The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-09-01
THE robson N.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1897.
Runa ing the Rot Racket.
NtiplIuvtou STAR

Il
80 cent dollars, that being the
value the gold organs put-fOr
campaign purposes-upon the dol
lar, although they continued to
take them in and pay them out
as 100 cent dollars. Now they
talk about the 40 cent dollar as
they then did about the 50 cent
dollar, although they take this
40 cent dollar and pay it out as
100 cent dollar. There Is quite a
contrast between what they say
aad what they do and it either
shows that they do not believe what
they say, that they are lying, or
that they are willingly letting
themselves be imposed upon and
cheated and that they are know
ingly and wilfully imposing upon
and cheating others.
1t is no defence for them to
cay that they take these dollars
for 100 cent dollars because they
pass as such, and pay them for
the same reason, for that would
be just "a good defence for tax
ing and paying out a clever coun-
forfeit which was good enough in
appearance to fool people and pass
without detection. They ought
to know, if they are honest in
their assertion, that the dollar
which passes with everybody from
theGovernment down to the butch
or and baker for 100 cent dollar,
which pays t&x9s, debts and buys
100 cents worth Of anything we
want, is worth 100 cents and not
80 or 40 cents. The talk about
intrinsic value of u coin is the
sheerest rot. There is no more
sonse or pertincnce in it than there
would be III talking about the in
trinsic value of bank note. There
is no intrinsic value in any of
them. The only real value in any
of them is the stamp that gives
them credit and that is not intrin-
sic but an impaired value.
The Washington Post is a gold
standard paper, but it is an hon
est and q sensible enc, which has
no tolerance for this 40 cent rot,
for which it thus taps some of
the Gotham big dailies, which
get their inspiration from Wall
street:
Those great metropolitan dali
lies the Sun, Evening Post and
World, of New York, differ in
many responsibilities widely and
radically-but they are three of q
kind when it comes to lying about
the silver dollar and its value. We
may suspect the World of sheer ig-
: -norance when it says that stan
dard silver dollar is now worth al
most exactly 40 cents The World
is notremarkable for the extent OF
the accuracy Of its information
The Sun and Post, however, are
distinguished for intelligence
IA distinguished fer that az fo]
the vicious and ignoble uses tc
vnich they sometimes putt. The
are perfectly aware that, in any
ing tine silver dollar is worth bu
40.l8 cents,' they are saying wha
If not true, and that deliberately
They are well aware that tho 81!
yer dollar, boalinc tho stamp @
the United Statos. is worth exact
ly 100 cents and that il will be re
cslved at that valuo by the Gov
ernmcnt. 1t simply happens tbs
IN no matter relating to silYc
coinage are tEcee Wall rtreat o.
gans willing to tell The truth.
"It is very unfortunate. thoug
III view of the closing Of theworId'
minis to the white metal is entire
ly logical and inevitable, that III
bullion value Of silver should dc
cline so sharply. The uses of sil
yer, save for money, are very lin
itod. Like gold, silver has yer
little intrinsic value-that is t
say, it is susceptible of convergio
into very few agents Of practices
utility. A man cast away upo
an uninhabitod island and findin
there q ton Of virgin silver woul
cheerfully exchange the Who'll
treasure for frying pan, JACK
knife, or an iron spoon. Th
Klondike Grgonauts, should tie
suddenly be cut Of forever from il
tercourse with civilization, woul
be glad to give I'll their gold f.
All ak apiece or the means Of pr,
curing simple food. The intrins
value Of these metals is,very sligh
TAeyare Of no uso whatever to ma
il state Of nature, and to orga,
izad society, outside of coinag,
they stand for little more than o
namcnt and luxury. it follow
therefore, hat in closing the min
A