Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-07-17
OPEN LETTER TO SEN. ELKINS
New MexicO's Ex-Delegate, Who Now
Represents West Virginia in the
Senate, Called Down
BY A FORMER REPUBLICAN ASSOCIATE
Elkins' Misstatements Regarding Mon
ey Metals Corrected by a Promi-
nent Silver Republican-Plain
Statement by a Plain Man.
To the Editor of the New Mexican.

To the Editor of the New Mexican.
Las Vegas, July 14.-Hon. 8. B. Eikins,
formerly resident of this territory, and
now a u. s. senator from West Virginia,
has been interviewed upon the silver
coinage question by New York Tribune
correspondent, to whom he expressed his
views freely and fully.
Senator Elkins, quite recently elected
senator by the Republican party, that
has within the lest few days declared in
favor of the gold standard, appears to be
in touch with his party and standing
squarely upon its platform. Under these
circumstances his statements are just
what he thinks they should be.
In referring to the assertions of Mr..
Elkins in this interview, we shall assume
that he expressed his honest convictions
as to the present financial situation, and
that his party affiliations, his party con-
stituents and national party platform
have no influence whatever in shaping
his opinions, even to his regret to see the
great Democratic party committed to the
heresy of free silver. Senator, your re-
grets we appreciate at their true value.
The senator does not wish to go so far
as to destroy the soundness and stability
of the country, or that congress by law
shall determine that so cents in silver is
equal to Sin gold. This is a very
strange assertion for an intelligent man
to make and can only be accounted for
upon the hypothesis that he has assumed
the roll of other single standard advocates,
that anything to beat the free coinage of
silver is justifable.
Senator, you mast know that statement
is not only misleading, but tends to
create an impression that is absolutely
false.
The free coinage Of gold and silver is an
Inheritance from the founders of this
government that was perfectly satisfac-
tory until 1873, when the demonstration
of silver was accomplished under the
most disgraceful circumstances, thereby
destroying for money purposes one-half
of the money of the country and practi-
cally doubling the value of the other half.
Senator Elkins assumes that there ia
no dollar except the gold dollar, and that
the advocates of free coinage are trying
to make dollar out of SO cents worth of
silver-a statement without fact, without
logic, without reason. By destroying the
money function of silver the
PRICE OF GOLD HAS BEEN ADVANCING
with rapid strides until 1t has nearly
doubled in purchasable value as meas
ured by property and products.
And why this enhanced price of gold?
The answer is very simple. Reducing
the money metals to one instead of two
has reduced our primary money about
one-haIf and under the single standard
We have no real money except gold.
If Senator Elkins,, through the influence
of party afiliation, Office holding, or as
sociation with Wall street milllonaires,
believes the advocates of free coinage are
trying TO make dollar out of so cents
worth of silver, it is clear case of hyp-
notism. The believers in the free coin
age of silver and gold do not ask for any
concessions to be made to them; they do,
however, demand that they be reinstated
in the rights of which they have been
robbed.
1t was decreed by the fathers that the
money of the United States should be
silver and gold, and silver advocates de-
mand the restoration of silver to the same
money throne 1t occupied prior to 1873.
They do not propose to make dollar
out of so cents worth of silver, but they
propose to put Just sixteen times as much
silver in a silver dollar as there is gold in
a gold dollar, making them legal tender
for all debts, public and private, and
thereby insuring the parity so far as this
country is concerned, at least.
The senator in his hypnotic condition
evidently indorses the demonetizing act
of 1873, by which gold has been doubled
in value, while property and products
have been reduced in like manner, as
measured by gold, thereby giving credit
ors, whose holdings are in dollars or
promises to pay dollars, the benefit of
thus doubling the value of their dollars
and promises to pay dollars, taking this
directly from the producers and laborers
of the country. This, the worst, most
vile and vicious class legislation that dis
graces our national statutes, evidently has
the cordial Endorsement of the astute
senator, who thinks that, If this foul blot
continues as the law of the land, the silver
men will be unable to make gold dollar
or its equivalent out of SO cents worth OF
silver.
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT NONSENSE.