Natchitoches populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1898-1899, 1899-01-13

MCAlSO'
A. To begin with, Mexico has silver
Something impossi-
Bile under the free coinage of both gold
and silver, for which we are contend
ing. But even silver rnonometallism
as Mexico has It would not put us on
a level with Mexico. If the condition
of a country, or Of its people, is to De
determined by whether it uses silver
or gold. then since 1873 we should
have ranked with Turkey, Portugal,
Egypt, or Liberia, all OF which are
gold standard countries. The lack Of
national enterprise and the laziness
and ineficiency Of the half-breed la
borers Of Mexico makes comparison
of that country with the United States
nonsensical.
O. But how can we maintain the
value of the silver dollar, when the
Mexican dollar, containing more sill
YER than ours, is worth but 50 cents?
A. We have nation Of 7O,OOOOOO
active, energetic people, Mexico has
but 100000, 100000 Of whom are
half-breeds and Indians, having very
little use for money. Illinois alone
requires more money than all Mexico
But after all the cant about party
and "every dollar being as good as
any other dollar" the Mexican dollar
Is today worth more in London, the
shrine of American gold Worshipers,
than the silver dollar Of the United
States; and if the Mexican dollar was
given by our laws the same legal ten
der qualities as our silver dollar II.
.would. if you please, exchange IN TINS
country for gold dollar, If one could
he found for which to exchange t,
Incidentally, it may be mentioned tnat
the Mexican dollar has not appreciated
to the detrimant of the Mexican pro-
Queer. He is not required TO give up
any more of his products to get one Oh
them today than he was twenty years
ago. If as much could be said OF the
single gold standard dollar, the cry
for bread set up on the shores OF the
Pacific and re-echoed clear across the
continent from the broad Atlantic,
Fw6uld not be heard inthis country OF
unlimited abundance.
o. Would not silver mine owners
he uniustly favored by free coinage,
A since they could take so cents worth
of silver to the minis and get 1t coined
into a dollar? =
A. This question assumes that the
quantity of silver required to make q
: dollar will be worth but.5O cents. 1t Is
worth more than that now | think
that I have proven that the gold dol
lar has appreciated till 1t is worth
nearly 200 cents. Let US assume, al
least, that it has a purchasing power
of 200 cents, just as our opponents
make the assumption about silver. Th'
gold in gold dollar may be, and ha'
been, produced at profit for 100 cents
: If the producer of gold can produc'
2 the quantity required to make dolla
for 100 cents, hut is permitted to TAX
5 such quantity to the mint and get
t coined into a dollar that is worth 20
cents, is not the gold miner unJustl,
r favored. If there be any unjust ia
Y yors then the gold miner is now get
ting 100 cents over and above the cos
of profitable production, while the sill
: yer miner, il 1t were true that silve
n would become no more valuable unde
e free coinage, would get considerabl
:, less than SO cents, for silver cannc
a be proftably produced at its preseI
n price. AS a matter Of fact, howeve
) while silver is bullion. q commodit
: will increase in value in accoTdanS
h with the Increased demand, yet silV;
v and gold too, as money, on account !
e the increase in quantity, will have LEI
If purchasing power; that lis, the dolli
II the silver miner gets from the min
# as well as the gold dollar, will be e.
d changeable for only 100 cents wor
NJ of what the silver mine owner or Il
n gold miner has to buy. Therefore, u
Il possession of silver dollars or go
dollars will be no more valuab
to the mine owners than they nc
!. are. For example, suppose they wi
= to exchange their products Tor whe;
!, Under present conditions--a sing
7, gold standard-rthe gold in doll
- may be exchanged for two bushels
" wheat; but the silver in a silver d
- lar will only exchange for one busl
De of wheat. Under double standa
W with the volume of money doubl,
Nc and gold and silver freely coined
~ terms of equality, the same gold CO.
,ss ed into dollar would exchange ]
~ hut one bushel of wheat; the same s
nc YER coined into dollar would S
exchange for but one buahel Of whe
100 and while the owner of the silver
gained nothing, the owner Of the g
~. has lost nothing that he has a mo
a right to retain since he can prod1
- his gold profitably at that value. WI
~ an advocate OF the gold standard II
NJ you that the silver miner will max
SsT profit of so cents on the dollar by {
'n- coinage. remind him that he arg
that the silver dollar will be wo
.