THE BATTALION.
II
ratio of 659 A. D. which was 8 to 1 instead of coining- it at
the commercial ratio, which was 15 to 1? Likewise, why
should we restore the ratio of 1836 which was 15^ to 1
instead of coining it at the commercial ratio, which is
38 to 1?
From 1792 to 1873 this nation coined 8,030,000 of sil
ver dollars. Of that time, Washington included, 48 years
were democratic, 27 republican and opposition rule. From
1873 to 1878 no silver was coined. By the Bland-Allison
act the coinage of silver was commenced in 1878, by it and
other acts to 1898 this nation coined 458,100,000 of silver
dollars. Thus in the space of 20 years, 12 of which were
republican and 8 democratic rule, this country coined 57
times as much as it coined in the first 81 years of the
government.
From the beginning of this government to the present
day, there has been coined $1,886,338,000 of gold. Of that
only $671,676,250 remain in our country. What has been
the cause that has driven the enormous sum of $1,219,651,-
750 out of our country? None other than that it has been
under valued in the ratio with which it has been coined
with silver. By the Bland-Allison act of 1878 the secre
tary of treasury was to buy not less than $2,000,000 nor
more than $4,000,000 worth of silver per month. Thus the
secretary of treasury was forced to buy in 4 months and
permitted to buy in 2 months, as many silver dollars as
was coined in the first 82 years of the government.
Then a free and unlimited coinage of silver at the
ratio of 16 to 1 means that no longer shall we have it
limited, but we must coin all the silver that is brought to