The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-10-02
WORDS OF WISDOM.
THE STRONG SPEECH OF ONE OF
RNcLAND'S LEADING MEN.

E1G - = NOANS
ENGLAND'S LEADING MEN.
Facts About Business Depression--He
Points Out to Farmers the Reason
for the Decline in Agricultur-
al Products and Values.
ThefoIlowing letter from Maj George
T. Barnes, ex Congressman from the
Tenth district, and the speech to which
it refers, will prove of great interest to
the public generally. The character OF
the man who delivered the speech is
explained by Major Barnes, and the
speech is one which every Georgian
should read:
MAJOR HARNESS LETTER.
Editor COnstitution:-Referring to
our conversation of last week, in which
I mentioned a recent speech delivered
in Edinburgh before the Scotch Cham
Der of Agriculture, by Mr.. Henry
Chaplin, a member Of the House of
Commons, Herewith have the pleasure
of enclosing it to you for republication.
The speech traces the present agricul-
tural depression-prevalen not merely
in Great Britain-but throughout all
gold using countries of the civilized
world, to the abolition of the bimetallic
system in 1874, and points out the
restoration of that system as the only
logical remedy. The author of this
speech is a man of wide experience and
consummate ability. He was a mem
Der of the royal gold and silver com
mission, appointed by the Queen in 1887
to investigate the monetary question,
and he made a profound study Of the
subject. He has since held the position
of Minister of Agriculture in the Cabi-
net in which Lord Salisbury was the
Prime Minister, and is now regarded
as one of ablest and most influential
members of the British House of Com
mons. Your readers will find the
speech a most vivid exposition of the
vital subject discussed, and l have no
doubt will read it with great pleasure
and instruction. Truly yours,
GEORGE T. BARNES"
THE SPEECH OF Mr. CHAPLIN.
The following speech was delivered
by Rt. Hon. Henry Chaplin, member
of Parliament, former President of the
Board Iof Agriculture and ex- Minister
of Agriculture, at the Queen Street
hall, Edinburgh, under the auspices of
the Scotch Chamber Of Agriculture.
The subject of the address was "Bimet-
allism in Relation to Agricultural De-
preston"
He was introduced by Mr.. ]. 7. s.
Patterson, President of the Chamber,
who spoke of the distinguished speaker
as 1.-THE leading authority on the sub
ject."
After making his acknowledgements
and expressing his appreciation of the
invitation, Mr.. Chaplin said:
"Ihad great difidence in deciding to
accept your invitation, and for this
reason: The subject itself is one of
great complexity it is no easy task to
explain it clearly to those who are I'M
initiated, and there is no question in
the world which gives rise to such bit
ter animosity and to such burning con-
t~reversies between the two opposing
parties. The battle of the standards,
as it has been called, has been waging
now for many years, and although bi-
metallsts are no longer subject to the
same abuse as formerly, I am happy
to think that that phase Of ignorance
and folly has passed away, and al
though b~imetallists, in the face of over
WheIming difficulties, have been stead
lily making way, it certainly has not
lessened the animosity of their Oppo-
nents. In fact, I often think that it Is
very fortunate for us that we do not
happen to be living still in the days of
the dark ages -Qaughter)- for I am
quite confdenti if we were that the con-
veners Of this meeting, probably your
chairman, and most certainly the
member for Sleaford, would have been
burned at the stake, if that were posi-
BILE, by our monometallic opponents
before I could escape from Edinburgh
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for the eco
nomic heresies 1 am going to PROFOUND
to you tonight. But be that as it may,
it happens that Ihave had some oppor-
tunities, as a member Of the gold and
silver commission and otherwise, of
acquiring information on this question.
I can say with perfect truth that I
have given much attention to 1t, and 1
have come to the deliberate conclusion
that it is a matter of surprising inter
est to the great industry which you
renresent=(annlansel-and I OWN that