The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-11-01
.:sss THE SILVER QUESTION.


The following correspondence be.
tween an Illinois democratic congress. |,
man and one OF his republican con
stituents will explain itself:
House of Representatives, United
States. Washington, ID. c., JOIN
Haley, Esq, secretary of Lodge No. |
2,56S, +. M. b. A, New Hebron.
Ill Dear Sir: The following leite,
just received from you as the secretary
OF Lodge No. 2 .568 merits more than
passing notice, and |, therefore, take
the liberty OF answering the same
through the columns of the ST. Lonis
Republic:
John khlev, Dealer in Dry Goods.
Clothing, Boots aud Shoes. .Necessaries.
Drugs, etc, New Hebron, III -
lion. Geo. w. Fc,hian, member
Of congress, Illinois: Dear Sir-l write
to let you know that the farmers of lhit
county and district favor the passage OF
The silver bill! passed by the senate anC
now in the honse. You are western
man, and You should vote aud work
for the interest OF the people who sent
vOu. We, the farmers at this country,
are getting aroused, and il the meI
now in Office do not work and vote Il
our interest, we will be obliged to Iook
around and elect men that will WORK
:or the west and against Wall street
sharks that have had things nearl,
| heir own way. The time is close al
nand that the farmers and luborius
| class will be heard in congress- and th,
senate OF the United States. A hint 10
the wise is sufficient. You're,
[Signed1 JOIN HALEY.
Secretary Lodge No. {, ,56e, +. NJ. Il. A.
L. SIT will take more than garden
seeds to get votes il you fellows do no,
vote right.
MIX. FITHIAN'S REPLY.
al hold that public office is pub
lie trust,'" replies Mr.. Fitbian, "and
that member of congress is 10 excep-
ton TO this rule. lie is the servant and
agent of the people whom he is elected
to represent and the people have right
| 10 criticise his public acts aud to advise
hun from time to time as to their view1
and wishes upon all public questions
affecting their interests and the public
| welfare. | am pleased at all times tc
| receive suggestions from my constitu
emts upon measures pending in con.
gress and | have uniformly invited
rather than discouraged such sugges-
lions. My acts as member OF congress
are matters of public record. and |
invite inspection and fair aud just criti.
cism of the same, for il | have been
uniaithiul TO the interests of the people
it is their privilege and their duty to
send SOMEONE else to the next congress
to take my place. You say that yon
write to let me know that the farmers
of your (Cra " ford) county and the
district are in favor of the passage of
the silver bill passed by the senate and
now In the house. With all due cour.
tesy allow me to suggest that | was
dulv aware that the farmers of the
sixteenth district, which have the
honor to represent, were in iavOr of
the free coinage oil silver, ,and allow me
TO further suggest that this sentiment
is not alone confined TO the farmers,
but is The prevailing sentiment OF the
people OF all classes in our section of
the country, except the money lenders
aud those who wish TO become richer
by making their debtor classes poorer.
Again yOu address me by saving: 'Yon
are western man and should vote and
work for the interest of the people
that sent you
IL quite agree with you that il is my
duty TO work and vote for the interests
of the people who sent me TO congress.
With due regard TO your opinion, that,
[ clsiH i have done, ,and invite you 10
point to a single instance wherein !
have failed to discharge that duty.
"Being somewhat personally ac-
, guainted with you, and knowing you
+ TO be strong partisan republican, W no
, in the past never lost an opportunity &c
. say mean thing OF democrat aud
1 knowing that your tongue has not
q withheld it's SANDER against myself,
;, beg your pardon to say that | very
:. much doubt your motives in writing
i the above letter, which, to say tn,
y least of it, displays n wotul ignoranc
. of my votes and position OH the silve
n question, as well as the record that tn
a democratic party has made in ihi
n question in the present congress. You
n letter bears date of the 30lh of June
- 1890, yet you mention the silver bi
=, passed by the senate and now in tn
y house On the 25ih of June, 1890, fiv
days before your letter was written,
vote was reached i'm the house on
~ motion to concur in the senate amend
II rnont providing Tor the free coinage G
silver, and OH that vote free coiHag
was defeated by republican, votes. l
: The long -prOtracled fight agains
e speaker Reed in his erroneous an
IL unhesrd of ruling, by which he sougl
< to arbitrarily refer the silver bill to lh
10 committee on coinage, weights All
l, measures, with The evident calls, m
u vote was cast. My vote was also Cal
5. on the 25th for the Tree coinage q
u silver, and all the democrats of Ill
le west and south and some of the vote
IL from the eastern states were also il
y; Tree coinage, Ouly few votes Of wes
III cru republicans having been recorde
~ in favor of IL. Had the western repnl
is licans given US one.third OF lhei
d strength We should have been able [
x have cOncurred in the senate amend
u. ment. And further, as to my positio
- Oh this question, refer you to III
y speech delivered in the house on tt
10 lst of April last.
10 "knowing your uHbOunded alleg
u, ance TO the republican party, l inVii
III you to inspect the record OF the vote
y of your own party friends on thi
10 qae stiOn, 30 that you may have g
'e intelligent idea of who voted with Oh
he wall street sharks have no excus
l. 10 offer for the few democrats of tl
east who voted against free coinag,
l. but think the conduct OF the wester
republicans in voting against tn
measure deserving OF the condemnatio
T. of the western people. l call yor
attention 20 the votes of the lllino
be senators and the republican member
of the Illinois delegation, with two e,
ceptions, upon this question, and su.
~, gest that In that direction you wi
", " find fruitful field wherein 10 spres
:, your Influence.
q A FARMER HIMSELF.
"Again you say: I'VE, the farmers
this country are getting aroused
do not blame the farmers for beir
aroused. The coalition { I the farmir
people of our country could not
. much worse than it Ia now. l tul
recognize and appreciate the fact al
rs have not been silent in calling Il
re attention of the country to the cond
ct ton OF our farming interest, which W
ne ought TO be aware OF, il you ha'
,n taken the trouble to famillarize Won
20 self with my record In congress. Yol
Id letter head informs me that YOU are
ce dealer in dry goods, clothing. boo
g. and shoes, groceries, drugs, etc. Yol
X letter dies not bear the imprint of
farmer, and allow me to again sugge
Id that | doubt If your iuterests are