The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-21
WHEAT AND SILVER.

harplng necessarily on the market
changes affecting wheat and silver,
says the Peoria Journal. Ostensiby
the object of this perpetual cackle is
OF course, to fool the multitude into the
belief that expanding or contracting
the volume of the worlds money Of re-
demption has not effect upon the prices
of labor and commodities. The theory
advanced is that inasmuch as wheat is
rising and silver falling in price at the
same time, there is, therefore, no CON-
mon cause which affects the value Of
these articles. And thousands of honest
people believe this sophistry. The av-
erage business man believes it because
he Is In the habit of looking only st
the surface Of things that do not force
themselves directly into his ledger, ara
yet nothing could be farther from the
truth. 1t Is noticeable that the clamor
over the wheat and silver market oc-
ours at time when there Is famine IL
India, and shortage in the wheat crop
In nearly every country with which tho
American farmer has to compete. The
bureau Of American republics testi6es
that wheat is actually being shipped
from California to Argentina, case o.
carrying coal to Newcastle. Moreover.
1t comes at time when every effort is
being made in London to depress silver
and exalt gold. Now wheat has a nat
ural adaptability to one of the wants of
man. Silver in like manner has a nat
ural adapatibility to another of the
wants of man. 1t happens, however,
that no man or combination of men,
can choke hunger out of humanity, and
to prevent wheat from being put to it's
natural use; while it is possible to in
duce governments to deprive the gov
erned OF the natural adaptability of sin
YER for monetary purposes. Having ac-
complished this last object, having in
duced all of the politically important
nations of the earth to cease the use
of silver as money Of account. II is
Wondrous reasoning, indeed, to point
to the market price of the articles and
argue that there is no natural affinity
between them. AS we'll ask men to be-
lieve that because man defies and sus-
ponds the operations of the law of CRAWL
tation that therefore the law of grayita:
ton does not exist. 1t is impossible
to satisfy hunger without food. There
Is failure in the wheat crop in severa.
OF the most important wheat producing
countries of the world. The natura,
demand for wheat in satisfying hunger
is ever increasing, because of the in
crease OF population in wheat onsuming
lands What is more natural than that
the price of wheat should rise? That rise
however, is abnormal The wheat mar
ket is not in normal condition in time
OF famine. Moreover, the silver mar
ket is not in normal state. Laws have
been enacted which prohibit and pre.
vent the people of England, Germany
and the United States and other coun-
tries from putting silver to the use for
which it was manifestly intended. Since
the final blow was administered in the
repeal of the so-called PURCHASING
clause in the Sherman act, the bullian
brokers oil London have gradually ac-
cumulated control of the metal to s,,c,,
an extent that 1T is now possible for
them to manipulate the market at will,
The demand for silver in the arts is
Sc small factor compared with the
former use of silver as money of re-
demption that it cuts no material fig
ure in the problem. With all these
things taken into account, it really
seems as If matters had finally reached
long anticipated point, at which half
dozen men In London can set what
ever price they see fit on silver. When
ever they see fit to take advantage OF a
famine price for wheat they can give
an object lesson to the gullible by arti-
hc1ally depressing the price of silver,
and hundreds of thousands of we'll
meaning people are deceived. If all
nations should permanently decide TO
Z
would be impossible for the people to
pay existing prices for What they want.
Prices would fall proportionately. If
wheat or any other article should ne
suddenly and abnormally scarce, the
monetary change would not affect the
price of that particular commodity 50
radically. 1t is under cover of partial
crop failures and other causes affecting
the supply Of marketable articles that
changes in price directly due to none
tary manipulation are successfully dis.
guised. Just how long 80 per cent of
the civilized world will permit itself to
be thus fleeced for the benefit of one
per cent, remains to be seen. One thing
sure is that the day of awakening will
be a day of revolution.
The Democrats of Massachusetts, will
hold their state convention at Worces