The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-09-26
The Farmers Troubles.

A6 L dIIuGI5 4IOuUiGS.
Mr.. EDIToR.-In reply TO your consider
ate letter Of last month will say that it is
my intention to attend your Grange meet
ing en- the 9th at the Sun.
l trust the Grange is prepared to act in
dependently and take more decided stand
relative to questions which SO much interest
the farming class at the present time.
The question before US is, whether or not
the fnmers shall be RELOCATED back 10 a
normal condition which existed when $50
per capita, instead Of IS as at present. was
in circulation. Al that time the money Of
the country was uniform, no privileged
classes existed, the government had not con.
templated the infamous act of retiring the
peoples money and silver cancellation or
decentralization. Free coinage of silver was
fundamental condition transmitted to the
people by the constition, had always existed
and should have remained intact until the
constitution had been amended by vote of
the people. Government made one class of
property for the bond holders, principal and
interest payable in gold, consequently init
lated a condition which added 26 cts. pre-
MUM, as witnessed in last sale of bonds
which sold at 81 .26, 26 cts. above par. Not
one greenback should have been funded
they would have been retired fast enough
by wear and tear; the debt would have
wiped itself out if left alone. The green
back, if redeemed, should have been re-
deemed with silver and gold. This con-
dition would have kept up the amout Of
circulation and continued the equality
which existed.
The petitions sent TO congress by our
national banks to continue the present
national bank system, which is in favor of a
contracted condition Of the currency, they,
the banks, 10 issue the paper 10 the people
at their rate Of interest, should be sufficient
to organize the farmers solidly to vote for
no representative of national banks and
opponents of free coinage of silver.
1t appears at present that many are SEEM
ingly interested in the welfare of the farmer
but more particularly the professional or
political class. The future may develop
the fact that in their scramble to serve the
farmers many may be sacrificed never.to be
resurected. We have an instance of con-
sideraton in our Chauncey M. Depew. He
advises the farmers to organize against
that gambling in necessities of life, food
products and prices incident to an, over
production of farm products. Good enough
so far, but fails to refer TO the principal
causes of the depressed condition of the
farmers, which is contraction of the cur
rency compelling the farmers TO pay high
prices for money and receive low prices for
their products. And further, fails to tell the
farmers that his N. Y. Central r. r. which
pays him perhaps 800, COO a year in salary
and per cent on lis waered stock, equal to
"a per cent on its par value, taken from the
farmers in rates Of fare and transportation,
and belabors its hired help II to IA hours a
day to further enrich its VanderbiIts.
This system of contraction has compelled
The farmers to mortgage their farms to the
holders of these bonds. The farmers can
never clear up this Indebtedness and pay
their mortgages until they receive more for
their crops, and this never can be done
when only S. per capita is in circulation.
But government can remedy this bad con
dltion by taking up the mortgages at say
two per cent interest. BENJAMIN Franklin
recommended this course to Pennsylvania
at the close of the revolution, when her
farmers we're suffering as the farmers are
now, and it was adopted and the farmers
were put in prosperous condition. The
remedy is in the hands of the farmers.
Will they use it? Will the Cecil Grange
recommend it? Very truly,
E. MOVES.