Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-10-12
PROSPERITY AND SILVER.


i
| Every silver standard country in the
/ world, whether situated upon this side
of the waters or the other, whether
| north or south of the equator, and
whether it has a high or a low tariff,
| is to-day and has been for the past five
years, compared to its former condi-
ton, enjoying marvellous degree of
prosperity. BY this statement / am not
saying that the Mexican is equal to tho
American, and must say that the zaan
who uses the statement: "DD you
want to Mexicanize American" does not
know the meaning or import of an ar
gument. We could with equal pro-
priety say: do you want to Turkeyize
American" For Turkey has the gold
standard, and I am willing to contrast
the civilization of Mexico at any time
with that OF Turkey; and / am willing
further to contrast the wages paid in
any European nation. might further
say: do you want to Egyptianize
American For Egypt has the gold
standard. Do you want the civilization
Of the Portuguese? For they have the
gold standard. The truth is that there
are many things that determine the
civilization of a nation, the most inn
portant of any being climate; and /
apprehend that there is no danger Of
bringing the climate of Mexico to the
United States. But these silver stand
ard nations. compared to their former
condition of five years past, are mar
velously advanced. In the last five
years the exports of Mexico have in
creased more than so per cent. The
number of manufactures in Japan 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, a shutting down and
closing of them to an extent unknown
before in the history of the nation.
It is 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
Is months, been an upward tendency
in the price of some commodities, but
when conditions again become normal
the same low prices must again pre-
by reason of the increase in their COM
merce and manufactures, are in need
more and more of a greater circulat-
ing medium, and consequently it be-
comes pertinent to inquire whether
nations having such need for increase
of money an'easily yield up any guam
tity of money they have now for the
purpose of bringing it to our mints for
coinage into American dollars. When
we look into the monetary statistics
of those countries, we are struck with
the fact that they have entirely too
small circulating medium for their
own use to be able to part with any of
their money. Mexico has circulating
medium of but SAT- per capita, Japan
but $4.0e per capita, the Central Amer
lean states but $3.7s per capita, and
China but $2.0s per capita, while we in
the United States have circulation, nc.
cording to the statement of the secre-
tary of the treasury, of $24 per capita
and France has circulating medium
it possible that those silver standard
countries with shortage of cirenlat-
ing medium now would be willing tc
part with that circulating medium in
order to flood the United States with
silver? Why, if Mexico should send all
of her silver here, it would be but a
bagatelle. The total circulating me.
dunn of Mexico in 1895 was but $50, oo0,.
600, and that is only about one-four-
teenth part of the demand caused by
the withdrawal of the 5000, o00, 900 OF
gold. Some people talk of this flood
as If it would be disastrous to the ma
ton should it occur. No nation was
ever injured by its people having an
abundance of the precious metals, and
instead of being a detriment, it would
produce the greatest era of prosperity
in the history of this country. Some
people think that as soon as foreigner
brought silver to the United States
mint and had 1t coined that there would
be some American with gold chasing
him, in order to get him to exchange
the silver for gold dollar. I appre-
bend that the American people are in
telligent and that they are not going
to exchange gold for silver dollar
unless it is TO their advantage to do SO.
When foreigner brings his silver to
our mint and has it coined into dollars,
what is he going to do with his money?
u. f. Shafroth.
Nnrn ATT nnrrRrrTrw