If Not Silver, What?Bookwalter, John W. (John Wesley)
History
If Not Silver, What?
Bookwalter, John W. (John Wesley)
Silver question
Thus we see that, for twenty-seven years after the discovery of America,
the gold production was double that of silver; for the next eighty years
the production of silver was considerably more than double that of gold;
for the next one hundred years the production of silver was more than
2-1/2 times that of gold, and for the next century and a half, to wit,
from 1701 to 1850, inclusive, despite the fact of the tremendous gain of
gold in the last few years, the production of silver fell but little short
of twice that of gold. And yet, the variations in coin value were of the
trifling character previously stated. When taken by shorter periods, the
argument is still more startling. Thus in 1801-20 the production was
almost exactly 4 of silver to 1 of gold; for the next twenty years a
minute fraction less than 2 of silver to 1 of gold; for the next twenty
2-1/2 of gold for 1 of silver; and for the next twenty nearly 2 of gold
for 1 of silver, while during these awful years since 1873, in which there
has been so much said about the "flood of silver," its production has
never once been twice that of gold, and for the entire period has exceeded
it by the merest trifle. Is it any wonder that Dr. Eduard Suess, the great
German authority on the metals, and Professor of Geology at the University
of Vienna, concluded his recent work with these strong statements:
"Present legislative institutions are at variance with the
conditions established by nature. Even now agriculture and in part
industry in Europe are sorely at a disadvantage against silver
countries such as India and Mexico. The advantage of this
situation accrues in England to the holders of interest-bearing
notes, the productive value of which increases with the growing
scarcity of gold.... As soon as the figure 23.75 shall have been
reached, all gold obligations will have increased in value
one-half; but nothing prevents that figure from rising to 31. [It
has since risen even above that.] ... You say a regulation cannot
be international, but you overlook how long the ratio of 1 to
15-1/2 was upheld and worked beneficently. We wish, say the London
bankers, to receive our interest in gold and not in depreciated
silver; but silver would not be depreciated the moment an
agreement went into effect. Why, you ask, shall we cast such
profit into the hands of the owners of silver mines? Remember that
you are now casting the same profit into the hands of the owners
of gold mines and washings. No man would lose by rehabilitation,
and the whole world would be richer.... Europe is laboring under a
grave delusion. The economy of the world cannot be arbitrarily
carried on in the hope that somewhere a new California, and at the
same time a new Australia, will be found whose alluvial lands will
give relief for a decade. ... The question is no longer whether
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