The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-16
Proceedings Of the Kansas City
Commercial Congress.
WHAT THE FARMERS DEMAND.
Argument by Edward Atkinson
Against Free Coinage of Silver.
senator Stewart Takes an Opposite
view-Speaker Elder, OF the Kansas
Legislature, ON the Alliance-Reform
Of the TariR Discussed.

Kansas CRY, April 15.-The full repre-
sentatiOn of the Western state commercial
congress was present this morning when
President Francis called the second days
session to order. The subject under dis
cussion was general business and ..The
Agricultural Depression, its Causes and
Remedy" +. X. Skiff, of Denver, read a
paper on Population and Raw Materials. -
de said: "The population and raw ma
terlal in one section must have trading
treaty with the population and raw ma
terial of some other section of the country.
Hence rose the significance of commercial
reciprocity with the states of the South
and the states and territories of the West.
Production and accumulation of the sur
plus was the controlling power in COM
merce. So long as a man lives in isolated
communities. each laboring to supply only
its own necessities, there could be no COM
merce. The portion of the United States ly-
ing west of the Mississippi was the greater
half of the continent. not only in area, re-
sources and wealth. but in ability to MAIN
tain . large population. No one will
question the ability of the Western and
Southern states to supply as large a number
of people to the square mile as now live in
Pennsylvania, Las to the square mile
All in all, the figures confirm the state
ment often made, that the United States,
with its area and resources, is capable of
maintaining 10000 900 population.
Guests of the congress were then invited
to make addresses. Ex-Governor George
w. Click. of Kansas. said the subject of
greatest interest to the Western farmer
was the agricultural depression. The
greatest cause of this depression was in
sufficient markets. The remedy was q
wider field for the disposition of the farm
ers' surplus. Blaine's reciprocity schemes
and Rusk's efforts in extending the mar
kets for live stock were partial remedies
for the present depression.
Speaker Elder, of the House of repre-
sentatives, said that those who had an inn
perfect knowledge of the situation were
accustomed to lay the blame upon the
farmer, but there were other conditions,
and they were nearer the root of
the evil. One was the imperfect operation
of the law of supply and demand, which
in turn was caused by mercenary consoli-
dations of capital by inscriptions per-
sons. Such combinations were trusts,
and they were the octopus that fastened
in its grasp the farmer, who, while the
most numerous of all the Industrial
classes, was at the same time the most
helpless and of all men the most miser-
able. The trusts were fanked by specula-
tive boards of trsaSe md bucket shops,
which forced false values upon the people.
Another cause of the depression was q too
market. The farmers wanted
q wider field. They wanted reciprocity.
Reciprocity was good thing. Another
way of relieving the situation was by in
creasing the volume of money. Still an
other way was the combination Of farmers
against opposing combinations. Tho
farmers were now trying the latter
method.
DR.. Parsons stated that he was directed
by the secretary of the department of agri-
culture to represent that department at
this congress. He spoke of the causes of
the depression in agriculture. One was
the loss of foreign markets to the farmers,
because diseased cattle cannot be bought.
The way to regain the market was to eradi-
cate disease DIR. Parsons explained what
the department was doing in the way Of
quarantine and inspection to stamp out
diseases among i've STOCK.
U. S. Hall, president OF the Missouri
State Farmers Alliance, was the next
speaker. The greatest cause of the present
depression. he said, was partisan politics.
The last national campaign was fought on
the line of economic questions. Other
causes of the depression were the high pro-
tective tariff, the decreased volume of
money and the raising of freight and pas
senger rates to pay dividends on watered
stock. The remedies were a low tariff, an
increase in the volume of currency and
regulation of railroads, so that they could
pay dividends on the actual capital in
vested.
At the afternoon session letters of regret
were read from Edward T. Atkinson, of
Boston, and Senator William Stewart, of
Nevada. Mr. Atkinson said in part:
There is no question pending on which the
future welfare of the people of the country may
30 much depend as upon the legislative treat
ment of the money question. What We need in
order to assure stability in our monetary system.
to maintain the unit OF value on gold basis
and to give elasticity TO the circulating medium
are three acts. as follows: Fist-Providing for
free coinage of dollars of gold or silver in just
the measure that bullion of either kind shall be
brought to the mints to be converted into coin,
proyided such act is accompanied by another.
Second-To repeal all acts of legal tender by
the force of which farmers, mechanics, laborers
or creditors may be compelled 10 accept pay
ments in silver or gold st the option of the
debtor Third-Repcal OF acts relating to bank
ing which prevent the issue OF notes payable in
coin on demand at such times and in such
proportions as the business OF the country may
require
Mr.. Atkinson deals at length with the
question of money and credit, and, refer
ring 10 the various gold and silver coins,
certificates and treasury notes of the
United States, says:
So long as these various instruments are re-
deemabie or convertible into one kind of dollar.
and that the best kind. for so long as they are
equal to each other in their purchasing power,
and are kept so by being kept convertible into
the one metal, gold or its equivalent, which Is
the standard OF the worlds commerce, credit
NAV be good and business may be active Any
doubt of the quality of money impairs credit
The free coinage of silver dollars without a cor
responding change in the acts OF legal tender
would be tampering with the unit of value. and
would be q cause OF grave discredit- The pro-
rsasal 20 open the mints Of the United
states to the free coinage OF silver
dollars, of full legal tender. under our present
s,s,utes is but proposal TO collect a forced loan
from property. the product of the wages and
earnings OF the people of this country for the
benefit and support OF the petty industry OF min.
ing and smelling silver ore, or product OF
which the annual value is less than hall than
that OF the eggs which We get every year from
our barnyards- The price in our market of our
cotton. corn, wheat, mes: aud dairy products is
established by the price at which the excess or
snrulus will be exported That price viii be
f,xei In terms Of gold. We cannot alter II If we
would. and ws would not do il IL we could.
Every man engage. in large transactions Is
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