If Not Silver, What?Bookwalter, John W. (John Wesley)
History
If Not Silver, What?
Bookwalter, John W. (John Wesley)
Silver question
shall be restored.
The subsequent figures are equally convincing. In 1861-65 the gold
products were 72.1 per cent. of the total, the silver 27.9 per cent., the
variation in ratio from 15.26 to 15.44. In 1866-70 the production stood
69.4 to 30.6, the variation in ratio 15.43 to 15.60. In 1871-75 production
was still 58.5 to 41.5, but the variation in coin value was from 15.57 to
16.62. That something had happened quite aside in its effects from
relative production was evident, but the people did not find out what it
was till late in 1875. At the time the demonetization act was passed, the
ratio was still 15.55 to 1, and one of the reasons given for the act of
February 12,1873, was that the silver dollar was worth $1.03 in gold; yet
before the close of that year, and before it was known that there was to
be any great increase in the product of silver, its relative value ran
down till it was below that of gold. Can any one doubt the cause? Surely
not if he observes the additional fact that the relative decline of silver
continued despite the greater value production of gold, and that 1882, ten
years after demonetization, was actually the first year since 1849 in
which the world's production of silver exceeded that of gold. What one
hundred and ninety years of continuous and often enormous relative
overproduction of silver had not done, ten years of demonetization had
accomplished, and that while the relative supply of gold was still the
greater. Is it possible to miss the real cause? Is there in Euclid a
demonstration more conclusive?
[Illustration: The above diagram shows the relative annual production of
gold and silver from 1870 to 1893, and ratio of values.]
Monometallists have exhausted the resources of verbal gymnastics to make
these figures fit their theories. Determined not to admit that
demonetization was the cause, they have given so many explanations that,
expressed in the briefest words, they would cover many pages like this.
The first was that the opening of the "Big Bonanza" on the Comstock lode
had given notice that silver was coming in a flood; but that was only for
popular use in this country. Scientific men knew that to be a rare find
indeed, not likely to occur again for centuries. The next explanation was
that China and India, so long the reservoir into which the surplus flowed,
had ceased to absorb it; and the next, demonetization of silver by Germany
and her throwing her old silver on the market. And with this the people
began to get at the true reason--the general demonetization by so many
nations.
The following table gives the annual production of gold and silver from
the discovery of America to and including the year 1892; and the highest
and lowest ratio of silver to gold from 1681 to and including the year in
which silver ceased to be in this country primary money:
YEARS. GOLD. SILVER. RATIO.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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