The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-04-23
COMMERCIAL CONGRESS.
DELEGATES FROM TWENTY
FOUR STATES MEET.

City, Mo-, dispatch, with delegations
present from twenty-four states and ter
ritores.
The convention was called to order by
State Senator Kelly, of Kansas. He in
troduced Rev. Dr. Hayes, who offered a
prayer. The convention then proceeded
to temporary organization. On motion
| of Governor Francis, of Missouri, Sena-
tor. Kelly was chosen temporary chair
man. In long speech of acceptance he
explained the object of the congress to
be the consideration of various questions
| of peculiar interest to the West and
South. Mr.. Kelly laid all the blame of
| agricultural depression upon a too small
/ circulating medium. As a relief he sug-
| geSted the recOnage of silver; the rails
ing of silver money TO the standard Of
| gold
The Hon. John w. Springer, of Illi-
| nOiS, was elected Temporary Secretary.
The Chairman then presented Gov.
| Francis, of Missouri, who welcomed the
| delegates on behalf of the State. He
said that the congress marked a new era
| in agricultural, commercial and financial
| history. In the early history of the
| country such dissensiOn and dissatisfac-
tion as now exists resulted in revolution.
! The people of the West were now crying
| for relief, but the manner Of relief was
! sought, not by arms, but by this deliber~
alive congress. Different causes were
assigned for the depression of Western
| interests Let the cause be what it
may, the effect was the same. There
was deep-rooted dissatisfaction, and
! there was unanimous desire that the
| evil of depression be abolished, and that
! Western interests be stimulated Here
tofore Federal legislation has been in
the interests of the East Congress has
| been favorable to the creditor class, and
the West was a heavy debtor. 1t was
| necessary now for the West to stand
| together, and there were many things
| that the West desired, the advocacy Of
which should be unanimous, earnest
| and continued The West wanted freer
| trade with Mexico, Canada and South
America and all the countries of the
world. The West wanted the Missis-
| sippi connected with the great lakes. 1t
wanted improved railways, so that one
| could step on a VeStibule train at Kansas
City and step off it at Buenos Ayres. 1t
wanted fuller volume of currency.
These were things that would relieve the
distressing condition of affairs, and these
were things on which the West must act
| together.
L. D. Wight Thatcher welcomed the
| delegation on behalf of the State of Kan
sas. An adjournment was then taken
until o'clock in the afternoon.
Upon reassembling letters of regret
were read from those who had been given
special invitations to attend the congress.
| Among the number was one from Presi-
| dent Harrison, in which he regretted his
! inability to be present in response to the
| invitation extended him. He also said:
| public discussion of the conditions affect
| ing agricultural and business prosperity cannot
but be helpful if it is conducted on broad lines
and is hospitable to differences of opinion. The
agriculture which has taken place in q recent
period in this country, by reason of the rapid
enlargement of the area of tillage under the
| favoring land laws of the United States, very
naturally has called attention to the value and,
| indeed, the necessity of larger markets. am
| one of those who believe that O. home market is
| neces sariIy the best market for the producers,
| as it measurably anticipates him, in proportion
to it's nearness, from the exactions of the trans
| portatiOn companies. If the farmer could de-
| liver his surplus produce to the consumer out
! of his farm wagon, his independence and his
| profits would be larger and surer. IL seems to
| me quite possible to attain a largely increased
| market for our staple farm products without
| impairing the home market by opening the
manufacturing trades TO q competition in which
foreign producers paying lower scale OF wages
would have the advantage. A police that would
reduce the number of our peopls engaged IN me-
chanical pursuits diminish their ability to
purchase food products by reducing wages can
not be helpful to those now engaged in agricul.
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
thoy make involves the concession that things
may be too cheap. A coat may be too cheap as
we'll as corn. The farmer who claims good
! living and profits for his work should cOncede
the same to every other man and women who
| tolls. look with great confidence to the COM
| nletion of reciprocal ARRANGEMENTS especially
with the Central and South American States, as
furnishing new and large markets for meats,
breadstuffs, and an important line of manu-
featured products Your deliberations viii
probably also embrace tie consideration of the
question of the volume and character of our cur
rency. 1t will not be possible, and would not be
appropriate for me in this letter to enter upon
any elaborate discussion Of these questions.
One or two things will say, and first, believe
that every person who thoughtfu1y considers
the question will agree with me upon q propo-
sition which is at the base of all consider
alton of the currency question: namely, that
env 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 any paper money issued or author
lied by the United States Government is accept
ed in commercial use as the equivalent OF the
best coined dollar that we issue, and so long as
every coined dollar whether Of silver or gold, Is
assured of equal value in commercial use
there need be no rettr 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 or selling, rated at less
value than other papers o. coined dollars, We
have passed the limit of safe experiment. in
finance If we have dollars of different values.
ONLY the poorest will circulate The farmer and
the laborer who are not in hourly touch with
the ticker or the telegraph will require above all
other classes of our community, dollar OF full
value Fluctuations and depreciations are al
ways at the first cost Of these classes of our
community. The banker and the speculator an
ticipate, discount, and often profit by such
fluctuations. 1t is very easy under the impulse
of excitement or the stress of money stringency
to fall into the slough OF deprecated or ire
deenabIe currency. 1t is a very 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 III connection with our currency that IS
compatible with the maintenance of the parity
of the gold and silver dollar in their CONNER
cial uses. Nothing, in my Judgment, would so
much retard the restoration of the free use
of silver by the commercial nations OF the
world legislation adopted by US that would
result in placing this country upon basis OF
silver rnonometalism. The legislation adopted
by the first session Of the Fifty-frst Congress,
age representatives. of the silver States, would
promptly and permanently bring silver to 1873
Der ounce and keep it there That anticipation
has not been realized, and for reasons not yet
agreed upon, diminished the demand for silver