Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1880 — The Silver Dollar. [ARTICLE]

The Silver Dollar.

Mr. Burchard, Superintendent of tho Mint, says a Washington telegram, is very enthusiastic over the success of the silver dollar with the people. He thinks that we can go on with the coinage at the present without disturbing the money market or the relations between the two precious metals, for fifteen years, or till we have as many dollars in circulation, or in the treasury, as France has 5franc pieces, which is about 366,000,000. He thinks that it would be possible to run the business of the Government without trouble with a gold balance in the treasury as low as $25,000,000. All that is needed, in his opinion, is to have enough so that the Government can continue to pay out either gold or silver indiscriminately when called for, and as long as this can be done then silver will not depreciate. Experience has shown during the last few months that the people are 1-eatly more loth to take gold for ordinary purposes than silver. This Mr. Burchard explains by tne fact that for small amounts, in the wav of change merely, silver dollars are found to be more convenient, and for larger sums the bills are preferable, so that for actual circulation gold finds no place. Should any attempt be made by Congress to interfere with the coinage of the silver dollar, Mr. Burchard will oppose it strenuously. He shows that only about $25,000,000 of the silver m the treasury is there as a part of the reserve, the rest being in circulation in the form of silver certificates, the coin being merely held as a deposit, according to law, for the redemption of this paper whenever called for. The silver dollar is rapidly increasing in favor in the West, being called for with greater freedom the better it is known. It is sent to applicants to the Qo6jt£»t suh-treasui y iyye of ox.. pro»». charges. “ ' ' '