The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-01-19
FINANCIAL SITUATION


When the same privilege is given to
silver, by powerful nation like the
United States, that gold enjoys, at
the ratio of Is to !, the commercial
value of the two metals will resume.
their former relation, while the silver
in a silver dollar, practically, of the
same commercial value as the metal
in the little mythical gold unit, or
dollar.
nBut is the United States big
enough to exert this infuence?" |
asked
"The Standard Oil Company fixes
the price of oil the world over The
American Sugar Refinery fixes the
price of sugar. Surely the United
States is bigger than either of these
concerns, and can fix the price of
silver the world over. 1t is a simple
problem when one understands it,
But, he concluded, 81 have not
given you the principal reason for
the ratio of 16 to /. y
HAnd that isA-?'
SsThat if the ratio is increased by
recoinng the silver coins, to the ex-
tent that you raise the ratio, you les
sen the quantity of metallic money,
and you fasten low prices on the
people. The evils that demonitiza-
ton has brought with it are low prices
of property, with corresponding
rise in the value of money-based on
gold And, should we return to bi
metallism, with the ratio at
the present commercial value, of the
two metals, (33 to y it would be no
remedy at all, as it would perpetuate
low prices and the auctioneer ham
mer would contine it's work of desoa-
ton and conlistication Under de-
monetization silver has fallen with
the general price level of property ;
or, rather, they have been stationary
} while money has risen in value, and
to fix the ratio at the present relative
value of the two metals means the
riveting of the shackels of bondage
on the people-the rule of the rich
and the ruin of the masses. Under
: falling prices our debts-national
/ municipal, corporate and private,
> have grown until they are now about
forty billion dollars, as against seventy
billion dollars as the fair cash value
of all our real and personal property
! and twenty four billion dollars the
, present assessed value of all the real
and personal property in the United
States. So, you can see that with
: out the return of higher prices the
! work of contistication will 90 on anC
n we will become nation of tenants
In fact, the priviledged few are now
seeking to perpetuate our debts
while the people groan as slaves under
: the Understanding like two bill
Il lion dollars annually. And this il
l. being paid to men who produce moth
: ing, not even blade of grass.
n "And the way out of bondage?'
inquired.
"Is, said the peoples fnancier
J.; 'to begin to remonetize silver at TIL
), ratio of 6 to |, and thus raise price
1t to where they were. Our citizen
- will thus be able to pay their debt
: and taxes and save their homes
" And the creditors will get homes
n money instead of having to talk
l. property for debts"
= "Then, | replied ''this is til
a main reason for the ratio of 16 to l.
eyes; but on the other hand ther
is no objection from the debtors sid
7t to increasing the ratio, if it is don
5 by making the gold coins smaller an
l. not disturbing the size of the silve
NJ coins. To the extent you increas
the ratio, by lessening the weight {
= of the gold coins, under bimetalisn
III you increase the quantity of metali
IN money Ratios have been change
re before, in the last 500 years. 1t wa
10 once 8 to /, and so on until it becam
:, 16 toll, but always by lessening tn
:" size of the gold coins In each in
StstuCS IL WIS QOu6 W MAKE UOt
IN money. Should bmetallism be rt
to stored and the mints thrown open agai
. to both metals, with the silver coir
! the same weight as at present and tn
- gold dollar one-twentieth, or one
is thirieth the weight of the silvl
r. dollar, from selfish standpoint thel
would be no objection by. the debtor
1t would help them. But it woul
l., be as unfair to the creditors as il
= creasing the weight of the silver coir
beyond the present ratio of 10 to
would be unfair to the debtors. "
should stand as firm as rock f,
the relative weight of the silver an
gold coins at 16to1 GREET!
us Remember Kelly & Mason in the
=. clever musical farce comedy entitle
"Who is Who. 1t is pronounce
the biggest laugh of the season.
This is the age of cheap and goo
~ literature. We call attention to Il
advertisement and offer made by Il
ess Home Publishing Co in anoth