The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-01-06
KEEPING UP THE PRICE.
mt $50 "A Ton or More-coId-
lite inconsistency.

An agreement, At was understood in Wall
street to-day. has virtually been reached
among the manufacturers OF steel rails
whereby the price OF steel rails shall be
maintained at so a ton or more. The
agreement has sin 10 be ratified at a meet
ing TO be held next week--Washlngton
Times.
At the Omaha monetary convention
the gold men insisted that falling prices
were a great advantage-an evidence Of
advancing civilization. 1t is entirely
safe 10 say that almost without excep-
ton the members of the combine re-
tered to i'm the above excerpt are yo-
ciferous shoutors for the gold stand
ard. Probably all of them are. But it
is obvious. remarks the National Bimet-
aMllist. that In their business affairs they
Go not agree with the eminent gentle
men who so ably pleaded the cause of
gold at that c~onvocation. There is not
q business man in the world who looks
with favor upon a fall in the price OF
the thing that he has for sale. There
is not a trade journal anywhere that
does not regard a fall in the price OF a
particular staple as a bad thing for that
line of business, and a general fall in
prices as a bad thing for all business.
Notwithstanding this fact, it is moral
" certain that if the members of that
steel rail combine had been at the
Omaha convention they would have APP
plaudcd TO the echo the u~tterances in
favor OF the gold standard. based upon
the benefits which are assumed 10 re-
suit from falling prices.
How singular 1t is that whenever the
monetary question is the direct subject
under consideration the advocates Of
the gold standard will fly right into the
teeth OF the plaincst business principles
as well as of good common sense. They
seem to be utterly blind TO everything
but the glare and glitter Of the gold
They lose sight Of the fact that money.
whether it be made OF gold or what. is
merely an agency 10 DO business with.
and that the condition of business I'M
der the gold standard is the irue test
of its merits. Instead Of acting upon
this obvious truth. they start out with
the assumption that the gold standard
is all right-''it must be all right, be-
| cause-well. because il is gold" II
DuSneS IS not prOSperlng unutT IL tnat
is the fault Of the business, not OF the
gold standard. The cold truth is thatin
this bright and shining era Of pros
perity" G.? no business is doing well
unless il is in the nature Of n monopoly;
unless II is in the hands Of a trust or
combine which can limit the output
os destroy opposition. and thus keep
the price from falling below the cos.
Of production.
But il is only the great business es-
Adjustments and transportation com
panies that can do this. The farmers
and planters are helpless, and can only
look for relief to crop failures and lam
ines in other countries. Therefore. ac-
cording to gold standard philosophy.
the farmers must be the true friends
and promoters Of civilization. while the
big" business men who are shouting
themselves hoarse on behalf Of the gold
standard are clogs upon the wheels Of
progress. through their desperate and
concerted efforts to keep prices from
falling.