Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1894-10-05
The Farmers Leader
SENATOR JONES' REASONS.
Extracts from His Letter Telling Why
He Left the Republican Party.
A Senator for "a Years---An Able Honest
Man.

Having become firmly convinced that
the Repu blican party organization is un-
alterably opposed to the free coinage OF
silver at the American ratio OF lG to l, or
at all, except with the consent Of foreign
governments and at 4 ratio to be dictated
BY them, have to announce that can
no longer act with that party.
/ have not arrived at this conclusion
without extreme regret. 1t is always
painful to sever associations Of long stand
ing, but fidelity TO my own convictions
and my imperative duty, as see it, 10
the people of Nevada who have long and
greatly honored me, compel me TO this
course. 10 my constituents need hardly
say that whatever change has occurred in
the relation between the Republican
party and myself is not u change in me.
My opinions are in every. respect what
they have always been. i hold today
with all the earnestness OF the day OF my
election every one of The principles for
whose prior support in the senate was
for the fourth time sent to the senate.
When people see that general prices are
falling and think it an advantage, they
do not perceive the enormously important
consequences lying concealed in the fall.
They do not perceive the converse OF the
pruposition-namely, that what is. really
happening is that money is becoming
dearer 10 say that prices ofproperty and
commodities are coming down is to say
that money is going up. The only classes
benefited by this-and they ARE benefited
uniustly-are the classes that have lent
money at interest and are Living on fixed
incomes. Their only products" being
bonds, mortgages and money, they gladly
see these rising in value by the fall of gen.
,eral prices, to the extreme detriment Of
industry and commerce..
Tom mind therefore, the very key
Stone of the arch of national progress is a
sufficiency of money, and for this,eountry
"a ''sufticiencY' means constantly In
creasing quantity. Withoutsuch increase
all the factors that go to make up this
great arch must tumble in confusion to
the ground. In the presence Of Il money
famine the most coDSummate statesman
ship and the most intelligent business
foresight are more helpless than in the
presence of an all pervading and consum-
ing restilence, for the horrors even OF pes
thence may be mitigated and its ravages
staid by the manifold assuaging offices
and all commanding power OF money.
For the absence of money nothing avails.
10 attempt, whether with or without a
tariff, to secure national prosperity with
out a sufficient quantity of money IS to
attempt to float ships without proper
depth Of water or to conduct passengers
and freights over railroads without Il
sufticiency of engines and cars or even II
sufficient number of rails to constitute a
track.
While, therefore, not Understanding
the importance to the country OF full
recognition Of the protective principle, l
hold that the tariff and all other issues
are in the nature of the case subordinate
to the great and farreaching question OF
the money supply. In this conviction |
believe the people of Nevada to a NAH
and to woman are heart and soul
with me.
So long rs the party to which | have
heretofore belonged was moving in the
direction of Il solution of the great none
tary problem by giving the country II
steady increase in the quantity OF money
| was bound alike by personal conviction
and by duty to my constituents to give
that party my support. Although | did
not believe the amount of such monetary
increase to be sufficient to overcome the
ever intensfying contraction set on foot
by the demonstration OF silver, | was
willing to take, for the time, the best that
could be got and await the maturity OF
what hoped was IL growing disposition
on the part Of the republican party TO
finally place upon its banner the motto
Of free coinage of silver aud g)ld. with.