The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-09-18

A.-Simply because should we try tt
purchase them the present owner!
would demand gold in payment.
Q.-Why can't w e pay for them il
gold?
Alt would be impossible to pay fol-
$4,000, 900 900 worth of property with
our scant supply Of gold.
Q.-How much gold is now in the
United States?
Avery little. Two hunderd mil.
lion dollars would fully cover it.
Q.-Under the circumstances, is il
not unwise to keep up the endeavor tc
sustain the gold standard?
Alt is foolish and impossible.
Q.-Why is it impossible?
A.-Because all our gold is now leay-
ing us, and if something is not quickly
done to prevent it we will soon be on a
silver basis.
Q.-But isn't it better to be on a free
silver basis than on a single gold ba-
sis?
'SAS JUL u N4oI wv
need most is a double basis.
GLOW should we go about getting
on a double basis?
A.-By readmitting silver to free
coinage and thereby making the silver
III a silver dollar just as valuable as
the gold in a gold dollar.
Q.-How car that be done?
Avery easily. If the government
CONS silver free at the ratio of 16 to 1,
which is equivalent to 1.29 cents per
ounce, holders of silver bullion would
no. part with their metal at a smaller
figure.
Q.-Would such a process cheaper
gold?
A.-Yes, by throwing the demand
onto silver. Gold would then flow into
the country instead of flowing out.
Both metals, having the same value,
we could then pay our foreign debt in
either coin.
Q.-What effect would the remoneti-
zatlon Of silver have on our exports?
Alt would greatly increase them.
Q.-Why?
A.-For many reasons. In the first
place there would be a big influx of
silver from every country. This would
go into W minis and be coined into
American dollars. These dollars
would in turn pay for the products of
American farms and factories. In
other words, u products would go to
the countries from which the silver
wouAd come. This is just the condi-
ton Of affairs that the people of this
nation should aim for.
Q.-Has William Mckinley ever ad-
vocated the free coinage of silver at 16
to L?
Ayes; when in congress he voted
and spoke for it.
Q.-How do you account for his pres
opposition to free silver?
Ale failed in business a few years
ago and two representatives of the
money power, H. H. Kohlsaat of Chi.
cago and Mark Hanna Of Cleveland
came to his rescue and paid his debts
About that time his views on free sill.
yer underwent a radical change.
Q.-Do you believe that a free silver
republican should vote for Mckinley.
"A sincere advocate of free silver
cannot consistently vote for McKin.
ley.
Q.-How should he vote?
A.-For Bryan.
Q.-One or two questions more
What was the price Of silver when i
was demonetized in 1873?
About S1.31 per ounce. It vas a
a premium.
Q.-Then it is true that it was no
demonetized because the silver dolla:
was cheaper than the gold dollar?
Ayes; the silver dollar was wort]
a premium Of 8 cents over the gold dol
lar. Since 1873 silver has decline'
in value on account of decentralization
and all prices have declined with il
Admit silver to the minis again and i
will at once regain it's old value. Il
like ann will all other property
particularly the products of the farm
and factory, adding almost SO per cen
to the income of the real producer
Labor. p. j. D.