The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-01-08
MONO Bl AND NON.

bordersP GEoReE C. WAND
MONO 81 AND NON.
Which Being Interpreted Means Mono
metallism, Bimstauism and EonmstaI-
Ism.
Secretary Carlisle argues that as long
as the gFeenbacks and treasury notes
are outstanding the government is Ii
able to be compelled to Issue bonds to
get gold to redeem them with. He
further iutimates that if the green
backs were to be redeemed in silver
bonds would have to be issued to get
the silver Here is nut for those of
the silver men who adhere to the spe-
Gle basis idea to crack. They may ar
que that as silver coin is not now export
able by reason of its bullion value be-
ing much less than its face there
would be very little demand for re-
demption, if it was known that silver
would be paid. They should not for
get that they contended that with free
coinage silver bullion would be par
with the eoin-would be worth S120
per ounce all over the world. That
being SO, silver coin would be exporta-
bic the same as gold coin now is
Again they claimed that if the United
States would open its minis other
countries would be compelled to; hence
silver would be in demad in other ma
tions as we'll as here, Now il coin re-
demption is to be continued If the free
silver alone advocates win, then every
time there is foreign demand for sill
yer the bankers will gather up the
greenbacl5s and demand silver at the
treasury, and the government will
have to tax the people or issue bonds
to get the silver. Every time the great
capitalists desire bond issue in which
to invest their surplus earnings, they
will deplete the treasury of its coin
and compel the government to borrow
and cornering the coin to a greater or
less extent, will dictate terms to the
nation. The gold standard advocates
are right or the populists are right
there is no middle ground. The man
who advocates intrinsic value money
and at the same tins advocates making
dollar out of so cents worth of silver,
contradicts himself and either amuses
or mystifes those who listen to his
logic. The bimstallic basis advocates
claim amounts to this: That the
government cannot stamp a good dol
lar on paper unless such 100 cents
be made redeemabl in so cents worth
of metal and so cents worth of law.
Bimetallic basis advocates may get the
peoples minds directed to the money
question, hut they will never teach
them anything. The gold basis con-
tention is as weak or weaker than the
bimetallic, but is not so inconsistent
If all nations were to take all law
away from gold, the amount we use
now in stamping dollar would prob
ably not be worth more than two
cents. Then the gold position amounts
to this: A great government cannot
stamp a good dollar on paper unless it
be made redeemable in a piece of gold
worth two cents. The value of money
depends upon its volume and the
wealth, commerce and population Of
the nation that issues it. For example,
if this nation had no money except pa
per money and had only 20 cents per
capita of that, then one cent of that
money would have to make the
exchanges that 81 does now, and
would have the purchasing power
81 now has-that is, prices would
be cents where they are dollars now.
And vice versa if we had s., 900 per cap
tia a SlOl-bili would make only the ex-
changes a Sl-biu now does-that is,
prices would be hundreds of dollars
where they are dollars now. With
only 20 cents per capita of money, the
/ commerce of the country could be
carried on, if it were not for debts and
other fixed demands, for we could pro-
vide for the coinage of the mill aud
tenths of a mill and prices could be
quoted in cents, mills and teuths of
mills, instead OF dollars, dimes and
cents. Of course such a reduction in
prices would instantly bankrupt the
people, for the fixed payments, such as
debts and taxes, call for dollars. Then
what should control in fixing the vol
ume of money? Equity as between
the debtor and creditor classes. the
/ tax-paying and the tax-eating classes
as a whole, Cast up the equities for
the period elapsed since the close OF
the war and fix the money value ac-
cordingly. That would be justice, but
it would be found that the demand
that the money value be increased to
$50 per capita is asking less than half
the relief the masses Of the people are
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