Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-02-19
COLONEL INGERsoLL TALKS.
His Views of Helena and Other Interesting
Topics
Helena Journsl.1

While one of the busiest and most
sought after of men, Colonel Ingersoll
is also the most approachable and
kindly. When a reporter OF the The
Journal sought an interview with him
at the Hotel Helena yesterday, he will
ingly granted the favor, and the fol-
lowing is an exact account OF what he
said:
The first question asked the Colonel
was the date OF his last visit here. He
replied:
al was in Helena in 1855, when Mr.
Cleveland was on his way to Washing
ton. When / reached this place the
other day, | was greatly surprised at
| the growth OF the city. Here you have
all the conveniences and luxuries OF
life. Your people are prosperous, and
they ought to be happy. In my opin-
ion Helena is destined to be one of the
most important cities of the great
Northwest. / think that the mines
will last about as long as the noun
talns, and as long as they last Mon
tana will be great State and Helena
a great town"
"What do you think OF free coinage"
''Our country produces more silver
| than the rest of the world. The more
uses there are for product, other
things being equal, the more valuable
that product is. If silver is used for
money its value will be increased. ii
silver is demonetized its value will be
decreased. Why should we depreciate
the value OF one OF our own products?
Germany demonetiZed silver and Ger
many is not nearly as prosperous as
France. i do not believe that there is
gold enough in the world to supply the
currency we need or to secure the cur
| rency we need.
81 do not care about having gold or
silver coined. | think it would be
better for the Government to issue
silver and gold certificates secured by
a deposit OF bullion.
1.-The creditor class want to be paid
in what they think is the dearest
money, and the debtor class prefer
the cheapest -money, but l think the
Government should give us honest
money. If we should demonetiZe silver,
| the debtors of this country would be
ruined; but If we have free coinage, the
creditors will get all they are enti-
| tied to.
81 do not believe in the old prayer;
| %, God take care of the rich; the
poor can beg The rich can take care
of themselves. Governments should
protect the poor and the weak, instead
of passing laws for the benefit of the
powerful and the rich.
"But as far as the silver question is
concerned, all L want is justice. No
nation was ever destroyed by having
too much silver.
"The enemies of silver talk about
gold as though it did not depend on
law for any part of it's value. Ii we
should demonetize gold and if England
should do the same, how much would
gold be worth? Treat gold as silver
has been treated and the creditors
would say, ''Give US silver-give US
honest money"
"It may be that the bill for free coin
age should limit such coinage to Amer
lcan silver-but if we have free coinage.
England and Germany, will in all
probability remonetiZe silver, and
then the question will be permanently
settled. We need more money TO do
.he business OF this country. OF course
most business is done on credit, and
the moment credit is gone a financial
| btl1lC tOultS. Il AIN lOf Tree toliittBt
"What do you think of the Farmers
\ Alliance?'
II am glad that tbs farmers have
organized-glad that they are getting
together and talking about their own
interests. They will be greatly bene-
| fitted by discussion. 1t will be a great
thing for them to find out what can be
done for their benefit by the Govern
ment, and what cannot he done. The
farmers have a hard time. They work
early and late, and have few luxuries
Wecannot get along without the farm
ers, and | want the farmers to have
their share OF the good things. The
farmers ought to say their say, and
stand by their convictions, and defend
themselves. They cannot depend OF
the merchants and bankers to tax,
care of their interests. They must
take care OF themselves, and for one
am glad that they are trying to do 1t
"Whether this country IL controlled
by one party or the other may not b'
OF infinite Importance, but it is impor
tant to the last degree that all the IN
dustries OF the Republic should b,
protected. This country rests on TIN
nobility OF labor-on the rights OF man
Labor is the highest form OF praye
and it is the prayer of all others, tina
the government should answer"