the issue of money and not the
government?
II either CT the above questions have
an affirmative answer, then will it not
follow that spectators whether Wall
street or Rocky Mountain does not mat
teri may buy up silver, either in bull
lion or coin or idol, wheresoever they
please and demand that the dollar stamp
OF the government shall be placed upon
it, without charge or cost to them, and
-the dollars so made given to them 10
use and circulate as money Of lega,
tender value, howsOever and wheTeso-
ever they please?
Unlimited coinage of silver
Does not that mean that mine owners
and spectators in silver may have sill
yer freely coined into money to an I'M
limited extent and amount and circu-
lated among the people?
II so. and such right should be exer-
cised, would not the purchasing value
Of such money" grow less and less
as the amount circulated grows larger
and larger in volume; and if this is so,
then would not a system practically
of fat money be established? And. if
50, what would become Of the wage
Garner or the salaried employee who
must purchase life's neceSsaries with
the money they are paiC?
Ratio. 10 TO /
Is this not the supposed ratio of value
between silver and Colds ounces of
silver being supposed by the law to be
worth just one ounce Of gold or vice
versa?
What would be the practical effect of
such a scheme Of finance? A vast
amount of bonds, of government, coun-
ties, municipal and railroad corpora
tiOns, are held by capitalists in for
eign countries. who furnished either
gold or gold value for them. Is that
not true? II so, when the new system
becomes enacted into law, how lorg
would il be before these holders Of
bonds would say, we gave gold value
for these bonds, they are due, or if NOT
due. the interest is due; we will not
wait until silver is coined; we must,
ShylOck like. have our gold. We will
not wait and take silver. Would not
the sequence be to carry all the gold
across the ocean? Would not
bankruptcy soon clutch with its
hOrrid fangs the throat Of the debtor,
whether government, county or cor
pOratiOn?
Again. You have a home which cost
say $4,000. of which amount you bOr-
rowed $1,000 and gave a deed of trust
on that home TO secure its payment.
You have paid your interest and car
ried this debt. but paid no rent. Think
you that your creditor viii wait On
you 10 pay him out OF the unlimited
coinage OF silver?" Rather would he
not sell your house and secure his, gold
value. buy it in for the amount of your
debt, he to become richer, you poorer?
May not the tendency Of all this be to-
wards the establishment of a landed
ariStOcracy in a free land? But you say
that our lawwlll provide that our dollars
of the unlimited coinage SHAH pay cur
debt dollar for dollar. Ii you think
that honest. will it pay debts dollar for
dollar? 1t may pay your home NOR
chant( say Stifel & Coz They may
pay Lord & Taylor in New York, but
can Lord & Taylor pay their debts dol
lar for dollar to their creditors in Eng
land. or France. or Germany? II rot,
must not the result be that prices viii
be inflated?
BY the Constitution the power was
given ''to coin money. regulate the val
ne thereof and of foreign coin. ana
every State. by that Constitution /,
forbidden 70 make anything but gold
and silver coin tender in payment OF
debts"
Our Republican brothers took away
the purchasing power Of silver coin.
Our Republican brothers made prom
Uses 10 paw. called "greenbacks" legal
tender. with all the purchasing power
of gold ard silver.
Bimetalism was the money OF cur
fathers-gOld and silver Inquesdonably
the money Of the Constitution, the val
ne thereof to be regulated by Congress
and not to an unlimited extent by ST.
yer miners and silver spectators.
MAY | inquire: Cannot 4 system OF
bimetallism be agreed upon. if needs
be Nv retiring the greenbacks at an
honest value and substituting silver
and gold coin in their place-go;d and
silver coin to be legal tender in pay
ment Of debts?
Can some one give thoughtful an
swers to the foregoing questions and
help to relieve. the inquiring mind OF
an OLD TINE DEMOCRAT.