The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1896-10-23
GOLD AND SILVER.
Law Fixes the Price of the One and the
Other Is Treated as n Commodity.

Law Fixes the Price of the One and the
Other Is Treated as Commodity.
The Virginia City New Chronicle,
commenting on the fact that the price
of gold is fixed by law, while the price
of silver depends on its market
value" or in other words on what the
spectators are willing to give for it.
says:
Nov what becomes of tho argu-
ment so glibly put forth by gold stand
ard advocates about the price of gold
being fixed by Providence or by tacit
agreement among nationsP 1t COM
pletely knocks out DR.. Depew, who
stated in his Detroit banquet speech
that there can be but one standard of
value, and that is metal which will
bring the same price whether it is in
bar or has the stamp OF the govern
ment upon it. On the contrary, the
Bank of England, which, under the
prevailing system, regulates the price
for the whole world is compelled by
law to pay a stated amount for all the
gold brought to it. But, they tell US,
the price of neither gold nor silver can
be fixed by law. The governors of the
Bank of England probably know bet
ter. Thus we see gold must be bought
at the law-made price, regardless OF its
market value, while silver is left to
the tender mercies of supply and de-
mand.
at is as clear as daylight that the
law by naming both the price and tho
buyer, when the latter is responsible
like a government, with practically
unlimited resources, can fix and main
tain prices, notwithstanding Secretary
Morton's declaration that mere statu-
tory enactment can't do such thing.
The British law fixes the price and
names the buyer. The buyer is the
British government, u corporation of
unlimited credit and resources, plaIged
to pay SIS 90 for every ounce of stand
ard gold presented at its Bank of Eng
land counter But it does not pay that
amount in gold; it pays it in notes.
Evidently, therefore, the real thing,
or power, or redeemer, behind both
the gold and the notes, is the credit OF
the British government. Now, the ad-
vocates of free silver coinage in this
country are not asking that the gov
ernmeut should do for silver what the
British government has done for gold
force the payment of a specific price
for bullion by law. They simply ask
that silver be given the same chance
with gold in the market; in other
words that it be not Disseminated
against"
Money Struck by Lightning.
; Fragments of two-dollar treasury
note were presented at the subtreasury
| for redemption lately by resident in
one of the counties of Maryland, says
the Baltimore Snn.
= "This was struck by lightning" he
said, as he exhibited the two pieces o.
!. the note. The note had apparently beer
, burned lcngthwise through the middle
leaving the top and bottom margins
a The burned portion that was MISSING
q was from halfto one and a half inche.
n wide. The edges of the remaining part
were charred. The man said his home j;
a the country was recently struck by light
;. ming, that the note was in a cupboard a
the time, and that the lightning en-
:, tered the cupboard, burning the note a
y described. The number and seal ON TIL
!, parts of the note were legible and gen
i uine, and consequently the note was re
a deemed. III
Fta>"N