Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-04

demonstration Of silver began to be
felt seriously the price was frequently
over a dollar bushel when the attend
ant circumstances were not near so fay-
orable as now.
There is a reason, also, for the depres-
sion in the5priee Of silver, which has
fallen so heavily since the excitement Of
the KlondyRe gold discoveries. It is
not that alone that has caused the sud
den depression in the price. 1t is a
largely artificial condition, due to the
ability Of the great gold gamblers Of
London to depress the price of silver
and their desire at the present time,
when the Wolcott bimetallism commits
sion is in Europe. TO impress that body
with an 9object lesson"
Therefs but one thing that will re-
store i!ker to its natural price and that
viii be3the opening Of the minis of the
United States TO its free coinage at the
present legal ratio Of Is to l. When the
conditions are normal, the price of sill
veriand the price of the great American
staple, wheat, are nearly the same,
ousce for bushel. The opening Of the
mints to free coinage of silver at Is to
I in this country. which is the largest
producer and user of silver in the world,
would naturally at once put the price
Of silver bullion the world over to $1.29
an ounce and wheat to even a greater
price owing to the peculiar crop condi-
lions. Even the weak makeshift
known as the Sherman silver purchase
law almost instantly raised the price of
silver bullion in the worlds market
from in the neighborhood of 70 cents to
$40 an ounce. What then would free
coinage do for silver, free coinage, which
is based on sound principles and on the
constitution. in view of the fact that
the Sherman law, which was a make
shift and was based on a false principle,
did so much?
So much for the wide discrepancy be-
tween the price of wheat and silver,
about which the insincere organs of the
administration are endeavoring to make
so much cheap capital at present.
As for the rise in the price of other
commodities, a triae may I due to the
improvement in the condiHOn Of bust
ness due to the exceptionally favorable
crop conditions. but the main advance
is caused by the exorbitant duties of the
new tariff bin which has just gone into
effect. Everything covered by the in
creased duties-au the necessaries of
lfe-have advanced sharply. The fol-
lowing is q statement of the manager
Of the great dry goods house of Claain
& Co., of New York:
As a result of tariff legislation there
has ben am advance of from 10 10 -
per CEN ON AN woo.en goods. This raise
has fheou gradual since Congress went
TO- work ON the tariff bin.
4 "Thc figures tell the story, said Ar
Hammond. within three months, or
since ii was known that the tariff
would become a law, the Washington
mills of Lawrence, Mass, advanced
the price on one line of goods from Olle
t0 Sc cents and on another from 90 TO a
cents. The Dingl5y tariu Is now pro-
hibitive ON cheap, heavy goods.
The Dingley tariff is now prohibit
tive on cheap. heavy goods" These
are the goods most used by the work.
ing classes. On the finer qualities the
rates are not so high, according TO
values. That is, the man who is so well
of as to be able to purchase the finer
qualities Of imported goods gets off
with a less tax than the poor fellow
who is limited to cheaper and heavier
taxed qualities. 1t is so in everything
else. The poor pay the heaviest tariff
taxes.
Wages alone maintain their low level
and keep artifcially depressed silver
company. Let us hope that the increas-
ed flow Of money caused by the crop
movement viii even advance wages.
Let us hope so.