People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-07-28

in the valleys and upon mountain sides magnif-
icent cities and thrifty towns and villages
Great manufactures OF paper, cotton, leather
iron, steel and clays distribute their finished
products and support thousands OF prosperous
and happy families. But because agriculture
is so limited in area-confned TO narrow strips
along our few and scanty streams-our labor so
high and its handiwork so remote from other
than the local markets, the coal is mined, the
coke is burned, the rail is rolled, the grain is
grown, the fruit is gathered, in the main for the
owners and workers in silver mines and
smelters, and the proprietors and workmen Of
the industries and callings are dependent upon
them.
Idle Army of Labor.
''The reduction Of the price Of silver to about
20 cents has shut down 80 per cent OF the sill
yer mines Of the country, and the smelters
must soon follow their example. There are in
Colorado today 1900 idle miners who know
not where TO turn if work is not resumed
There will soon be added TO this idle army
Of labor 400 men from the smeters. The
stone quarries are nearly all shut down. the
railway companies are laying of train crews by
the score. the foundries are nearly all out Of
orders, the farmers and fruit growers will be
barely paid for the cost Of saving their crops,
the merchants are cOuntermanding their or
ders, the travelling men for eastern houses
seek almost in vain for customers.
This is no exaggeration. The destruction OF
the silver industry will devastate the country
as if swept by cyclone, reaching from the
British possessions 10 the Mexican border
line. This sorrowful picture Of Colorado with
its mining industry destroyed but represents
the condition Of the other mining states and
territories with the same calamity upon them.
Lead and Gold Dependent.
IF the silver mines shall remain closed one
half Of the American output Of lead must be
lost The great bulk Of the lead product is
taken from silver-hearing ores II requires the
one metal supplemented bg the other 10 re-
munorate the lead-silver miner.
'Not less than 50 per cent OF thegold prod
ucI Of the country depends upon the main
tenance Of the silver industry. The placer or
creek washings, the earliest and most pro-
life source of our gold supply are practically
exhausted
Those who contend for the gold single stand
ard wlllfullv mislead you as TO the cost Of pro-
| ducing silver. We say TO you in the most sol
emn and truthful manner that reliable statis-
/ tics prove that, including but legitimate items
! in the account the silver OF Colorado costs by
the time it is on the market not less than l29
an 0' nee. Like gold. some silver is produced
| for much less than lis market value, but the
average cost Of silver is fully the highest price
1t ever brought in the market
Question of Paving Creditors,
"All Of the mining states and territories are a
debtor class. Stop and consider, men Of the
east, how many millions Of your money are in
vested with us. The funds Of states of widows
and orphans have heen loaned on our lands and
have built our edifces. Colorado has been a
favorite field for such inves tments Have the
people Of any state ever proved more punctil-
GUS in prompt repayment: The legislature has
enacted laws cruel TO its own people and I'M
rivaled in liberality TO the creditors that no
man might shirk or escape repayment Of the
borrowed dollar There are held throughout
the east hundreds of millions OF dollars in rail-
road stocks and bonds, in municipal securities
in trusts and mortgages, the payment of the
greatest body of which depends upon the pros
perity Of the silver mining country
1--WE Of Colorado pride ourselves upon our
commercial and financial integrity. Nocalami
ty can induce US TO repudiatn one dollar of an
honest debt All Of our assets are at the will Of
our creditors for their reimbursement But il
by bad congressional legislation, if through
congress you shall wipe out the great industry
of the section around which all others cluster
for vigOr and profit, the values of our proper
ties will shrink, our business will be DESTROYED.
our towns aud cities will be largely depopulated
and the railroads traversing the western half
OF the continent will be sent into bankruptcy
Certainly in the face Of such unmerited inflic-
ton you cannot blame US if we are thus de-
prived OF all ability to meet our obligations.
You may, it is true, take the country in pay
ment but after you get it what will you do
with iti
Not Ready to Submit.
'But, though you may do all in your power,
whether in ignorance or through selfish greed.
TO destroy US, we will not submit to the destiny
Of poverty without a struggle. We shall seek
10 open up new markets and build up our silver
industry along new lines and with new and
more sympathetic neighbors Colorado has
aided with her vote TO build the tariff wall be.
tween this country and Mexico and the silver
producing and using republics of the southern
continent AS Senator Teller, one Of the
staunchest supporters Of this exclusive policy.
declared but two years ago in the United States
senate, it was not in Colorado's interest to
vote for such isolation, but Colorado, thinking
more of her sister states than herself, had pa
triotically sacrificed her own in their interest
Special Appeal to the South.
ITO the south Colorado appeals with more
soulfelt words Two years ago you feared with
sinking hearts and paling lips the enactment OF
the law that threatened TO deprive you Of self
government and TO turn your election booths
over TO the tender mercy Of federal bayonets on
election day. To save youfrom the outrages Of
the federal force bill ColoradOs two senators,
republicans, defed the edicis Of their party
caucuses and defeated what was TO you the
certain humiliation and the horrors of subjec-
ton TO the electoral will Of your former slaves
We saved you then. You can save us now.
With Us now it is more Of a death struggle than
it was then with you. II the schemes OF the
gold kings are accomplished, il the present sill
yer Jaw shall be Internationally repealed the
great bulk Of US will be made paupers and our
beautiful and wonderful state will be set back
in its march Of progress more than a quarter
Of century.
Confident of the Result.
Colorado, great in its resources, proud Of its
business record, filed with brave men and reso-
Lutte hearts, makes this its appeal for preserva-
ton to the open-hearted and generous people Of
the country We are confident that il will not
be in vain. The atrocity Of making homeless,
through the destructiono Of the chief industries
Of 100000 square miles Of American territory,
the 10000 men, women and children, with
all the attendant scourge Of enforced and hope
less idleness, can never be the work Of an
American congress with our approval
Hopeful Of speedy delivery from she crush
ing burdens Of financial system, begotten Of
the greed Of Great Britains remorseless money
power and Of the prosperity inseparable from
an American system which includes the free
coinage Of gold and silver at the American ratio
Of l6 TO |, We submit to the people Of the United
States this statement Of our cause"
Dancing Under Difficulties.
Among a number of young men who
were recently visiting the city was one
Il.