Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-04-16

larger and surer. 1t seems to me quite i'm
possible to attain a largely increased market
for our staple farm products without i'm
pairing our home market by opening the
manufacturing trades to a competition in
which foreign producers paying lower
scale of wages would have the advantage.
policy that would reduce the number
of our people engaged in mechanical
pursuits or diminish their ability to
purchase food products by reducing wages
cannot be helpful to those now engaged in
agriculture. The farmers insist that the
prices of farm products have been too low
below the point of fair living and fair profits.
think so too-but venture to remind them
that the plea they make involves the con-
cessiOn that things may be too cheap.
coat may be too cheap as well as corn. The
farmer who claims good living and profits
for his work should concede the same to
every other man and woman who tolls.
look with great confidence to the completion
of further reciprocal trade arrangements,
especially with the Central and South Amer
lean states, as furnishing new and large
markets for meats, 'breadstuffs and an i'm
portant line of manufactured products.
Persistent and earnest efforts are also be-
ing made, and a considerable measure of
success has already been attained, to secure
the removal of restrictions which we have
regarded as unjust upon the admission and
use of our meats and live cattle in some of
dence to a successful termination of the
pending negotiations, because 1 cannot but
assume that when the absolutely satisfactory
character of the sanitary inspections now
provided by our law is made known to these
foreign states they will promptly relax their
discriminating regulations. No effort and
none of the powers vested in the executive
will be left unused to secure an end which is
so desirable.
Your deliberations will probably also en-
brace the consideration of the question or
volume and character of our currency. 1t
will not be possible and would not be appro-
pirate for me in this letter to enter upon any
deliberate discussion of these questions.
One or two things will say; and first, be-
lieve that every person who thoughtfully
considers the question will agree with me
upon proposition which is the base of all
my consideration of the currency question,
namely, that any dollar paper or coin, that
is issued by the United States must be made
and kept in its commercial uses as good as
any other dollar. So long as paper money
issued or authorized by the United
States government is accepted In CONNER
cial use as the equivalent of the best coined
dollar that we issue, and so long as every
dollar, whether silver or gold, is assured of
an equal value in commercial use, there need
be no fear as to an excess of money. The
more such money the better. But, on the
other hand. when any issue of paper or
coined dollars is in buying and selling rated
at less value than other paper or coined
dollars, we have passed the limit of safe ex-
pertinent in finance If we have dollars OF
differing values only the poorer will circu-
late. The farmer and the laborer, who are
not in hourly touch with the ticker or the
telegraph, require above all other classes of
our community a dollar of full and stable
value. Fluctuations and depreciations are
always at the first cost of these classes of our
Irr,l Tnaz of
anticipate discount and often profit by such
fluctuations. 1t is very easy, under the i'm
pulse Of excitement or the stress of money
stringency, to fall into the slough of a depre-
ciated or irredeemable currency. 1t is avery
painful and slow business to get out when
once in. have always believed and do now
more than ever believe in bimetalism and
favor the fullest use of silver in connection
with our currency that is compatible with
the maintenance of the parity of the gold and
silver dollar in their commercial uses.
Nothing, in my judgment, would so
much retard the restoration of the free
use of silver by the commercial nations OF
the world as legislation adopted by us that
would result in placing this country upon
basis of silver monometalism. The legisla-
ton adopted by the first session of the Fifty
first congress, 1 was assured by leading ad-
vocates of free coinage, representatives OF
the silver states, would promptly and per-
lldnGHlAl
keep it there. That anticipation has not
been realized. Our larger use of silver has
apparently, and for reasons not yet agreed
upon, diminished the demand for silver in
China and India.
In view of the fact that it is impossible in
this letter to elaborate, and that propositions
only can be stated, 1 am aware that what
have said may be assailed in points where
it is easily defensible, but where have not
ATTEMPTED TO present the argument
have not before. except in an official way,
expressed myself on these subjects, but
feeling the interest, dignity and Importance
of the assembage in whose behalf you
speak, have ventured without bigotry Of
opinion, without any assumption OF infalli-
bility, but as an American citizen, having a
most earnest desire that every individual
and every public act of my life shall conduce
to the glory of our country and the pros
perity OF our people, to submit these views
for your consideration