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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1903)
ItPP 9W w WVVf& m W ' n - --m t- vnm jr -'-' The Commoner. WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. Vol, 3. No. 40. Lincoln, Nebraska, October 23, 1903. Whole No. 144, mmmfmm The Silver Dollar An East Oakland, Cal., reader of The Com moner writes : "It Is asserted with emphasis by republicans on the Pacific coast that every silver dollar (which, of course, includes silver certifi cates) issued by the government is guaranteed by the gold behind it What is the status of sil ver money; and if secured by gold, why does the custom house require payment of duties to bo made in gold exclusively? If the silver dollar is made equal to a gold dollar by law, can any body truthfully claim the former to be worth 50 cents? Prior to 1873, was not gold and silver on a paritv and good enough for Americans until the nobility of England were permitted to plow with the republican heifers?" The pJlver certificate is redeemable in the silver dollar. The silver dollar is irredeemable money. Tnere is no gold dollar behind it. The silver dollar is made legal tender for all debts, public or private, except where otherwise stip ulated in the contract; therefore, It cannot be poesiblo that the custom houses require payment of duties in gold. The silver dollar is just as good lor the payment of duties as the gold dollar. The act of March, 1900, gave the secretary of the treas ury authority, if In his opinion it was necessary to maintain the parity of all money, to exchange one kind of money for another; but so far the secretary of the treasury has not accepted the act of March, 1900, as justification for the redemption of the silver dollar in gold; u-i one ot the pro visions of the Fowler bill, now being agitated by the financiers, is that all money, including the sil ver dollar, shall be redeemed' In gold. The status of the silver dollar, so far as redemption is concerned, Is the same today as it was at the beginning of this government. It is irredeemable money. Some metfirefer to It as a "50-cent dollar" because the commercial value of the bullion in the silver dol lar is not equivalent to the value of the coin as "current money with the merchants." But It is not a 50-cent dollar because men are fighting for it and dying for It, and children are crying for it. Every one Is willingto accept it for 100 cents on the dollar knowing that it will pay every debt, public or private, except where otherwise express ly stipulated in the contract. Prior to 1873, the commercial ratio of gold and silver kept pa6e with the coinage ratio, and bl metallists believe that a restoration of the coin age conditions that existed prior to 1873 would raise the bullion value to the coinage value. The recent advances in the price of silver, owing to the Philippine coinage, provide an interesting ob ject lesson. If the purchase of 1,750,000 ounces of silver for the Philippine coinage could make such marked difference in the price ofsilver, what will the effect be when the Philippine coinage is well under way and several hundred million ounces are required in order to sustair the Philippine sys tem? Is it not, also, reasonable to believe that the effect on the price of silver by the mere pur chase of a few ounces of metal for Philippine coin age would be Incomparable with the effect upon the pries of silver if the United States 'mints were open to free and unlimited coinage? Another Anti-Pass Congressman. f The Commoner called attention some time ago to the correspondence which passed between Congressman Baker of Brooklyn, N. Y and tho legal adviser of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company. The Detroit Times reports Congress man Alfred Lucking of tho First Michigan district as taking a similar position. Congressman Luck ing said that ho had been offered passes, but that he had declined them because he could not look at the offer as purely disinterested kindness. It will be easier to secure needed legislation when all the congressmen and senators look at the, mattor as Baker and Lucking do, and free themselves from all obligations to tho corporations that are constantly seeking aid at tho hands of the gov- I ernment. JJJ it. GRAF T." The word "graft" has been so frequently em ployed of late that It has come to have a technical meaning. It is used to describe the illegitimate profit which a corrupt public servant makes out of his office. The most commen form of graft Is in the form of a rebate on contracts made by tho official for the public. The postoflice investiga tion shows that several employes were interested in contracts made in their departments. Of course,' it is plain, bare-faced stealing, for the official acts for the people as a whole and to pay a high price for supplies with tho understanding that a part of the price will bo returned to him personally is only an indirect method of converting government money to his own use. All purchasing agents are tempted to .misuse their positions and public opinion ought to bo such as to restrain and strengthen those who hold such positions of trust. Even school boards sometimes become venal and sell their decisions to the book company that offers the largest cash bonus to the board. What a sad commentary on public- uorals to say that men especially selected to supervise the instruc tion of the young should become purchaseable. In the cities another form of graft is to be found in the selling of Immunity. Salooakeepers, gamblers and keepers of houses of Ill-feme, are sometimes allowe'd to violate the law, provided a stipulated sum is paid to officers whose duty it Is to enforce the law. This form of crime should be made so odious that every party organization would, for its own protection, unrelentingly punish Its own members when found guilty of trafficking in po lice authority, but back of all this misuse of offi cial power stands the commercialism tho sordid, greedy commercialism which is stimulating tho love of money and condoning the offenses against law and good morals. The only permanent rem edy is to be found in purifying public thought and raising the ideals of the people. Speaking of " Moles." Writing of Attorney General Knox in the Saturday Evening Post, David Graham Phillips says: "Then suddenly little Mr. Knox, the friend of the trusts, uie last man in the world to as aall an 'interest,' entered suit against one of tho biggest combinations and made a speech In which he pointed his finger straight at the weak point In monopoly's armor." Mr. Phillips should have told more. Just as soon as he pointed out tho weak spot in monopoly's armor Mr. Knox went on a vacation and gave monopoly ample time to strengthen the spot. The Idle Rich. Tho Chicago Tribune of recent date contains a special dispatch from New York which purports to give an Interview with Mr. Henry Doxtcr, who is described as "many times a millionaire." It seems that Mr. Dexter'a son was rccontly annaa sinatcd near his homo in tho Adirondack and Mr. . Dextor is quoted as saying: "The United States Is no placo for a man of wealth who does not strive for moro wealth. The personal danger for overy man of wealth has grown greater here every year. "They have killed my son and thoy will kill others In tho Adlrondacks because tho Ignorant natives regard tho newcomers of wealth who have bought up tho lands aa In terlopers and tyrants, as men who are malig nantly arrayed against the guides and woods men. Hera In this city tho incessant denun ciation cf calthy employers is bound to rousa some fanatic in tho laboring classes to raur , der. "I havo seen this awful, un-Amorlcan sen timent grow year aftor year. "Forty years ago, when I had won the aim of my business life, having founded and started toward prosperity tho American News company, I was satisfied with my worldly wealth and I Invested it securely. Tho in como was more than sufficient for the most extravagant stylo ot living 1 and my wife cared for. To bo comfortable, I looked for a home amid men similarly situated, expecting to find worthy occupation and healthful amusement in tho class of which I found my self a member. "But I found I practically was alone; those who had prospered In the same measure aa myself were not content they wanted more wealth and more power. "I have found this Is true of all Americans. There is no leisure class hero; oven tho wealthiest are actively interested In commer cial enterprises or in speculation. I do not know of a single wealthy American who Is seeking rest with honor from business. If there be such he is alone in a strange land.. "If I had made England my home I could have surrounded myself with men and women who enjoy worthy leisure. When by 'God's will my wife had left me I had not lost my son by the bullet of a savage, worked Into frenzy by class feeling, deciding in his own Ignorance that a condition of affairs that has existed as long as mankind is unjust and a denial of his personal rights." Mr. Dexter's opinion Is worth considering be cause It represents the opinion of many of his class. If there is in this country any real hostil ity to wealth honestly acquired and rightly used, then the condition is indeed a serious one. But la there such a hostility? There is no evidence of It In the first placo, no one can defend the posses sion of wealth that Is not honestly acquired, and how can wealth ')e honestly acquired? -slde from wealth acquired by gift, there is Just one way, namely, by the giving of an equivalent for what one receives. If a man, either by his brain or by his muscle, contributes to the welfare of the world, he Is entitled to a recompense. The laborer, whether on the farm or In the work-shop or in th jnlne, Is worthy cf his hire, and his hire ought to be proportionate tc the value of his work. Th person who makes an Intellectual contribution to the welfare of tho world, whether it be In teaching or In writing, or in any other legitimate way,. hi er'itled to a reward commensurate with his work. The same Is true of the merchant, the nianufao- c43fri VMjiktmttmm iUjmiMLamwmm