The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-04
FROM THE PEOPLE
WEIGHT, NOT VALUE.

Spokane, Wash, April O. 1900.
40 the Editor: The Spokesman Review
OF March 81 quotes as Mr.. Bryan's bright
sayings: we have had bimetallism for
eishty-one years and no party in all that
ume declared against It," He might have
added that during those eighty-one wears
not an ounce of silver was taken to the
minis for free coinage and the government
had only coined about 100000 OF silver dol
lars and for thirty or forty years before
1873 not any of these 100000 silver dol
lars were in circulation. There was no
reason for any one to oppose IT, Again
Mr.. Bryan says: THE free coinage of sill
YER is that Legislative arrangement by
which every man shall have the privilege
OF taking his metal to the mint and having
II coined by which every 4i2h grains OF
silver metal he gives into the mint he
shali receive a silver dollar TO take nome
with him and do with as he pleases" IN
the first place the silver dollar only has
| 31A grains of pure silver, the balance is
copper. In the second place Marcus Daily
| ana w. A. Clark, of Montana extract mil
| lions of ounces of silver bullion from their
copper ores each year. and II they had this
good Democratic privilege OF taking all
these millions of ounces of silver to the
mint and getting back silver dollar for
| every 3Ilh grains of silver or 16 to | 10
DO with as they please as Mr.. Bryan advo-
Gates, what a bonanza they would have
| TO purify the politics of Montana and per-
| haps other states where the Democrats
| think the politics needs purifying, and also
| of forming gigantic trusts to which their
| present copper trust IL a mere baby What
| grand Democratic doctrine that definition
| or free coinage would be for these Demo-
| cratic reformers to put into practice
III the people would only stop to think
| they would see at once that the coin dol
| lar does not mean value, but weight The
hat GUAR oil Azyao
| contain % 22-10o grains OF pure gold, tina.
| Is not value, but a name for weight the
same as sixty pounds is the name for a
| bushel Of wheat You win hear men say an
| ounce Of gold Is always worth $40 $500 and
why should not an ounce OF silver always
ne worth sl2s. / might say a buahel Of
| wheat IL always worth sixty pounds Now
q 22-loo divided into $50. the numh.r .,
| grains In an ounce Troy weight. is aD s.. 10
| ufhes, but this In not value IL "a onI,
| nafle Tor an ounce OF gold instead OF az
ing ~ grains and the same ia true ~ 9-tt,
aaS,hs IN the silver dollar. divided into the
-, - uiWavs -s-Ioo times but this ia no,
I oniy name for an ounce Of 40
| grams II the government is alwnvs -
! pared to exchange q 22-loo sra,rs =, pr
lVf "dA grains Of silver then tba,. -
| equivalent and will circulate at thai ~.t,'
| ~ Viliy correct ratio Is the numba- -,
| sSihs OF one metal which will exeharaa
| - " certain number OF grains Of tho othe-
the government coins gold AZ "a -. feo
NrAlhs Tor dollar It simply csrtiaes th.,
we COIN mas that much weight The vat,a
70 "neh exchanges are made for other com
| mo1itles, or the number Of grains 90 .u
| Nef' II an transactions were made IN ~,
| n1-"'ei or grams OF gold or silver this
demonstrating Of value would no, occur
| any more than when exchanges are res.
| IN bushels, tons or pounds for 80 -
! h'iVer both huctuate in value lust a. ,,1,st
aS any other commodity In other v.orss
| aoia dollar. 2 22-ico grains Of pure vcid
! VIII not exchange for the same arnour, -
| "ther commodities 81 All times Hence ,ta
| '"ius Is not constant. hut varies IRON, H.
/ =. Hay me same 49, any other conmoditv
ne weight only Is constant not the vstna
! Ut tne government coins gold and silver a.
! re fat'o ~ ls ta I. that IL s7iL grains ~
| NAFer 10 = &2~lla grains Of gold the go,,
| eminent must be prepared "a make the er.
/ c"Anse AZ Az times AZ that ratio or that h
! not th@ ratio between the metals and ~,
/ VIII not circulate IN an unlimited anos,nt ~
mar fatIo. The ratio between tho metals
/ ~ we amount hF weight ~ each metal
I Wnicn they viii exchange FOR In the 49,
! kets ~ the world and y the yo,or-,-.,
! tries "a nx any different ratio ana fajs ~
/ sustain that ratio then tho two metals eyIfi
not circulate A. that ratio. II f. NOT A theory
[ hu the ability - the government 20 kee-
I me tNo metals on q parity e, any given
/ ratio. Can the government keep them an +.
parity = rs 20 I IN an unlimited arnoant
when Tho actual ratio T. about = 10 n, ~.
/ markets ~ the world Laws Nili not max
/ me ratio unless the government has ~
metal ~ each 70 make T. practical
CHARLES 3 HARTwELI.