Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-02-19
FARMERS ALLIANCE COLUMN.
THE PRESENT AGRICULTURAL DEPREs-
SION LARGELY DUE TO THE DEMoRAL-
IZATION OF SILVER.

THE PRESENT AGRICULTURAL EPREs-
SION LARGELY DUE TO THE DEMoRAL-
IzATION OF SILVER.
This hold TO be self-evident to any
one who will read carefully the re-
ports of the coinage committee in the
House OF Representatives, accolnpa-
nying the bill for the free and I'M
limited coinage OF silver. The COM
mittee makes it perfectly plain that
the benefit accruing to silver-mlne
owners is a mere bagatelle compared
to the benefit to farmers to be deriv-
ed by the enhanced value OF their
productions, proving clearly. as
things now stand, that the Indian
sui jects of England are getting more
fer wheat and cotton than our Amer
lean farmers. If wheat be 81 100 per
bushel in England. an Indian farmer
takes the gold and buys silver enough
TO make 81. % at home, as he can take
the silver to the mints and have it
coined free Of charge, silver being the
legal money of India. In other words,
the Indian farmer gets Sl,25, and the
American farmer S1.00 because he is
denied the privilege OF free coinage.
Think, farmers, for an instant, OF the
enormous loss sustained in the sale
of last years crop alone, all done by
laws designedly fastened upon US by
a corrupt and wicked plutocracy,
who have controlled this government
for the last 80 years and who are now,
through their hireling press, doing
every thing they can to shift the issue
from silver and more money to one
Of tariff reform alone, we'll knowing
the latter issue to be a mere bagatelle
compared to the farmer. And can
we rs farmers and laboring men
support any one from President down
to a member of the Legislature, who
holds anti-free coinage views or who
is willing to see this issue set aside for
mere policy sake! l hold we cannot
do it and be true to our interests,
firesides and homes, and the only
excuse we could give for such conduct
would be absolute ignorance and
criminal carelessness OF our duties to
our families The gold men have
been telling us all along that there
were $50, 900, 900 Of gold held in this
country.
The Farmers Alliance has always
claimed that they could not account
for anything like this amount. This
Democratic committee confirms the
assertion, and can only account for
$40, 4O2 554, the balance, they officially
say, is mere guesswork. In other
words, 100000. 900 of gold and up
wards can't be accounted for. and yet
we have government officials putting
it down as in circulation. Farmers,
can't you see from above reports how
much reliance is to be put in state
ments sent out by Treasury Depart
ment &? Our present Secretary OF
| Treasury claims with equal reckless
ness that there are twenty-four dol
lars per capita in circulation now.
| He does not account for where it is.
| w, point him to this one item OF gold
alone, and we assert and can prove
that there is not one-third OF the
amount claimed by Secretary OF
Treasury in circulation to-day. We
believe that nearly all OF our woes
come from the demonstration OF
silver and wicked contraction OF the
currency, and l would ask a careful
reading by all Of our members and
all fair-minded men OF this majority
report on the free coinage of silver,
to be found in the Baltimore Sun OF
February 18th, and | should like to
see in this goldbug organ a rational
criticism OF this report.
Very truly, FARMER.
The following preamble and resolution was
passed by the Summit Point Alliance at It's
regular meeting on Saturday last, February
/ 18th:
Believing the farmers OF West Virginia TO
be entitled to the next governorship of the
| State. therefore be IL
| Resolued, That We unanimously endorse
for that position the Hon. ]. +. Sydenstrick-
er, OF Greenbrier county, w. Va. believing
him IN every way eminently qualified to i'll