Music Trade Review

Issue: 1896 Vol. 22 N. 25

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
LYMAN BILL
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St.. New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and
Canada, $3.00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
Insertion.
ertion. On q quarterly or yearly contracts -< special dis-
count i% allowed
R£MITTANCES, to other than currency form, should
oe made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Altered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Matter.
N E W YORK, JULY 1 1 , 1896
TELEPHONE NUMBER 1745. — EIGHTEENTH STREET.
••THE BUSINESS MAN'S PAPER."
They have been carded from the woolliest
recesses of the woolly West; plucked down
from the skymost tops of the Rockies,
raked from the thickest stubble of the tor-
nado-swept prairie and dragged from the
deepest holes of the "befo'-the-wah, sah,"
country.
These men, raked in from all parts of the
country, have gyrated at the merry crack
of the whip of Altgeld, celebrated through-
out the world as the man whom Johann
Most once allowed to shake his hand and
pay for his beer, and this is the Democratic
party, founded by Jefferson and foundered
by Altgeld and Tillman.
There is underneath these anarchistic
doctrines promulgated at Chicago, a deep
feeling of dissatisfaction at the injustice of
the times.
This is given partial vent in the incoher-
ent and inflammatory utterances by those
who are swayed by more than partisan fer-
vor.
Again, this feeling of discontent among
the masses has crystalized in the open dec-
laration for free silver as being a possible
panacea for the existing conditions.
The question is, Will the voting element
of America follow this silver ignis fatuiis
over the swamps and 'morasses until it
is precipitated into the darkest depths of
anarchy and ruin?
There is no doubt but that the politicians,
mine owners and those directly interested
in having the silver craze sweep the
country, will carry on an aggressive cam-
paign in all parts of the country, and will
not stop until they have invaded the gold
States, where they will find many who are
prone to worship any new ism which may
be brought to their notice, particularly
when this silverism is taught them in such
a way that they are led to believe that free
silver means higher prices for the products
grown.
THE DOMINANT QUESTION-
UST to what point this silver craze
which is now sweeping over America
will reach by November, is indeed difficult
to determine.
From the developments which have taken
place in Chicago during the past week, we
are led to believe that sectional lines will
Alluring inducements will entice man} 7
be closely drawn in the coming political
to fight under the silver banner, particu-
contest.
It seems that the West and South—that larly when they believe that it will lead
is the far West—are united against what them out of the slough of business despon-
they term Eastern oppression. To read dency into the clear sunlight of business
the inflammatory and almost revolutionary prosperity.
But will it?
speeches made at the alleged Democratic
Is not the silver god a false god ?
Convention in Chicago, we may conclude
Does not the free and unlimited coinage
that the dwellers in the South and West
of
silver mean a debased currency at home
believe that we in the East do nothing but
stuff ourselves with terrapin and enjoy un- and a discredited currency abroad?
Has any nation ever built a strong road
interrupted champagne baths, while they,
the tillers of the soil, and the army of the to prosperity over the circulation of a de-
unemployed subsist chiefly on bacon and based currency?
buttermilk.
In the first place let us see what is the
The ethnological aggregation of high and meaning of this sixteen to one.
It means that sixteen ounces of silver
low class freaks gathered at Chicago has
should equal one ounce of gold.
never been surpassed.
J
Let us see what is the bullion value of
these two metals in dollars.
Our gold dollar if reduced to bullion is
worth the mint value stamped thereon in
all parts of the world.
There is no shifting of values with that
metal when it reaches the frontier of any
nation.
Our silver dollar, if free coinage were to
be ratified by the people, would be worth
in bullion everywhere out of the United
States fifty-three cents.
Now these men demand that this fifty-
three cents worth of silver bullion shall be
worth a dollar by placing our Government
stamp thereon.
Is such a value not an illegitimate value?
Is it not using Government protection as
a cloak for dishonesty when we say that the
United States Government stamp on fifty
cents' worth of silver shall make it worth a
dollar when no other country in the world,
that is among the great commercial
nations, recognizes its value beyond that
of bullion?
Again, is it not dishonesty in a broad
sense by repudiating nearly half of every
dollar of Governmental indebtedness by
making the silver dollar a legal tender for
all Government indebtedness?
If it were thirty-two to one then there
could be no possible objection, but can one
hundred cents' worth of silver be coined
out of fifty-three cents' worth of silver
plus a legislative fiat?
Are not these men who advocate such a
measure being taken forcing the Govern-
ment to become a party to dishonor?
If foreign capitalists invest a gold dollar
in our country they are entitled to a gold
dollar in return, and not to fifty-three
cents' worth of silver.
We have in existence to-day nearly 600,-
000,000 of silver dollars and silver bullion
against which circulating notes have been
issued, and these have thus far been kept at
an equality with gold dollars because the
Government has ceased to create any more
of this legal tender silver, and has kept the
amount already in existence as good as
gold by preserving the national credit and
redeeming its obligations in gold when
demanded.
Again, foreigners can purchase silver
bullion in their own countries, have it
coined free at the American mints, and the
bullion which cost them fifty-three cents
abroad would pay one dollar in America
for every dollar's indebtedness which they
owed firms in this country.
If an attempt were made here and else-
where to keep sixteen ounces of silver
equal to one ounce of gold, with free and
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
unlimited coinage, how long could it last?
money would gain more, and the poorer
to the cutting of prices, and in that way
One man in each country, beginning with
element would be still poorer; that would
raise the standard of the cheap pianos.
one dollar's worth of gold, could bankrupt
be the logical result.
his Government.
0
Undoubtedly there are many individual
The new feature recently introduced in
cases of oppression; yet the fact remains
THE REVIEW,designated "Specialty Talks,"
enough silver to have two silver dollars
that nearly all of our wealthy Americans
is exciting widespread interest.
coined at the mint.
were at one time working men.
we present the salesmen's side in an inter-
For the gold in one dollar he could buy
He would exchange
these at the Treasury for two gold dollars,
sprung
thus doubling the original dollar.
from
that
They
healthy intermediate
This week
view with Mr. J. Burns Brown.
It was
class, and by sheer force of physical and in-
not our intention to confine the department
tinuing to thus double his money at every
tellectual strength climbed the ladder to
alone to manufacturers, but to extend it to
turn with amounts increasing in a geomet-
the top.
Con-
rical ratio he would soon figure out more
profits than there is cash in all the treasu-
ries and banks of America and Europe.
include every branch of the trade—manu-
While they have made money like princes
they have scattered it like princes.
It may be well enough from an anarchis-
If this can be done by one man making
tic standpoint to howl about the unequal
distribution of wealth, but our idea is that
change, it would avail nothing to change
as long as there is an unequal distribution
the ratio so as to permit a profit of only
of brains the inequalities of wealth will ex-
one per cent.
ist correspondingly.
one hundred men to each make one per
cent, and the result would be the same as
to the withdrawals of gold.
How long
this matter."
Let us agitate it.
silver bubble shall have burst.
begun to depreciate and while almost the
publics are not a failure.
& Haynes
W. F. Boothe, who was named by
piled especially for THE MUSIC TRADE RE-
o
Legal
complications
seem
output of silver to be able to keep up the
thickly about the Muehlfeld
parity.
affairs.
to gather
the defunct corporation as assignee, gave
Our country had to stop the increase of
bonds to the necessary amount for the per-
silver by repealing the Sherman law, or it
formance of his official duties, now refuses
would have broken down in the attempt to
to recognize Receiver Spellman, who was
keep up the parity.
lately appointed by Judge Beach, unless he
that
it had to
and his bondsmen are released
struggle, because the output of silver was
Lawyers' Surety Co.
already almost too large to be kept at par-
question now arises which will
ity.
some time to settle.
The silver question is the one dominant
by the
An interesting legal
require
©
It is of such
"If I advertise in your paper I will have
vital importance that all others are subor-
to advertise in every other one," is a state-
dinated to it, and there can be no financial
ment made by some. What a senseless argu-
question in America to-day
security or real prosperity as long as there
ment; and again, what a childish
exists a shadow of
ment for a publisher to make.
a doubt about this
Government's repudiating one-half of its
you advertise in so-and-so's
honest indebtedness.
should advertise in mine."
The free silver bait may catch the work-
state-
"Because
paper you
We say that an advertiser should not be
ing classes, because the political orator will
influenced
lead them on with the alluring bait that it
motives other than to place it in channels
means high wages and easy times.
which he believes will result in the great-
The immediate.result of the triumph of
in placing his advertising by
est pecuniary returns to him.
0
the free silverites would precipitate a panic
with all its dread sequel of prostrated busi-
ness.
The first cut that would be made would
We learn that there is a movement
under consideration in New York which
may ultimately result in an arrangement
be in wages, and history teaches us that
made between
wages are the first to be reduced, and they
pianos, by which they will pledge them-
are the last to be raised in any country.
selves not to sell instruments under a stipu-
In the scramble and the readjustment to
the depreciated currency the men who have
T
HE official figures of imports and ex-
ports of musical instruments for the
month of May—the latest period for which
they have been published—have been com-
whole continent of Europe was still on an
limitation came so late
No monetary loans to support newspaper
Let every
man, every journal exert influence to the
Even as it is, the
No trade-paper bulldozing.
campaign of education until the fallacious
end that reason shall prevail and that re-
although still nominally a bimetallic nation.
o
Let us
silver and gold, when silver had hardly
It suspended the coinage of silver,
interest to our readers,
Let us carry on the
ism," such keeping up of a parity between
It had to limit its
publish the opinions of men whose experi-
ence covers a wide range, therefore it is of
It is useless to say, "Don't let us agitate
stir it to the depth.
outright silver basis.
travelers,
mendicancy.
is ready to be Tillmanized.
or fifty million people should attempt this?
France, with the Latin union in exist-
salesmen,
It is our intention to
No advertising payments in advance.
We do not think that this country to-day
would any government hold out if thirty
ence, could not maintain such "bimetal-
dealers,
music publishers.
one hundred per cent, profit on each ex-
It would simply require
facturers,
lated price.
manufacturers
of cheap
In other words, it is the in-
tention of the manufacturers to put an end
VIEW, and appear herewith:
The dutiable imports of musical instru-
ments for the month amounted to $108,484,
as compared with $84,351 worth imported
in May, 1895. The eleven months total
footed up $1,210,549, as against $815,780
worth imported during the same period of
the previous year.
Seventy-four pianos were exported in
May, valued at $18,297, as compared with
sixty-four, valued at $16,781, exported in
May, '95. The total for the eleven months
shows exports of pianos to the number of
854, valued at $224,991, against 791,valued
at $214,280, exported during the same
period of the preceding year.
The number of organs exported in May
amounted to 755, valued at $47,834, against
701 exported in May, 1895, valued at $42,-
929. The eleven months total [footed up
12,256 organs exported, valued at $678,961,
against 8,878 organs, valued at $601,658,
exported during the same period of the
previous year.
All other musical instruments and parts
thereof exported during the month of May,
were valued at $15,581, against $24,984 in
May, 1895. The eleven months total
footed up $280,935 worth exported, as
against $222,734 worth the previous year.
The re-exports of musical instruments
amounted in May to $533; the same period
last year they were valued at $1,079. The
eleven months total re-exports footed up
$11,908, as compared with $8,582 worth re-
exported the year before.

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