The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-21
WHAT ABOUT THE RATIop
Mr.. Upton, of the Treasury, Replies
to senator Chandler.

Washington Post.
The Hon. Senator William z. Chandler
in your issue OF the 18th instant, IN an ar
ticle which you are pleased TO head "Gold
Mono-metailism an ImposibIlity,' persists
in asserting that the country's safety is
found only in bi-metallism. saying, among
other things: so I would keep hold Of
the movement fer bi-metallisrr1 as a means
Of good to the people and OF safety TO the
Republican party. propose for
one thing a renewal OF the pledges of 1898
TO bi-metallism; renewal, open, unre-
served and sincere: promise TO cispei the
hard times. 20 bring on good times, to
stifen prices. 10 revive business and TO
benefit both creditors and debtors, simply
by restoration OF the metal money OF the
good old times. not gold alone, but silver
also"
AS an admirer as well as constituent Of
the able senator. would like 10 ask
through your paper that he define little
more clearly what Il Is he is holding on
90 with such persistency and inviting 9TH
ers 20 catch hold OF with him Bi-metal-
lsm, II II means anything, means the
coinage az the mint OF gold and silver at
a fixed ratio OF weight. such coinage to be
equally free 20 depoSitors Of either metal
BY the terms Of the first coinage act
that OF 1922, fifteen pounds of silver were
70 be fabricated into tust as many dol
lars as one pound OF gold. BY the act Of
1897 this was so changed that sixteen Of
silver should equal one Of gold. In either
case the United States mint would receive
from depositors an unlimited amount Of
each metal, giving therefor an equivalent
weight in coins st the fixed ratio The au-
thority for coming both metals for depos-
nors AZ Fixed ratio continued untn ls-s
when that for silver Was siscon timed
and ei-metallism abandoned. The coinage
Under these two ratios-i5 20 1 and IS TO
CONSTITUTES the uulv hi,retaliis-, thts
country has ever enisyed AMI Mr.. Chand-
Ter must mean a return 70 orr or the 9th
- 81 the above systems 81 coinage when
he speaks az a restoration Of the natal
money OF the good, old times"
II ~ means return 70 thu fr~t ratio
Of IS 20 he VIII - met by the fact that
during the fortv-hve years Of It's er-
istence there were coined OF silver
dollars only l.$Sa a. pieces II he means
that % u 20 I. Il is wes known that fro-,
~ 70 iss3. while Il existed not n silver
dollar piece was coined for circulation. the
small number fabricated being for pur-
poses 81 export cniy. Yet n ISss vf4he,,.
any form q hi-metaiiisn IN the country
there were eolnsd OF silver dollars 500 -
pieces. II tha coinage ~ silver e GOOD
for the party ard country. our rrasan.
gold u1ono-r,-tsIlis-n seems to Ger SIS
AEAtH2 A&N44tESS Tor SILVER 10 f-af % ~
r1etslfissn. as f. has existed IN tha TTrt+ss
States But perhaps the senator hss
some ether ratio I'D his sleeve. which IN
due tire w7Il APPEAR. Il 50. should he
not lst his fellow Republicans have an
tEtirnatlon % g. 50 as 20 hefp tha-, ~
hold On 70 the IoveTnen; With him. TIE
Porulis1s o. their advocacy % bl-rneta IlIs--.
50 the ratio % Is 70 / ara "open. unra-
served and sincere" and their leader II
the late campaign 6sd rot fan 70 shor
that both debtor and creditor woris -
benefited BY the restoration ef free rotn-
axe az that rats. Bt-netzlhx~1 vvfsh,s,.
a ratio ls nothing sn1 what The friends
@ MT. Chandler want from hin Is a ratio
well defined 80 that TIE scheme nav havs
taBggcilifv. some II rs are not part{eu-
iar "a 20 the SIZE q fas{o. believing ara stszf
about as coed IS another. but thai We
rast have ere q some size = certain. for
s movement toward bl-rTesalI5srn without
3 rats woul5 b toe much Ike xoi-z no.
where Ger nothing. Let Mr.. Chandler. In