Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-09-10
The Situation Boiled Down.

Let us not get mixed up with complex
matters in connection with the free
silver idea.
Let us not befog our brain with argu-
ments about the crime of '73, or bother
with the many theories which the advo-
Gates Of free silver are giving us.
But let us take common sense view OF
the situation.
Now to start with.
Suppose Bryan was elected and he free
coinage act had been passed, and that free
coinage was an actual fact.
Suppose that silver could be taken to
the mint, and coined into silver dollars,
at the ratio of 16 to l.
How would that affect US?
We haven't got any silver bullion.
A whole lot of people who own silver
mines have it, and so they could have it
coined into 16-to-1 dollars; but, not hav-
ing any ourselves, we could not have a
solitary, single dollar coined under the
free-silver act.
Now, suppose, however, that all the sill
ver-mine owners and others who had sill
yer took it all to Washington or Philadel-
phia, or to some her United States mint,
| and had it coined into 16-to-1 dollars, and
Suppose SO much had been coined that
all the silver in the world was made into
16-to-1 dollars, and
Suppose that every one OF these dollars
was piled in one heap right on the next
block, and
Suppose every single one of them was
| worth 100 cents here and everywhere.
What good would they do US, unless we
had someth hing we could trade by which
| we could get one?
Well, we have something to trade;
every body has.
Some have labor, so much for dollar.
| Some have lumber, so much for dollar
Some have sugar or potatoes, or hams
III al, l. To-
| 4 dollar.
We have advertising and subscriptions
so much for dollar.
When we want one of those silver dol
| lars, we cannot 60 and take it; they don't
belong to US; they belong to the men who
took the silver to the mint to be coined.
II we took one it would be stealing.
If we asked for one for nothing, it
would be begging.
II the owners gave US one for nothing, 1t
| would be gift.
II we borrowed one, it would cost US in
terest, and SO
Most Of us. to get one, must trade labor,
lum ber, sugar, coal, advertising, or some
thing to get it.
This is absolutely and honestly so, ism It
it,
Well, being SO, why do we take any
chances on the dollar?
We can get gold now.
IL Is WOItu 1UO CcHte Ou d uOlldI every
where.
So we have supposed the silver to be, but
Suppose it isn't.
What then?
What is the use of taking a chance un-
less we can do better? A silver dollar
won't be worth more than 1Qos cents, will
it? 'tN -
We are getting that now.
Let well enough alone. ~ : 49,
Some say duty compels a DEMOCRAT to
back up and vote for a dspocrat. You
have Bryan's word that he%is no demo-
crat. Let him dare deny that he said it.
Some say it is pretty bad now. We
| might as well take chance. 1t can't be
worse.
What kind Of tomfoolery is this?
When our baby lay at deaths door, did
We do any experimenting? We tried
everything which could cure, but we did
not experiment.
| Are things bad in business way?
| Let US tell you something to try.
Vote down this crowd of repudiators.
| Tell the world in trumpet tones in
| November that we want the best money
| that we will take no other, and business
will revive.
| Let the capital out that Bryan and his
| followers have scared under cover and
| prosperity will come.-NeW York Lumber
| Trade Journal.