Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-09-03


The advance of 30 per cont in the
value Of wheat and the fall of rs
percent in the value Of silver in the
past year does not quite justify the
assertions as TO the relations Of
wheat and silver which We're being
urged upon the farmers Of the coun-
try at this time last year
With American tin plate not only
supplying the markets of our own
country, but actually making bid
for the markets Of the world, the
Democratic assertions of six years
ago that protection could not make
this industry successful in the
United States are anything but plea
SAINT reading to the men who made
them
II is understood that the little
group of silver statesmen who re
Gently invaded Japan in search of
data which would sustain their wan
ing cause have not met with the
glowing success which they had ex
pected, especially in view Of the fact
TINT silver has, since their departure
reached the lowest point in its en-
tire history
Stahstician Mulhall. in a recent
article shows that the prairie States
upon which the silverites relied last
year to carry their free-silver pro
position are not only the most pros
porous sections of the United States
but most prosperous in the world,
and that their grain production is
at least as greatas that of France,
Germany and Austria collectively,
and their general food production
five times as great per each person
as in the most advanced sections of
Europe.
Workingmen in the United States
may congratulate themselves that
they rejected last year the proposi-
ton TO place the American dollar
upon the same basis as the Mexican
dollar. The working people of
Mexico now find their dollar worth
but 40 cents and yet are not receiv-
ing any increased number of them
as their wages, while the prices of
articles which they are compelled to
buy with them have advanced as
measured by deprecated dollars in
which they are paid.
1t requires frankness and moral
courage ON the part of free silver
organs to admit that this country
has prosperity even without the
free coinage of silver, but some of
them are doing it, This is notably
the case with the New York Jour
nal, which was the leading free-sil-
yer organ Of last year, but which is
now publishing page after page OF
matter showing that prosperity is
actually here although free coinage
is much further away than at this
time last year and the price Of silver
is much lower
Three -fourths of our foreign com
merce in the fiscal year Just ended
was with the gold-standard nations
of the world This is point which
may be of interest to the people who
are still considering whether the
United States ought to adopt the
free coinage of silver and thus put
ourselves on level with Mexico,
China, and the weaker of the South
American countries. OF the 81 500
600, 600 Of our foreign commerce
last year, over two thirds was with
European natioDsand less than $780,
900, 600 with nations having the sill
yer standard.
Silver has fallen in the past year
from 50 cents per fine ounce, based
on an average rate of exchange at
New York at SO cents per fine ounce,
while wheat in New York has ad-
vanced from 65 cents to more than
a dollar per bushel These facts
destroy not only the usefulness Of
those elaborate tables with which
the silverites attempted to show
that wheat and silver went hand in
hand, but also destroy confidence in
the general theory and assertions of
the men who a year ago attempted
to persuade the people of the United
States to adopt the free coinage of
silver
The warehouse certificate state.
ment, which was popular with the
Populists two or three years ago as
applied 10 farm products only, is
now proposed by ex- Governor BOies,
OF Iowa, as the only method by
which silver can safely be made Il
basis for currency. He suggests
that, in view Of the continued fall of
silver, the Democratic party aban
don the free. coinage proposition and
propose the purchase by the Govern
ment of silver bullion at its market
value, issuing certificates therefor
redeenable in silver bullion at its
market value, whatever it may be
at any time.
The Democratic bargain counter
being in a seriously depleted and un-
attractive condition at the present
moment, the leaders of that party
are now searching for new novel
ties. Free silver and free trade
have lost their veness de-
spite the advertising which they
have been given, the experiments
by the public in that line having