The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1899-03-08
WE Are THE LOSERS
The silver Using Countries Prof
it ut Our Expense.

The United states ID the greatest
producing country in the world,
and, as nearly accommodates have
fallen in money value since 1878,
our loss has been greater than that
of any other country. Besides,
some of our greatest.agricultural
staples, notably wheat and cotton,
must be sold in the European mar
ket in competition with like pro-
ducts of other countries, and it 80
happens that the chief of these
competitors use silver money ex-
olusively. In this connection it
must be understood that, although
several important nations have
abandoned silver, there are still
more than 8OO,OOO,OOO people who
use no other metal as money, ex-
cept, of course, copper and brass in
small way. This vast body of
human beings, putting forth an un-
ceasing demand for silver, coupled
with the more irregular demands of
the gold standard nations, has been
sufficient to prevent any actual
shrinkage in it's value-that is to
say it has maintained itself side by
side with commodities. Measured
in gold, silver and commodities
have gone down together, so that
an ounce of silver will exchange
for about the same quantity of
goods as it would have dono %
yelrs ago.
From this it follows that in sill
yer using countries prices have re-
manned substantially unchanged.
The East Indian grower sells wheat
at the same average price per bush
ell as formerly. So with cotton and
other things. Therefore as soon as
gold began to rise in London it was
to the advantage of the English
importer to exchange gold for sill
yer and make his purchases in sill
yer using countries because he
could buy tho silver at a profit, and
then with the silver thus obtained
he could buy the goods ounce for
ounce, the same as ever. This nat
urally stimulated the export of
such products from those countries,
and accordingly the exports of
wheat from Indin to England have
increased from almost nothing in
1873 to from 100000 to 6OOOO,-
OOO bushels annually at the present
time. This naturally cut the price
in London, but without raising it
in India. In the latter country it
merely stimulated production.
How far the cordial understand
ing between natives and Ameri-
cans in Cuba has advanced toward
condition of perfect accord is
fairly illustrated in tho success of
the races and athletic sports en-
gagged in at Santiago for the diver
sion of the public. Wh"r" the
populace makes merry in 20 way
there are no dangers of revolt or
conspiracy to be apprehended, and
it would be mnnifestly absurd to
saddle upon such light minded
community the cost of supporting
an expensive military establish
ment ostensibly designed to main
tain public order. Like the an
cient Roman populace. the Cubans
need only food and amusement 10
keep their minds free from all
thoughts of domestic violence or!
rebellion against duly constituted
authority,
Under the act of Congress of
March 80 la permitting the filing
of claims for indemnity on account
of the Maine disaster there have al
ready been presented 325 claims.
aggrogating $112,342. The list
will be largely increased when the
claim agent shall have exhausted
the possibilities of tho permissive
statute. These claims are entirely
apart from the pension account
which must be kept with the 81
survivors and the relatives of the
26l victims of the catastrophe.
When all shall have been settled
the sinking of the Maine may we'll
be reckoned among the most cost
ly disasters in the worlds naval
history.
Is it not rather significant that
since the war with Spain closed,
the number of Spanish immigrants
to the country has increased 100
per cent? 1t seems that even