The Iola register., 1891-04-24
PRESIDENT HARRISON.
Full Text of his letter to the Western
Commercial Congress,

}. u tuc ~ lHNAtliiS HlC W dIeCuu eiiC
: Meeting of the Commercial Congress of
he western agriculture and mining
states, to assemble in Kansas City,
: April IA to 10, for the purpose OF con-
E ;idering measures affecting the general
agriculture and business prosperity OF
:he Mississippi valley states. regret
hat il will not be possible for me to ac-
,ept this invitation. II | am not de-
; iained here by public business l shall
probably start about that time for the
Pacific coast by the southern route, and
in that purpose should be thwarted it
will be by considerations that will also
J prevent the acceptance of your invita-
ton.
A public discussion of the conditions
J affecting agricultural and business
prosperity can not but he helpful, if it
is conducted on broad lines and is hos
pitable to differences of opinion. The
extraordinary development of the pro-
ductions of agriculture which has taken
place in a recent period in this country,
by reason Of the rapid enlargement of
the area of tillage under the favorable
land laws of the United States, very ma
turally has called the attention to the
value, and, indeed. the necessity OF
larger markets. | am one of those who
believe that home market is necessa-
rilly the best market of the home pro-
ducer, as it measurably emancipates
him, in proportion to its nearness, from
the eXactiOns OF the transportation COM
panies. III the farmer could deliver his
surplus produce to the consumer out OF
his farm wagon his independence and
this profits would be larger and surer.
1t seems to be quite impossible to at
| tain largely increased market for our
staple farm products without imparing
our home market by opening the manu-
| featuring trades TO competition in
which foreign producers, paying a low
er scale OF wages, would have the ad-
vantage. ArOlicy that would reduce
the number of our people engaged in
| mechanical pursuits, or diminish their
ability to purchase food products by re-
| ducing wages can not be helpful to those
now engaged in agriculture. The farm
ers insist that the prices OF farm pro-
ducts have been too 10 y-belOw the point
OF fair living and fair rofts | think
so, too: but | venture TO remind them
that the plea they make involves the
cOncessiO that things q be ocheap.
A coat may be cheap as well as corn
The farmer who claims the good living
and profits for his work should cOncede
the same 10 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 An erical States, as
furnishing new and large markets foI |
meats, breatstuffs, u3w aad ~. ~; iiil6por- /
tant lie lie o. manufac tured products.
Persistant and earnest efforts are al. |
so being made N a con iderable meas |
ure Of success has already been attained |
to secure the removal of restrictions |
which we have regarded as unjust upon |
the use and admission of our meats and |
live cattle in some of the European |
countries. look with confidence 10 a |
successful termira atiol of the pend No
negotiations, because can not tut as |
sumo that when the absolutely satisfac- |
tCry character # the sanitary |
inspections now provided ny our law il |
made known to those foreign states |
they will promptly relax their discrim- |
mating regulations. No effort and |
none OF the powers vested in the execu-
tive will be left unused TO secure an end |
which is so desirable.
Your deliberations will probably also
embri c. T. consideration OF the ques-
tiOn OF the volume and character of our
currency. 1t will not he possible, and
it 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. fist. be-
lteve that every person who thoroughly
considers the question will agree with
Inc upon proposition which is at the
base OF all my consideration of the cur
rency question, namely, that any dollar,
paper or coin, that is issued by the
United States must oe made and kept in
its commercial uses as good as any 9TH
er dollar. So long as any paper money
issued or authorized by the United
States government is accepted in COM
mercial use as the equivalent of the
best coined dollar that we issue, and so
long as every coined dollar, whether OF
silver or OF 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,
OD the other hand. when an 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 experiment in f.
nance. If we have dollars OF
values, only the poorest will
circulate. The rarmer and the laborer. ,
who are not in hourly touch with the
ticker OF the telegraph, will require, d
above all other classes OF our community I
dollar full OF value. Fluctuations and ]
are always at the first |
,Ost Ofthese classes OF our community. v
The banker and the speculator antici- v
1ate, discount ana often profit by such v
fluctuations. 1t is very easy, under the Y
impulse OF excitement, or the stress OF
money stringency. to fall into the 4
Tough OF deprecated or irredeemabIe ! a
1t is very painful and slow .
BUSINESS to get out when once in. | i
lave always believed, and do now more
han ever believe, in bimetalism, and a
avor the fullest use of silver in cOnnec- 7
ion with our currency that is comDati- a
lie with the maintenance OF the purity C
1 the gold and silver dollar in their b
ommercial uses. Nothing in my judg- C
1ent would so much retard the restOra-
ion OF the use OF silver by the CONNER r.
ial nations OF the world as legislation S
dopted by US that would result in v
laclng this country upon a basis of q
liver m0nometalism. The legislation h
dopted by the first session of the Fifty Y
rst congress, l was assured by leading
dvocates o. free coinage, representa-
ives OF the silver states, would prompt
and permanently bring silver to 81 90 n
er ounce and keep it there. That an =
clpatlon has not been realized, Our u
Irge use Of silver has apparently, and c.
y reasons not yet agreed upon, dimin- C
ned the demand for silver in China S
nd India. a,
In view OF the fact that it is impossi- el