The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1892-05-07
CAL D. HICKS, Editor.
SHREVEPORT. La, MAY 7, 1892.
The Farmer and the Silver BiII-ChaSing
an lgnis Fatuus.

Without going into the details
Of the reasons therefor. the fact
remains that there is a deficiency
IF money in circulation; that the
quantity of products placed in the
market is greatly in excess Of the
money to purchase it with, and for
this, as one reason, the country is
IN financial strait, and the farmer
is the greatest suffer thereby.
Realizing his position, he is en-
1eavoring to remedy the matter by
having a greater volume of money
placed in the business channels, and
has grasped the silver bill as the
entering wedge into the treasury
vaults, and is bending every ener-
yy to have this wedge inserted,
and in this he is ably seconded by
the men who own mines Of this
valuable metal. For several SEES
sfons of Congress, if we mistake
not this bill, or one similar, has
foeen pressed for passage, only to
pc repulsed and beaten, if not by
one house, then by the Presidents
veto. And why, asks the farmer,
cannot this bill be made a law and
relieve the country from its dis
tre5sed condition? The answer,
90 us, is plain; because you are
striving to make the United States
Treasury a market place where
these silver mine owners can sell
their metal for from % to 30 per
VI cent more than can be gotten for
It N the legitimate trade market.
In their endeavors to Increase the
volume of currency in circulation.
Che farmers are made the cats paw
Of the silver men, to force the
Enited States government to pur-
e. chase their metal at a price ticti-
tious in vGl9e 10 a ru'nous degree,
even to nation as strong as ours.
To the mine owners the passage
of the present bill would be the
unearthing of tr, sures beyond
tne1 tiysams If Croes IS. With the
free and unlimited coinage of sill
vsz" as the law, which means that
The United States government
shall pay to every man who de-
mands it, 81 for every IS cents
worth of silver he presents at the
4rs1sury doors. No wonder, then,
shat the bill, in that form, has al
. ways been lost. 1rSut, farmer
friends, suppose yc Try another
plan. Get your representative to
introduce bill for the free and
unlimited coinage of silver, pro-
~vi2ing that the government shall
pay 81 for every 100 cents worth
of silver presented, and that each
81 so paid shall contain 100 cents
worth of the same metal, and then
-ses who will fight you on it. If we
understand the matter correctly,
it Is not the metal that is being
fought so hard, but that light
weight dollar that you are trying
10 have passed upon the country.
We believe that a majority of
f&he American people are inl favor
sof TIE free and unlimited coinsge
of silver, but we likewise think
shat majority are opposed to the
issuance Of that symbol of money
. which IS now known as the silver
dollar. 1t is an imposter, a masque-
raider in the guise of honesty, a
false pretender in representing it.
self as one dollar, when it is not
Cd more than rs cents, if that.
The PgoGREss favors silver
money; it believes in a bi-metalic
standard, and that silver should
yEoe one of them; that the govern
gnent should coin this metal into
money in unlimited quantities
free of charge to the producer at
the treasury; that there is not
enough money in circulation, and
that the volume should be in.
creased, but it does not believe
that the country ever can or should
get relief in the manner now at
tempted 1t is like chasing an
ignis fatuus which constantly
4eludes, yet ever entices.
Let the oppressed farmers pass
a silver bill if they can, but let
them fight shy of these mine own
-~srs, who are striving to make mil