The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-12-21

the meeting has been declared on and
that all invitations have been recalled.
Sadder even than that Is the news that
Mr.. Murphy, head of Tammnny Hall,
declares that the New York delegation
Will not 60 instructed for Chanler or
for any one else, but will go with a
free hand. Three weeks ago the Cham
Ter forces from Chairman Conners
down were prophesying an instructed
delegation. That vice presidential
boom may arise for him is altogether
probable. lie has both executive and
political ability and IL once started is
likely to go far.
Speaker Cannon and Tariff.
1t Is fair to say for Uncle Joe Can
non that he has the courage of his con-
vieesons. He believes that American
industries, however old, still need pro-
lection and that the American people
love to be taxed. He Is no revisionlst
either before or after the election, in
which he differs from President Roosc-
welt only that he speaks his convictions
frankly and truly.
At convention Of potters in Wash
ington last week the speaker was frank
to say that they need not worry about
any reduction of the tariff on pottery,
china and porcelain. but that so far as
he was concerned he thought the tariff
was too low and that revision. II there
should be any. should take the form Of
an increase In It. That is the first
specific proposition for revision Of
the tariff that has come from any
prominent Republican. II seems to in
dicute that revision of the tariff at
the hands of its friends will mean an
increase and not a decrease of the tax
on the people.
One of the assembled potters express
ed in epigra mmatic phrase his opin-
ion of the present administration. 81
hope" said he, 'the administration has
something to promise us in the near
future. I have had just two gifts from
the Republican party In the last ten
years. From the Mckinley admins
tration l had handsome house and
lot. The Roosevelt administration pre-
sented me with a mortgage upon it."
Free Silver Again.
Curiously enough, there is certain
muttering from the west of the old
free silver idea. This time 1t does not
come from the Democratic party, which
in 1896 was so widely described as the
party of "repudiation and dishonor."
There are Republicans both in senate
and house who are talking the coin
age of silver as a possible remedy for
the present financial stringency. Colo.
RADIO has a new senator of the name of
Guggenheim. He is one of seven
brothers who practically control the
smelling industry in the United States
To that extent his advocacy of silver
coinage may be regarded as not with.
out some selfish purpose. His brother
Solomon is travelling through the west
preaching new form of silver coin
age. This is his proposition: "A bill
giving the secretary Of the treasury
discretionary power to purchase silver
bullion up to 5OOO0,OO0 ounces and all
silver so purchased TO be Immediately
coined into silver dollars" He does
not specify the price TO be paid for the
bullion, although he says that when
the silver question was agitated before
throughout this country the ratio of
production Of the precious metals was
twenty-three of silver to one of gold
Now 1t is eight of silver to one of gold.
Today the price of silver is higher than
1t was I'm 1896 If the government
should 60 into the market as the pur-
chaser of 5O,O00,OO0 ounces, that de-
mand would necessarily send 1t higher
The Guggenheims, smelters and SEN
ator, are all Republicans Wouldn't
it be curious II Mr.. Roosevelt and his
party, having adopted practically ali
the other principles for which Mr.
Bryan stood in 1896, should wind up
by taking over to themselves the coin
age of silver as a relief for a financial
stringency for which they themselves
are responsible?
The New Coinage. .
/! All Washington is laughing ut the
new gold coins, theoretically designed
by the late Augustus Saint Gaudens,
but practically dictated by the very
present Theodore Roosevelt. The twenty
dollar pieces have just appeared. Bare
ly 100000 of them have been coined,
and the presses have now been stop
ped The design involves so deep a
sinking of the die that the rim of the
coin forms wire edge, which makes
II impossible to be stacked and which
will wear off rapidly, destroying part
Of the intrinsic value of the coin.
New dies will have to be made new
machinery devised. They are likely
to be the most expensive experiment
in coinage the United States ever un-
dertook. Gold coinage, after all, is a
loss to the government. In twenty
dollar gold piece there is exactly $40
worth of gold at current rates. But
besides this there is 10 per cent of its
value In copper to harden 1t, and there
Is also the cost of mintng, counting
and distribution. Every gold coin
struck by the government means a
loss. On the other hand, the humble
penny means tremendous profit.
The ten dollar gold piece has recent
ly been submitted to the ignominy OF
4