The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-09-23

to 1 was established. 1t was again
exercised in 1884, when the gold dollar
was reduced in size and the ratio
changed to 10 to 1. There is no desire
upon the part of bimetallists to lessen
the weight Of the silver dollar, or to
change the ratio now existing between
gold and silver coins. Bimetallists
simply desire to restore system which
once existed, and to give back to silver
the coinage privileges once enjoyed by
it, but now monopolized by gold.
Question 10. Gould our gold and
silver coins be correspondingly reduced
in weight and fineness simultaneously
and their existing value and efficiency
as money be maintained by statute9
Answer. The fineness of the gold
dollar, the fneness Of the silver dollar
and the weight of the gold dollar have
all been changed since 1892 without in
juring their efficiency, but, of course,
these changes affected their value. The
amount of pure silver in the silver dol
lar has never been changed since the
first dollar was coined. But the ques-
ton then is irrelevant because BIZ
metallists do not desire to change
either the weight or the fneness Of the
gold and silver coins. They desire the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver into coins of the present weight
and fneness, without waiting for the
aid or consent of any other nation.
Question II. Is unity Of the com
mercial value of the raw material in
coins essential if those coins are to full
fill the same monetary function IN tht
numerical work?
Answer. Concurrent circulation o.
the two metals is not essential to bi
metallism. 1t has already been showr
that the bimetallic system existed il
| the United States from 1899 down tc
1873, although the metals did not circu
late concurrently, the reason beint
that France maintained ratio of Isl
to /. The French ratio was more favor
able to gold than ours up to 1884, ant
more favorable to silver afterward
The legal ratio of France controlle'
the commercial ratio in the Unite
States, and ratioed gold to premium
prior to 1884 and silver to a premium
after 1884. There being now no sue
influence at work to destroy the part
bimetallists contend that the parit
can be maintained between gold an
silver at the ratio OF 16 to /. l may ad
that during the entire existence of th
bimetallic system in the United State
no political party ever condemned it
national convention, but it is signit
cant fact that after the abandonment (
bimetalllsm and the adoption of tt
gold standard, no political party eve
commended the gold standard prior
1896, and in 1896 the gold democrat
who did commend the gold standar'
only mustered 1920 votes in Il
} whole country. The republican par
3 pledged itself to promote information
, bimetallism, and the administratiC
: has already sent commission abro'
| to petition the nations of Europe to c
operate with the United States in &c
l ting rid of the gold standard.
7 Question 12. Would changing tt
b yignette, legend or milling on any o.
? of our coins change its efficiency
: value in the commercial world?
Answer. The changing of the
4 scription upon our coins would u
!. affect the value Of the coins in the col
Q mercial world, but if the stamp act
d the English sovereign were substitut
" for the Goddess of Liberty and t
d American eagle our American col
n might be more pleasing to those W
s think that our financial policy shou
be determined for us by the fnanciC
lr of London.
o Question 10. Is that good money
f. ultimate redemption which needs to
N insured against loss or damaged
fire?
10 Answer. The thirteenth questi
le oyerlooks the fact that gold can
ID melted without loss because, and ol