The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-01-16
Zeke Says He is Not a Plutocrat---The
Silver Kings VS. the Gold Kings
Betsy Indignant.

Silver Kings VS. the Gold Kings
Betsy Indignant.
B.-"HelloI Mr.. Editor"
Rail right, Major. How is
everything among the p~lutocratsG"
B.-"What's that7 I'm no pluter-
KRAFT. I'm a guide sitizin ov Wake
county, U. S. A."
R.-"You talk like a %plutocrat, act
like one and want to run for Office on
that ticket and that platform"
B.-"Go off I'm a farmer IN am
goin' ter stand by my Majors. I'm
agin plutocracy. I'm fer more money;
amt that reformi"
R,-"You endorse President Cleve-
land and his policy. You are for more
o for the ~plutocrats. That is,
you are for the issue of 5000, 900, 900 in
bonds for the national banks to issue
their promisofy notes to lend to other
people at a high rate of interest. You
are willing for your neighbors to Dor
row these promisory notes, pay inter
est on them, use them as money, when
they are entitled to the money for
their labor, for their products, with
out interest. The people have been
promised more money" by your
party, but at a terrible COST"
Bob! you calanAiti howlers are
hard ter-please. Ireckon you all want
phyat money. You want the govern
ment ter coin silver and enrich the
silver kings. I'm agin that. The rich
men who own the silver mines have
pulled the wool over yer eyes"
R.-"That is another plutocratic
against the free coinage of gold mort the
t'gold kings" With a few exceptions
the Western portion of our country is
the only section producing silver in
paying quantities, 1t requires capital
to buy machinery and develop the
mines. Some men have made money
getting out silver, go have a few own
ers Of gold mines, but taken as a whole,
the miners of both metals meet with
difficulties just like other people. Ere
Qu0uG1Y Gn0 Sl1NOI kUlSS anu ROlO
kings pay out more money than the
ore they get is worth. The men who
own the mines are the losers. Yet the
gold and silver they do get is the basis
of all our money, or ought to be. At
present, since silver was demonetized,
gold and gold bonds are the basis. That
is the cause of the panic. The hard
times prior to the panic were caused
by the limited use of silver since 1873
True, there are other causes, but they
are made possible by the same"
B-"But the government can't make
money and give it erway."
R-Another plutocratic argument.
That is the very first duty of any civil
lied government. 1t makes gold coin
for the gold mines. Read biblical his
tory and you will find that silver and
gold has been the medium of exchange
since the world began. The govern
ment should coin silver, retaining
one-tenth for the expense of the same.
The money first goes into the hands of
the mine owner, he pays it for labor,
for food and clothing, railroad fare,
tools, and, in fact, everything that the
industries of the world puts on the
market. In that way it goes into gen.
eral circulation. The silver mine
oWnerand the silver mine laborer are
as much entitled to the sale of the
product, or, rather the conversion of
the metal into money, as the nan who
raises oranges in Florida, the cotton or
tobacco raiser of the South, the grain
raiser of the West or the farmer or
manufacturer in the Northeast. The
man who says he is not is a common,
plain, everyday liar"
B.-''That is just the way Betsy
talks. I can't make a thing off her an
you in an argymint. Iexpect I'll have
ter change my doctrins or Betsy will
git a diverse. Betsy has bin real in
dignant ever since 1 began ter talk
erbout runnin' fer the legislator on the
Wall street f4tfOrm. She says she
will take the stump ergainst me if I
git the nomernatiOn. I'm erfraid she'd
beat me, Ter there amt m my folks a
goin' ter vote fer that f1atform emmy
more. Betsy says I amt fit to carry
slabs at a sawmill ter say nothin' ov
runnin' fer the legislator. 1 reckin
Kurnell Jones an Captin Potts know
more erbout it than she does. They
say I'm the nan Goodbye.
BROWN IRON BITTERS