The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-09
ASCORCHER,
The Facts Rubbed Into Sham-Sayv-
dust Made LuminOus-Open Letter

y 4
United States Senator from Minnesota
Minneapolis MINI. <
bear Sir-In the Minneapolis Tribune
March 80, you are reported as being an
amirer of Mr.. Clevelands course in sun
porting a gold STANDARD. Your approval of
ms veto of the Bland bill is couched in the
following language: 1.-THE veto is first
rate, 1t covers the ground admirably. no
beating around the bush. He comes ont in
broad, frank way, which is to have heen
expected from Mr.. Cleveland" He offers
a. 'he crosse OF MS message to sign a coin
age bill, if congress will give Secretary
oarnsie better authority to issue bonds
You did not indorse this proposition ~
swap did you?
AS you were very earnest supporter of
MS course IN demanding and effecting the
reped Oh the Sherman purchasing Law last
IAN, 1t would seem to be a safe conclusion
mat you now favor, as then, single gold.
'a ui,i Oh value In this country as against
sliVer and gold, or double standard.
Being lifelong Republican. and differ;no
wi,'eiy with you upon the silver question.
: pes 10 o1fer first, my humble apology
lor assuming to ask in this public way
questions which may embarrass you at this
.,,,ie, more than if they were prepounded
AFTER your election for second term. How
e'er' public office is a public trust,
anu pubhc servant should never have n
poiicy TO enforce against the wishes of a
majority of his constituents If his adj
,iiihlstfatlon of high office is not approved
w ,ne humblest element behind him, it
would seem to be a privilege rather than
o'hei"lse TO deal with questions of as
ihucn public interest as our monetary nrob
iSiii 49, III a manner SO frank and so public
'a' tle greatest number of constituents
may cieariy understand his position there
o.i' f1oiolng, as you do, one of the yerv
in tIn
people, l shall assume that Won arc ono -
those pupnc servants who will take delight
II, giving the public your reasons for giving
the Strong support you have accorded Tins
lar to the side of gold mono-meta llism
u you can show that your course in this
matter has been wise, as it has been cour
aseous by making war on silver then yo,,
are at once furnished an opportunity nv
your answer to this letter, of showing YOUR
constituents that you have valid claims
upon them for a second term.
AS recollect, you have now voted twice
d. least against bills which have pa ssed the
senate providing for the extended use an1
coinage or silver. When Mr. CIeveIsnd
inarshaled his forces last summer to raneal
the sherman law a law which gave some
support 10 the market value of silver. Won
so.eu' uio you not, to take away this SUD-
port and establish purely gold standard
OF value for your debtor constituents in
minnesota? Like Senator Sherman ware
yoa hol very sangu1ne at that time that the
repeal of this ubiquitous law purchasing
f'VoVooV or o,oo0O0O ounces of silver bullion
eacn month, would insure the return of
eohiiuence' or prosperity and old time prices
throughout our distracted country and 1id
YOU not repeatedly so express vourselfp
legislation affecting injuriously the use Of
SILVER as money would have what effect
upoi soid? Create larger demand for
soid, would it not? If you create a 1arger
demand for any commodity how IS its nrico
aIected? Rises, does it rot? If Won en-
rance or raise the price of gold bv Ieeis1a-
ion ana then make sold the Cniv n.eas,,re
ol values, what phenomenon with respecI
70 the prices OF commodities would he oh
served! They would decline to the very
Sxtent that gold was appreciated xuo,l1
they not! The day you voted for This re-
peal law and aided it's passage through the
senate the staple product cf your state took
an Unusual ana violent decline, which has
grown worse and worse and will continue
anal way as long as your sold basis lasts
MS TACT has made it very difficult for vo,,r
ihler constituents to pay their debts and
even more ditticult for anyone to seq " hare
~ your vote for the rapal of the Sherman
law, the effect of which has been RI &C.
cease me price OF staple products ard in
crease debts has benefited anvona IN III
Sectlon OF the state. Can il be nossihla
that the creditor classes in the Twin G,itias
nave received any great benefit even if
lney VIII get dollars of greater purchasing
power by waiting a year or two wears fo,.
what might have been paid them last fan
had not this adverse monetary Legislation
dfectly affected the producing classes and
mace the payment of their debts an i'm,
possibility. ~ an
ine arsument OF Eastern capitalists
against restoring silver 10 free coinage nd
increased use as money is that it divides
uepts' enables the debtor classes to nov
thelr debts altogether too easily. They saw
II IS downright dishonesty to even consider
7uch scheme What lave you or thew to
say Oh the honesty Of Il system by which
me ueptS are increased from year to wear
dS they are under the gold stand.r12
ne creoltor who pays strict attention IN
the prompt collection Of his claims. no mat.
yer the dollars he gets are Il little min
VIII IN the long run discount another crad
ltor who EFFORTS the money as .nom;rated
IN the bond" but sadly ara surnl,J o,,.ai,e
al'er tlme to the fact that his debtor is
nopelessly bankrupt, and the securities he
MUS are not worth IL cents on the dollar.
Tue man IN New York who hollis Minnesota
mortgages cannot in tie long run rroft nv
a system which urges his debtors touaS,
bankruptcy. The gold standard mears y
DOWNWARD scale of ptices. The l;nnrecn-
TENTED decline in prices, including the
prices Oh labor, SINCE we have adopte1 fine
purely soid standdid of values should be
evidence to thinking men that there is
something more than tariff tinl<erine at tho
oottom of our difficulties. The McKih1e,,
OIL Is still in force. Labor has declined
% per cent since you helped repeal the
sherman law. Grover sees in this fact thai
gold standard tends free tradeward DO
you want free trade? Then support his
nsnt against silver, and before the close
VI ms term the price of labor and all com
nodltles will be as low in this country &C in
EUROPE. Reach that point, and Won have
reached Tree trade in this country with
the IaborlnS millions in the same helnleec
ana starving condition as YOU find them in
Europe. 'i'N'ii III
With legislation affecting the use of sill
yer ana its money function favorablv the
tension upon gold, and debts. will to the
extent and scope of such legislation he
diminished and the price of all commodities
VIII tend upward. Veto and defeat ali leo
isiatlon encouraging the use of silver and
the opposite principle will obtain. prices
VIII decline, and debts increase The bast
authority l am able to cite upon these
points is the Hon. VIM. E. Gladstone He
makes it very clear that a scarce standard
dollar is what creditor nations want If
you IN common with other so-called hi
metalllsts III this country (who always vote
against silver have hopes of forcing Mr.
Gladstones people into international Gil
yer conference you are referred to his latest
expression as to how gold standard Of
fects his nation He says: "Eneland is q
creditor nation. Every country owes her
she owes nothing to any country. If the
dollars which pay off these debts are cart
Wheei dollars do you care? Do I prav Won
sir, have some consideration for debtor
nations and debtor classes Sop,+o, 60