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The Commoner.
WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
Vol, 3. No. 40.
Lincoln, Nebraska, October 23, 1903.
Whole No. 144,
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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-
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