The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-08-28
Selrrt MisrrllanV.
QUESTION OF THE DAY.
WILL MEN WHO WORK FOR WAGES FINI
PROFIT OR LOSS IN THE FREE
COINAGE OF SILVER.

The organizations representing wage
workers have answered this question
by arraying themselves on the side Of
the free coinage of silver and rising
prices. The representatives of organ
lied capital have answered it by array
ing themselves on the side Of the gold
standard and falling prices. Are both
of these classes mistaken about their
interests, or have both Judged rightly?
Both classes have judged rightly
The entire product of industry under
any system is divided between labor
and capital. A policy that forces fall
ing prices enables the lender of capital
to demand continually increasing
share of the product. 1t means, there
fore, that labor receives continually
decreasing share. The restoration of
normal prices, on the other hand, means
that the lenders of capital will merely
receive back the property they lent.
1t means, therefore. that an increasing
share will remain for those engaged in
the labor of production.
This, however, is not ALL Not only
do steadily falling prices mean that la
Dor receives a lessened share of what is
produced, but it means that less is
produced. Old enterprises curtail pro-
duction AMI new enterprises are not
established Money lying idle gains
in value, while money invested is part
ly lost. Falling prices mean the stag
nation of industry and enormous losses
to labor through the want of employ
ment.
The free coinage of silver. on the
other hand, means for the wage earn
ers Of this generation what the gold dis
coveries meant for the wage earners a
generation ago. With steadily rising
prices came increased activity in bust
ness and enormous development ofnew
industries, full employment, and rise
in wages. which, according to the mo-
nometallist Cairnes, made the wage
eirners the chief beneticiaries of the in
crease in the currency. To-day rising
prices from the increase of the curren-
cV will have the same effect. When
the price of goods begins to rise, and
the danger of bankruptcy from falling
prices ends. the whole labor of our peo-
pile will again be employed, and labor
ers will not onlv receive an increased
amount of this wealth will be still fur
share OF the wealth produced. but the
tier increased
So much for the reason why organ
liz .d labor is right in believing that its
interests will he prom otcd by the free
coinage of silver and rising prices, and
that its interests have been sacrificed
by the gold standard and falling prices.
4 word now as to the facts OF expert
ence. The representative Of the Re
form Club claims that the gold stand
ard ha: been accomplished by Il rise in
wages. Between 1910 and 1891. he
says, the wages of labor, according to
the Senate report, rose l04 per cent.
Between 1873 and 1891 wages rose 1
per cent. Suppose this statement be
admitted What does it prove! Be
tween 1910 and 1873 the world had the
free coinage of both gold and silver.
Only since 1873 has the world had the
gold standard. If, then, wages rose O4
per cent. between 1910 and 1891, and
but IA per cent between 1873 and 1891
then wages rose 80 per cent. during