The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-10-13
The Monetary Problem.
PROSPERITY AND SILVER
Advances Made I'm Japan and Mexico
I'm Past Five Years tnder the
silver standard.


Every silver standard country IN the
world. whether situated upon This side
~ the waters or the other. whether
north or south Of the equator. and
whether II has high or low tariff.
Is TODAY ana ,.sn for the past five
years. compared .1 Is former corci-
tion. enjoying a mar, elous derEtc Of
prosperity. Bv This statement am not
saving that the Mexican Il equal 10 the
Amer ican. aud I must say that the man
who uses the statement: .-Do YOU
want 10 NJ. .sranize America" does not
know the meaning or import 81 AZ ar
gument We could with equal pro-
pricty say: do You want a Turkeyize
America" For Turkey has the gold
standard. and am willing 10 contrast
the civilization az Mexico al any time
with that OF Turkey. and am willing
further 10 contrast the wages paid in
any European nation ! might further
say: do YOU want 70 Egvpiiarize
America" For Egypt h~- the gold
standard DO You want the civilization
Of the Portuguese? For they have the
gold standard. The truth j. that there
are many things thar determine the
civilization Of a nation. the most i'm
portant or any being climate. ard
apprchend that there - TO danger Of
bringing the climate Of Mexico 10 the
United States. But these silver stand
ard nations. compared 10 their former
condition OF five years past. are mar
Hclousiy advanced. In the last FIVE
wears the exports IF Mexico have in
creased more than % per cent. The
number Of manufactures in Janan and
Mexico have more than doubled. and
the railroad building in every silver
standard country has been increasing
enormously. while in the gold standard
countries. instead Of an increase of
manufactures there has been. during
these five years. n shutting down and
closing Of them 10 an extent unknown
before IN the history Of the nation
II j. true that on account OF the famine
in india. the shortage of crops in Eu-
rope. and the war between the United
States and Spain there has. In the last
u months. been an upward tendency
[
when conditions again become normal
the same low prices must again pre-
vail These silver standard countries.
/ hy reason ~ the increase in their com
mcrce and manufacture. are in need
more and more Of greater circulate
ing medirm. and consequently IL be-
comes pertinent 10 inquire whether
nations having such need for increase
Of money can easily yield up any guam
iity 81 money they have now for the
| purpose Of bringing il to our minis for
/ coinage into American dollars When
we look into the monetary s-atistics
Of those countries. we are struck ws-h
the fact that they have entirely too
small circulating medium for their
own use 10 be able 10 part with any of
their money. Mexico has a circulating
medium 81 bat SAT- per capita. Japan
but Ss.o9 per capita. the Central Amer
lean states but S3.Ts per capita. and
China but s2as per capita. while We in
the United States have circulation. &C
corGirg 10 the statement Of the secre-
tary Of the treasury. OF S24 per capita.
land France has circulating medium
OF nearly $40 for each inhabitanf. Is
il possible that those silver standard
countries with shortage Of eirculat-
ing medium now would be willing 10
par; with that circulating medium IN
order 10 food the United States with
silver? Why. IL Mexico should send all
Of her silver here. il would be but n
bacaielle. The total circulating me
dunn Of Mexico in fs95 was but $50. O0O.-
coo. and that j. only about one-four-
teenth part of the demand caused by
the withdrawal of the s696-oo0.ocO of
gold. Some people raIk Of rhis food
as il il would he disastrous 10 the ma
ton should il occur No nation was
srcr Injured Is its people having an
abundance Of the precious metals. and
instead Of being a detrimenr. ii would
produce the greatest era Of prosperity
in the history If this country. Some
people think that as soon as foreigner
brought silver 20 the United States
mint and had il coined that there would
be some American with gold chasing
him. in order To get him TO exchange
the silver for gold dollar ] appre-
bend that the American people are in
, tcllirent and that they are not going
to exchange = gold for silver dollar
unless it j. 70 their advantage 10 DO so
When foreigner brings his silver to
our min; and hes il coined into dollars
what Is he going TO DO with his money!
j. T. Shafroth-