The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1892-04-14
Extracts from His Able Ar
gument
Delivered in the House
on March 24th.

The following extracts from the
speech of Willis Sweet, of Idaho,
delivered in the house on March 24th,
will be of interest to our readers.
They are, however, only small part
of the congressman's able argument,
which was designated by the National
View as the best speech on that all
important question. Mr.. Sweet said:
Mr.. Speaker The various theories
and all of the statistics relative to
this question have been presented,
1t is useless to report or review them.
l therefore prefer to submit the con-
dition of the people among whom l
have lived, with their belief and
mine, that free coinage would at least
right some of the wrongs herein
recited In legislating upon this
question, all classes of the people,
all sections of the country, all lines
of business, and all kinds of
occupations should have a hearing
The producer, the debtor and the
lender are the three great factors to
which l propose to pay special
attention to-day. When
l declare that l am in favor of the
free coinage of silver l think l speak
the sentiment of nearly every man in
the State l have the honor to re-
:, 1,present. Our creditors and the
creditors of the nation live in the
Eastern States and in the Old World !;
and, confning the sentiment strictly
to that class, it is as unanimous
against the free coinage of silver as
the debtor and producing classes are
unanimous for it. There has been no
change of sentiment in the North
west on this subject.
Let me define what L mean by the
term debtor and creditor classes. In
speaking of the people of Idaho as
belonging to the debtor class, do
not mean that individually they are
debtors, although even that statement
would apply to many. 1t is some
times necessary to borrow money IN
the work of developing the farm but
it is absolutely necessary to persuade
capital to invest in railroads,
merchandise, banks, brick blocks,
steamboats,, etc. Money is invested
$ for the profit the investor hopes to
: realize out of the investment, an6
the interest the investment will
= safely produce is the sole and only
guide of the capitalist
In the broadcast sense of the word
= then, we are borrowers. For as WI
l. are without the money at home will
d which to do all the things l hav'
d enumerated, and many more just u
necessary, we must look to Others 70
1t, and our people must pay tn
= interest on the investments made
What have said of Idaho is true o
the west and south generally; fo
while the south is old, and its indus
tries were at one time fixed and pros
porous, yet to-day we find her con
fronted with different life, changes
industrial system. and, let us hope,
III better and brighter destiny.
To-day she is seeking money at
= reasonable rate Of interest with whic
K, to develope her great, but, in man
instances, dormant industries. In th
sense l bsve mentioned, the Yves
and South are borrowers; and the
creditors are the same. Note til
Ill remarkable fact: The borrowers an
the lenders are arrayed against eac
other to-day over this question {
lclearly as Grant and Lee stood arraye
= against each other at the WILDERNESS
= " hat does it mean? Is it acciden
1t is worth while to inquire. 1t
Charged that we lack patriotism al
y. that we would ruin the nations creC
w for the sake of ''cheap' money.
ear This phase of the question cam
be considered. We repudiate t
. charge and those who make
E. Indeed, it is not necessary to discu
it, for any man can claim as mu
patriotism as can be absorbed by O
'tel who seeks to contract the actu
ed. money of the country for the -purpc
Jail of increasing or maintaining a rui