Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-13
FACTS ABOUT SILVER.
The Direct 1.elatiOn of Wheat, Cotton and
Silver.
BY A. j. wARNER.
no the editor Of the RegIster.

To the Editor or the Register.
Sir:-The following facts, of surpass-
ing interest in these times of political
and economical education, taken from
the pamphlet Facts About Silver"
should be carefully studied by every
voter, and particularly by every farm
er:
"1C2. Prices generally might advance
as a result of an increase in the volume
of money, without materially affecting
wheat and cotton and other products
that come in direct competition with
India. =
"T1O3. The reason for this is that silver
bullion is admitted to free coinage into
rupees in India on the ratio OF 10 to l,
or S1.37 an ounce.
"Tbe minis of India were closed to
silver June 9th, 1898. Prices in INDIA
in silver have not materially changed
since 1873. and in country or sucn
extent. where the habits are liked as
they are there, changes, IL at all must
be slow; consequently. as silver oulion
falls it takes less gold to get silver to
convert into rupees to pay for wheat
ar cotton. in other words, the same
number of rupees will buy given
quantity of cotton or wheat in India,
REGARDLESS of the gold cost Of the ru-
pees: hence. as silver goes down, the
gold cost of wheat and cotton in India
Is reduced. and as our surplus wheat
and cotton goes to Liverpool in direct
competition with the wheat and cote I
of India. it must go down as the gel
cost of the same product in India goes
down.
"In June. 1885, an important meeting
of the British and colonial chambers
of commerce was held in London, Eng
land. at which there was an animated
discussion Of the silver question and its
bearings upon the commerce OF India.
Sir Robert N. Fowler, NJ. p, London
banker and ex-Lord Mayor, said that
INC eitNa4 of the daproeiation of silver
must finally be the ruin of the wheat
and cotton industries OF America, and
be the development Of India as the chief
wheat and cotton exporter of the
world
'104. India never did compete with us
in the markets of Europe, in wheat and
cotton, until the so-called decline of
silver-but in realty the rise in gold
made it profitable to the European buy
ers to purchase these products with
exchange bought at heavy discount
on account Of the fall of silver.
"She could not now compete with
western energy and skill were that
cause removed by lessening the abnor-
nal value Of gold, which the restoration
Of silver will do.
"105. When silver went I'D in 1890 the
shipments of wheat from Calcutta. and
also from Odessa, Russia, were checked.
wheat advanced ali over the world;
cotton also Morton Frewen made the
following clear statement of the rela-
ton Of wheat to silver bullion before the
second national silver convention at
Washington:
But while many intelligent people
here are not always alarmed at the i'm
aginary dangers of free coinage they
do not always recognize the immense
importance of your farmers of higher
rates for silver-they do not recognize
that whenever the price Of silver falls,
the price of wheat. cotton, and other
produce must fall also.
"'This is a question to which, when
in India. gave very close study, and
should like to make this general state
ment, which I am convinced the exper-
fence of the past and Of the future will
amply confirm. Let me put ii briefly
in this way: The price Of wheat in this
country is ifs nrice IN London or Liv-
less the cost Of carriage from