Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-08-31
General Weaver and the Farmers.

was the Populist candidate for
President in 1892, addressed the
farmers at Mt. Gretna Park on
Wednesday last on the financial
situation. His whole speech was
devoted to an incoherent aud iiloga
ical defense of the silver dollar that
is tosday worth iftyefive cents and
he insisted that the farmers should
demand the free coinage Of such
dollars to assure good markets for
their products and general prospers
ity to the country.
Why did not General Weaver
tell the whole truth to the farmers
at Mt. Gretna? Why did be not
say to them that his proposition for
the free coinage of silver at the
present standard Of 10 to 1 with
gold, simply mean the robbery of
the government to the extent of
$45 on every 100 silver dollars
coined, to be pocketed by the sils
yer producers? The entire silver
producing industry of the country
does not exceed 100000 people,
including men, women, children,
and those Indirectly interesting in
supplying that industry, while the
farmers of the country represent
the largest single industry OF the
continent, and not only the largest
but the poorest paid of all the
great industries of the country.l
Why should the farmers of the
country be taxed to the extent of
As cents on every dollar that is
coined for the benefit of the few
silver producers? That is the point
that General Weaver entirely
overlooked, and it is the point that
the farmers OF the country are now
studying with special care.
1t there is any one Industry in
the country that is the backbone
of national prosperity more than
!. another it is the agricultural in
, dustry. 1t can produce wheat
r with profit only when it commands
E 81 per bushel in the market. Why
should not the government pay the
farmers of the country 81 per
!, bushel for their wheat instead of
: paying 81 in legal tender coin to
the few silver producers for every
: 55 cents worth Of silver bullion
they purchase! If I class of the
land is entitled to have a market
furnished by the government in
times of depression, it is the fars
mers. They give more labor and
produce more wealth to the nation
with less compensation, than any
other of our industrial classes, and
" there a be no general prosperity
u err the country when they are not
/. prosperous. Why did General
Weaver not propose that the gov
=, eminent should furnish a market
:; for their products at an excess of
market prices, instead of insisting
~ that they should be taxed 45 cents
on every silver dollar that is coined
for the benefit Of less than a nils
u lion people interested in the pro
-. duction of silver?
- In point of fact, tree silver coinr
age at the present ratio of 16 to
. is simply robbery OF the governs
ment to the extent Of $40 on every
800 OF silver coin issued. There
is no other name for it than un'
~ mixed robbery, and the farmers
=, are compelled to pay a very large
share oft. And when this robbery
~ has been paid by the government il
a. is robbed solely to destroy it,
=. credit ard disbonor the name o.
20 the Republic in every civilized ma
~ ton of the world. General Wea,
- ver's assumption that the farmers
"don't want money that will g,
" abroad" is an insult to their intel
~ligeuce. The dollar that will no
90 in any country in the wollC
must be a dishonest dollar, anc
when the farmer is compelled te
~ purchase anything from a foreign
-. country, as he is compelled to dc
~ to a very large extent, he mus
=, suffer a second robbery by his de-
- preciated money, and the govern
ment must continue to redeem i
indefinitely and multiply the rob
berry every time it is redeemed.
There would be some excuse fol
free coinage if General Weave
re had proposed to give them an hon
ns est silver dollar, In other words
at had he proposed that the silve,
IT. ~preducers should be upon exac
l. equal footing with the farmers, ane
IN OBTAIN for their product just wha
it is worth in open market, ht
would have.proposed honest none.
a and honest dealing with the gov
s. eminent, but that is just wha'
b. General Weaver and the silver
cranks do not want. They are
I'd simply playing the role of the dem
be agogue, trusting to the Ignorance
X of the people to sustain them il
destroying public and private
credit, and taxing their victims fol
70 their own folly. When Genera
Weaver shall again address tht
Id farmers of Pennsylvania, be shonlc
tell them the truth.-PhltadekphaC
r. Times.
ar Henderson Ledger: Mr.. Geo
Rem, a prosperous farmer il
90 .