The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-23
CLEVELAND CANT.
GROWERS REPLY TO CHICAGO
SOUND MONEY MEN.

to address a meeting here, as previous.
ly announced:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington,
c., April 13.-To Messrs. William
7. Baker, George W. Smith, John a.
Roche, 7. w. Harvey. David Kelly and
Henry Q. Robbins. Gentlemen: I am
much gratlfied by the exceedingly kind
and complimentary invitation you
have rendered me on behalf of many
citizens of Chicago to be their guest at
a gathering in the interest of sound
money and wholesome financial doc
trine.
My attachment to this cause is SO
great and know so well the hospitality
and kindness of the people of Chicago
that my personal inclination is strongly
in favor of accepting your fattering IN
vitatiOn, but my judgment and my
estimate of the prOprieTies Of my Off,
cial place Oblige me to forego the enjoy
menU of participating in the occasion l
contemplate.
L hope, however, the event will
mark the beginning of an earnest and
aggressive effort to disseminate among
the people safe and prudent financial
ideas. Nothing more important can
engage the attention of patriotic citI
zens, because nothing Is so vital to the
welfare of our fellOw-Country men and
to the strength, prosperity and honor
of our nation.
THE situation confronting u 10 de
mands that those who appreciate the
Importance of this subject, and those
who ought to see the impending dan
ger, should no longer remain indIffar
ent or overconfdent.
IF the sound money sentiment
abroad IN the land is to save us from
mischief and disaster it must be Crys-
Ualized and combined and made imme
diately active. It's dangerous to over
look the fact that a vast number of u
people, with sCant opportunity thus
far TO examine the QUESTION In all its
aspects, have nevertheless been ingen-
Iously pressed with ~specious sugges-
tioI S which in this time of misfortune
and depre ssion find willing listeners
prepared to give credence to any
scheme that is plausibly presented as a
remedy for their unfortunate condition
What is now needed more than
anything else Is a plain and simple
presentation of the argument in favor
of sound money. In other words, it is
time for the American people to reason
together as members of a great nation
which can promise them q continuance
of protection and safety only so long
as it's solvency is unsupported, its honor
unsullied and the sOundness of it's
money unquestioned. These things are
m-exchanged for the illusions of a de
based currency and groundless hope of
advantages to be gained by a disregard
of our financial credit and commercial
standing among the nations of the
world
eff our people were isolated from all
others, and if the question of our cur
rency could be treated without regard
to our relations to other countries, it's
would be a matter of com
paratively little Importance. If the
American people yer only concerned
in the maintenance of their physical
life among themselves they might re
turn to the old days of barter, and in
tbs primitive manner acquire from
other the materials to supply the
wants of their existence. But if Ameri
can civilization we're Satisfied with this
it would abjectly fail n It's high and
noble mission.
In these restless days the farmer is
tempted by the assurance that though
Jul Su4ACACy 446N 10 UCDdSC0S 1OOu4O
ant and uncertain, such a situation
Let us remind him that he must buy as
well as sell; that his dreams of plenty
are shaded by the certainty that if the
price of the things he has to sell are
nominally enhanced, the cost of the
he must buy will not remain
that the better prices which
ronnnu nRnn1oInno oTn ITnoT1hnfon
tial and elusive, and that even if thew
were real and palpable, he must nece5-
be left far behind In the race for
their enjoyment.
1T ought not to be difficult to con
vince the wage n that If there
were benefits arising from q degener-
ated currency they would reach him
least of all and last of all. In an I'M
healthy stimulation of prices an in
creased cost of all the needs of his home
must long be his portion, while he is at
the same time vexed with vanishing
visions of increased wages and easier
lot. The pages of history and expert
T full of this lesson.
An insidious ate mpt is made to
create a prejudice against the advocates
of a safe and sound currency by the in
more or less directly made,
that they belong to financial and bust.
ness classes and are, therefore, not only
out of sympathy withth commonpeo-
pie Of the land, but for selfish and
wicked purposes are willing to sacrifice
the interes s of those outside their
Il believe that capital and wealth.
through combination and other means
sometimes gain an undue advantage;
1t may be conceded that the main
tenance Of a sound currency may, in a
sense, be invested with a greater or
less Importance to individuals, accord
ing to their condition and circum
stances 1t Is, however, only a differ
IN degree, since it is utterly i'm
possible that any one in our broad land,