Jo.—That may be possible. Will you explain further?
W.—Yes. All of these dissensions that exist among us, such as the land-reform agitators, the socialist and the labor organizations, strikes, the anarchist with his bomb, as well as the inclination to monkey with dynamite generally, by a certain class of men, are but the effects (indirectly, perhaps,) of the great amount of our gold circulation.
Jo.—I see, William, that you still entertain the same old Puritanical notions of too much money, and all of our labor has been in vain, then.
W.—Oh, no, your labor has not been in vain, Jo. Send us all the gold from California that you possibly can, for the annual yield from your mines is hardly sufficient now to make up for wear and tear, and for what is sent to foreign countries. What I mean is, that there is too much gold in circulation to the ratio of silver, for the general good.
Jo.—Then, in your opinion, if there was a greater amount of silver in circulation to the ratio of gold it would change these unnatural conditions that now exist?
W.—Yes, I most certainly do, Jo.
Jo.—Will you explain why?
W.—Well, observation shows us that the great bulk of the gold from California seems to concentrate in the chief towns and cities. Now this, of course, is to the advantage of the bankers and capitalists generally, and is the chief reason why that class of men advocate the single standard. Now ’tis plain to see the effect of this, for we all have a desire to obtain gold, and it was that reason, and to satisfy that desire, that sent thousands of you boys around Cape Horn and across the barren deserts to California, was it not?
Jo.—Well, yes, that was the case.
W.—And with the desire to acquire wealth in the easiest and quickest manner possible, and with the least labor, now wasn’t that the idea, Jo?