The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-10-20
The Monetary Problem.

But after the bargain or exchange is
made, then statute law steps in, if the
bargain or exchange is made in terms
OF money. and the law sets forth pre-
cisels what is legal money fit TO settle
these debts. Statute law may name and
does name, under our laws, several
kinds of legal tender money, and the
debtor may take his choice. The debtor
can say: Il may choose either one or
the other as my standard TO pay this
debt" Thus we had the gold dollar and
the silver dollar, whichever the debtor
might choose to use as his standard or
agent by which he might. at his option,
settle all his money debts under the
United States laws from the organiza-
ton of our mint in 1902, up TO 1874.
The three phrases, purchasing power,
purchasing value, or the sNchangeable
value OF these two dollars, mean the
same thing, but ii was constantly
changing. and with either dollar a citi-
zen of the United States could always
settle debts named in dollars under our
flag. This function is fixed by statute
law, hence, we had two standards Of
payment or two agents Of payment for
| So years. This function was taken away
from silver in ls73-74, by law, and only
partially restored 10 silver in 1878.
Please note that this important legal
function of gold has never been tam
pered with under our laws. This tam
pering with the legal tender function
of silver is the main cause of our silver
trouble to-day We have great many
silver dollars, but most unfortunately
they are not money, but only legal SUBJ
stitutes for money, and will thus re-
main and tend to cause gold TO appre-
ciate in eNchangeable value, until all
faint, either by statute law or by usage
as TO their full legal tender power, shall
be removed by statute law.
The silver franc is the monetary unit
under the French law. The French peo-
Pie do not chatter as we do about the
silver standard or the gold standard,
simply because both silver and gold un-
der their laws are absolutely on par
as debt payers, although the silver
frame is their legal monetary unit.
More than this, France has furnished
her people with an abundance of both
these kinds of coins, but she is not free
from financial difficulties.
Following our vicious example, IN
July 9. 1873, Germany adopted the gold
standard. but that great empire has
never dared, even 10 this day, 10 de-
monetize about 10O,O00,000 silver thai
ers. vet in existence in their country,
absolutely on par with gold as debt
payers.
There are a great many gold advo-
Gates who know, and are most openly
SAYING, we are not on gold standard
by law. Their efforts are being concen-
trated to have congress put us on gold
standard by law. This move we de-
lnounce as one OF the most mischieyous
pieces of uni Just and revolutionary leg
islation. Our financial difficulties have
been. and are still. bad enough for the
prod ucers or worilingmen of America.
but this proposed financial revolution
would make them far worse. 1t is your
question. think il over seriously. Each
individual has a certain amount of in
fuence; use ii. This is all you can use
now: YOU cannot utilize your ballots
generally before the fall Of 1900. With
out precise information and the use Of
all the faculties we can command we
are liable to get mentally confused on
this momentous and complex ISSUE
Iohp Cr-ipr in National Rural