San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-20

think it necessary to make two metals
legal tender at 0 fixed ratio. If the gov
eminent simply stamps coins of both
metals, that is a perfectly harmless pro-
ceeding, and business men can use
either or both. as they find convenient,
out if they do not find both convenient
that is the very best reason in the world
why the undesired metal should not be
forced upon them. The desire, then, to
introduce a new kind of money, con-
trary to the convenience of the business
world is not legitimate desire.
"a debt in economic contemplation is
an obligation by contract for the deliv-
cry of specified goods. The obligation
arises by agreement Of the parties, and
the article TO be delivered is named by
them Is anything mora needed? If
Smith has co, tracted to deliver 100
pounds of butter to Jones, does Smith
need an act of legal tender to tell him
what he must deliver? Is it not or
fectly obvious THAI delivery of what
is named in the contract is the evident
and only fulfillment of the contract?
The principle does not change if the
contract calls for a certain quantity of
a metal If Saith has contracted to de.
liver certain weight of silver of GER
tain quality, is not that amount of sill
yer the full and only performance of
the contract? Can it make any differ
eUce if Smith and Jones by language
they both understand have called this
certain quantity of silver by the name
100 quods?' The performance or full
fillment of the contract to deliver goods
is the delivery of the very goods speci-
fed; nothing more, nothing less A
sufficient tender ON such contract is
the performance carried as far as il may
be without the acceptance of the per-
Torrance by the creditor What this
sufficient tender is is therefore pointed
by the terms of the contract which
designate the performance This tender
and only this tender should be recog-
nized by the law as legal tender, or a
sufficient tender in law on the con-
tract "
As the present lamentable condition
of the representative money of the world
has been brought about by the indul-
gence in the intoxication of legal ten
der laws the remedy seems most natu-
rally to be the repeal of the legal ten
der laws the gradual redemption of the
superhuous representative money and |
the substitution of other and better
forms of nonlegal tender representative |
money to s1pply the place of the pres
ent legal tender ssCf so far as is need |
ed.
"In accordance with the principles |
herein Cnunciated sound monetary |
system will provide for the free coinage |
CT gold. Ii may also provide for the free |
coinage of silver and any other metals |
that business men may actually wish to |
use as standards, but not at any tCEd |
tender rata bctlUccn the metals Each |
metal will simply be stamped, under |
perfectly distinct names for the pieces, |
as to It's weight and quality and left to
pass for its,own market value, so that |
on contract the only legally sufficient |
discharge or tender shall be the metal |
named in contract. If, then, business |
men see fit to draw their contracts gen.
orally for one metal in preference to |
another, no one can find fault, and ex- |
listing debts, which have been made on |
the faith and credit of the gold dollar
of 20. 20 grains of fine gold, will be am
ply protected. In order that the govern
ment may not seem to throw its infu-
ence for the use of either metal in par
-.
the government will receive both met
ais indiscriminately for their market
values at the time of receipt"