The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-17


ter does not present the true merits of
this controversy. You call the attention
OF farmers and wage earners to the
fact that rising prices, while enabling
them TO sell the products and labor AZ
a higher price, will also cause them TO
pay equally more for what they may
purchase. but you neglect TO say that
your statement is not applicable to debts.
With prices coming down regularly ana
steadily since the demonstration OF sli-
yer, our merchants. manufacturers anu
the people generally have been DONG
business on a falling market, so tnat the
time intervening between ne purchase
OF their merchandise or raw mate'iai
and placing IL months after on the MAJ,
ket has removed the margin they 1o"iu
have otherwise made. rms snrinhasc -,
values added 10 the ordinary rish anu
expense OF business has led 10 an ever
increasing volume of debt-to money,
lending period until II has Increased al
told public and private to about forty
billion Of dollars, or about two-thirus
OF the total value of all the property III
the United States.
Mercy and those debts payable IN money
have been steadily increasing IN oA-
changeabIe value with the property OF
the people. A debt for 1900 that lvW
bushels of wheat would have paid zen
years ago, now requires the FARMER :"
Give I'D 1000 bushels OF wheat IN eN-
Change for these dollars. with wnich 10
nav the same debt The debts no" III
existence are principally old DEBTS OF
rem wed debts. or new debts contractor
10 nav old debts, or debts the people
have been forced to contract by reason
of the continued decline In prices. Inc
on ners OF the products must now sNe
nv twice as much property to pay tneir
taxes as i'm 1873. Seven thousand busheis
of wheat would have paid the Presldeni
salary of 900 i'm 1873, and 1t now re-
ouires one HUNDRED thousand bushels OF
,vbo.t 10 nav your annual. ialary OF S0,-
Goa we have constantly pointed the peo-
Mic TO the ever-increasing interchange
able value OF the creditors dollar anu
10 the reas On why IL was lncreds'hs'
tut the influence of these creditors haNc
dominated your administration. ana you
insist upon such a currency as they nave
established as IA sound currency IL
means the confiscation OF the properly
of the people by the sale oil properly
under mortgages, judgments '"u ii,
lions IL means that fixed incomes win
vino ont the interest Of stockholders III
our railroads and corporations. III IL Is
an Injustice TO restore prices so thAl
| neonle can exchange their property LOT
q sufficient number of dollars 10 pay
choir debts and bring happiness ana
| nrosnerity to our land again, IL was
greater injustice to destroy the value
| of property and enhance the vaiue o,
money by decentralization OF SILVER anu
the establishment of a single goa s'a''u-
ard. 49,. attention
~ the farmer and wage Garner TO the
| sact that rising prices VIII make mn,
nov more for what he buys, you shouiu
~ tho same time call his attention 10
| tho fact that it will enable MIN 10 pay
his debts. free him from a Dohnase ~
which he has been unjustly placed anu anu
| again make him the owner OF hol,i'
| and a free and independent ciuzen' we
might say further TO him that Ilsihs
prices cause money to seek liNese llnn,s
and would thus open up the cllaiiiie''
- commerce and trade and give EN-
.io,,r,ant 70 millions now Idle. 1t is not
more money that We want to borrow Du'
,o~nav off what We already owe. lie
rnore we borrow the more we must pay
| and the annual interest on all our pun
1tc and private debts Is now more thai
tho annual profits Of business anu Pio'
| duction. Where will 1t endF
| Our forefathers fed from Europe anu
established a government here that ,nes
MIGHT he free froa the class leslsldl.oi
of those countries where the masses a. ~
| hewers of wood end drawers oil ""'ei 10
the rich and few, who cohIroi Wv '
| layy-naking power-countries that W.
,,,stt,, torn, nlutocracies. And yet II Is
| ~ hoins seriously insisted upon that We
| must adopt and continue the most PCT
nicious class legislation that the monar
| chies of Europe have ever fastened ubol
their helpless people. BY adopting eneii
rclicy we have increased the uciian0
for gold and its exchangeable Value' an,
al n.onev based thereon, with all othel
80, r,,.ertv we have aided them in th'
adontion of a single metal Tor prlIhdi
.,onev that they can control and corner
that they have cornered-and forced yo'
10 90 to them and get II at their Owl
nrice TO sustain the credit or TINS srea
and resourceful nation. We submit ina
this policy should be abandoned ana on
mints again thrown open TO silver Va
they are now to gold. and our STOCK 0
primary money increased thereby In
gentlemen who visited you and who petl
toned you represent only one class Oh on
people; we respectfully submit that
was safer that all the people should d.
the thinking for il than that any one elias
should do il for them. Selfish interest
predominate to promote selfish interes
vnen one class does the thinking Tor al
Broad views to justly promote the com
mon welfare of the people can be bes
secured by a census of the views OF al
the people.
We agree with you that 1t is time 70
the people TO reason together. To tina
end we respectfully ask that you make
possible for them 10 get printed cope
of the act of 1892, on which our forefa
theirs based our financial system. and a
subsequent acts, together with the ac
of 1873 that reversed the former polio
and acts subsequent thereto, as well a
all statistical and other information o
an official nature that Washington bear
thereon. We but express your own opir
ion as president OF the people when W
say that all the people should have tn
OBJ ortunity to investigate and intelligent
| Il, ,aee ,pon this ouestiOn ResDectftlllV