The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-10-19
AN EXPOSITION OF TIE SILVER
QUESTION.

against silver has coat the farmers OF Cnls
country more than 0,0O0OO0OOO.
This is the balance of trade against us
caused by an unequal exchange OF pro-
ducts in the markets Of the world and
has been settled by mortgages on our
farms. The silver states have lost within
the past ten years from depreciation in
the value Of silver bullion S150,00O,OOO
and are now losing S15,0OO,OO0 annually;
the cotton states are losing from $40 to
$12 on every bale of cotton, and the
wheat growing states from 25 cents to 80
cents on every bushelof wheat raised. Say
ing nothing aboutth loss from low lriCes
in other products of our farms, we are
losing annually on our cotton and wheat
crops from $3OO,OOOOOO to $4OO,0OO,OOO
by reason of the decentralization of sill
YER and the consequent fall in the price
Of silver, which compels the the Amerl-
can farmer to compete with India cotton
and India wheat in the Liverpool mar
ket with an advantage in favor Of Indis
of from 40 to so per cent.
India Is q province Of England. India
has rich gold mines but, has no silver
mines. England for commercial reasons
has forced upon India the silver stand
ard, and it is said that her influence de-
monetized silver In this country. Eng
land is now able to purchase our silver
bullion at about 85 cents per ounce, and
It ia coined in London into India rupees
at $1.S9 per ounce, and cotton and wheat
purchased in India at a discount Of 40
to so per cent, which has brought down
the price of cotton and wheat In this
country below the cost of production.
We have the richest silver mines in the
world, and many Of them are now being,
closed up because they cannot produce
silver at So cents per ounce. We have
the finest cotton lands In the world,
and the south has the cheapest labor
In the world, but the south cannot pro-
duce cotton at 6 cents per pound. The
soils of the Mississippi valley are equal
to the soils of the Nile, and In the pro-
ductiOn Of wheat cannot be eXcelled by
any country in the world; yet the farm
erS of the Mississippi valley cannot pro-
duce wheat at go cents per bushel and
continue free and prosperous people.
The extent of the fall of prices as di-
rect result of the legislation on silver can
not exactly be stated; but tables made
by Soutbeer, Ssurbeck and Palgrave
brought down to 1890 show an aver
age fall in prices from 20 to "a per
cent, which is equivalent to rise In the
purchasing power Of gold of 40 to 50 per
cent.
Now then, unless the free coinage Of sill
YER is restored and other substantial relief
afforded, such as losning Of money by
the government at 2 per cent tax to take
up the mortgage indebtedness Of the
people, our silver mines will be closed;
there will be no cotton or wheat ex-
ported, and general paralysis will set
tie down on the farming interest Of this
country, to be followed by general fore
closure of mortgages, land monopoly,
large estates and syndicate farming, ten
antry and seridom; and when our lands
shall have been centralized into the
hands Of the few, then will come syndi-
cate trusts and farmer baron combines,
to raise the price Of food and other farm
nrodncta. Than will nnr hnnatad AmAri-