The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-12-06

hold the value of silver.
O. But would not free coinage If
silver reduce us to the condition of
Mexico?
A. To begin with, Mexico has silver
monometallism. Something impossi-
bic under the free coinage of both gold
and silver, for which we are contend
ing. But even silver monometallism
as Mexico has it would not put us on
level with Mexico. If the condition
of a country, or of it's people, is to be
determined by whether it uses silver
or gold. then since 1878 we should
have ranked with Turkey, Portugal,
Egypt, or Liberia, all of which are
gold standard countries. The lack Of
national enterprise and the laziness
and ineficiency of the half-breed la
borers of Mexico makes a comparison
of that country with the United States
nonsensical.
Q. But how can we maintain the
value of the silver dollar, when the
Mexican dollar, containing more sill
yer than ours, is worth but 90 cents?
A. We have a nation OF 70,00000O
active, energetic people. Mexico has
but $4,000 900, 100000 of whom are
breeds and Indians, having very
little use for money. Illinois alone
requires more money than all Mexico.
But after all the cant about parity
and every dollar being as good as
any other dollar" the Mexican dollar
is today worth more in London, the
shrine of American gold worshipers,
than the silver dollar of the United
States; and if the Mexican dollar was
given by our laws the same legal ten
der qualities as our silver dollar it
would. if you please, exchange in this
country for gold dollar, If one could
be found for which to exchange t.
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that
the Mexican dollar has not appreciated
to the detriment of the Mexican pro-
Queer. He is not required to give up
any more of his products to get one OF
them today than he was twenty years
ago. If as much could be said OF the
single gold standard dollar, the cry
for bread set up on the shores OF the
Pacific and re-echoed clear across the
continent from the broad Atlantic
would not be heard in this country OF
unlimited abundance.
@. Would not silver mine owners
be unjustly favored by free coinage
since they could take so cents worth
of silver to the minis and get it coined
into dollar?
A. This question assumes that the
quantity of silver required to make
dollar will be worth but so cents. 1t S
worth more than that now. | think
that l have proven that the gold dol
lar has appreciated till it is worth
nearly geo cents. Let us assume, at
least, that it has a purchasing power
of 200 cents, just as our opponents
make the assumption about silver The
gold in a gold dollar may be, and has
been, produced at profit for 100 cents.
If the producer of gold can produce
the quantity required to make dollar
for 100 cents, but is permitted to take
such a quantity to the mint and get il
coined into a dollar that is worth 2OO
cents, is not the gold miner unjustly
favored. If there be any unjust fa-
vors then the gold miner is now get
ting 100 cents over and above the cost
of profitable production, while the sill
yer miner, if it were true that silver
would become no more valuable under
free coinage, would get considerably
less than so cents, for silver cannot
be proftably produced at its present T
price AS a matter of fact, however,
while silver is bullion, commodity
will increase in value in accordance
with the increased demand, yet silver
and god too, as money, on account d
the increase in quantity, will have less
the silver miner gets from the mint
as we'll as the gold dollar, will be ex-
changeable for only 100 cents worth
of what the silver mine owner or the
gold miner has to buy. Therefore, the
possession of silver dollars or gold
dollars will be no more valuable
to the mine owners than they now
are. Fer example, suppose they wish
to exchange their products for wheat
Under present conditions single
gold standard-the gold in dollar
may be exchanged for two bushels Of
wheat; but the silver in a silver dol.
lar will only exchange for one bushel
of wheat. Under a double standard
with the volume of money doubled
and gold and silver freely coined on
terms of equality, the same gold coin,
ed into a dollar would exchange Loi
but one bushel of wheat; the same 81,
yer coined into a dollar would sun