People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1896 — FIFTY CENTS’ W[?] OF SILVER. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY CENTS’ W[?] OF SILVER.

A Conclusive Answer to an Oft Repeated Piece of Goldbag Claptrap. A common charge cf the eastern money combination, and one booked for active service in the coming campaign, says The Rocky Mountain News, is that free coinage people want the government to-take 50 cents’ worth of silver and issue it from the mint as worth 100 cents. This charge was specifically made by the last member cf Mr. Cleveland's binet who tcok his turn to plead the money changers of Wall street. The absurd charge could not be honestly made by any one acquainted with financial history. It entirely ignores the effect on the commercial value of silver by the adoption of bimetallism by the greatest and wealthiest nation on earth. Yet some of the highest financial authorities, and European at that, have declared their conviction that open mints for gold and silver in the United States would result in raising the commercial price of silver to its mintage value. This view is sustained by the example of France, which kept silver at 15 y 2 to 1 of gold in Europe for nearly three-quarters of this century despite the hostility of England and the variable financial legislation of other European powers. Twenty-three years ago the influence of the United States in the monetary affairs of the world was so distinctly recognized by the conspirators against silver that they made this the first battleground, and by stealth won a victory that precipitated hostile silver legislation abroad. Today the United States is immensely greater relatively and . more influential than it was then, yet we are told that the institution of bimetallism, buttressed by the authority and resources of this great republic, would have no effect on the commercial value of silver. At the time the knavery was wrought by which silver was demonetized silver bullion was at a premium over gold. It fell in the market solely because of legislative discrimination, and its normal value can be restored by just legal enactment. It is meet that the nation which was surreptitiously used to lead in silver’s overthrow should be the first to pave the way for a just equilibrium between the monetary and industrial affairs of the world. A return to the free coinage of both metals—as sure to come as the earth to revolve on its axis—will not long test merely the influence of the United States in finance. It is indisputable that England alone stands in the way of a declaration for bimetallism by the leading nations of Europe. Independent action by the United States will break the spoil by which the money power of London has long dictated European financial affairs. With tho abrogation of a measure of value that slowly but inexorably continues to depreciate the value of everything but itself, silver bullion will command its mintage prices in the world’s marts. Even now we have nearly §SOO, - 000,000 of silver in circulation, either in coin or its representative. Yet the stamp of the United States makes St equal with gold, dollar for dollar. With the restoration of its historic and constitutional right, the immeasurable resources of our country in behalf of silver will be re-enforced by a restoration of its legitimate mintage demand, the’ deprivation .of which by money pirates is alone answerable for the divergence in the relative value of the money metals.