Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-08-10
SOME SUITE SIGNS.
Testimony which Shows the Trend OF
Opinion Regarding Free Silver.

UuTIleu 10 new 1OrK from BUSINESS
trip to the south and west, in which he
paid particular attention to the crop
outlook as well as the general business
Mr.. Fish is very conserva-
tive in his views as we'll as careful in
his observations. Therefore, what he
has to say carries great deal of
weight. The fact that he is president
of big trunk line, reaching from Chi
cago to the Dakotas on the one hand
and to the gulf on the other, would. be
sufficient in itself to give his words
considerable weight; but his added po-
sition of bank director coupled with
his interest in number of leading
financial institutions in Wall street
give his interview the rank of first inn
portance.
Mr.. Fish's concluding paragraph re-
garding state bank notes is particular
ly significant at this time, and is some
what surprising in view of the general
trend of opinion in New York against
the repeal of the state bank issues.
''The signs of the subsistence of the
silver craze as political factor are
multiplying" said President Fish.
During recent trip through the
south, | talked with many prominent
democrats in congress and out of it,
and happened to be in Louisville at the
time of the recent democratic state
convention. So far as / am able to
Judge, the 16 to l movement in the
south is merely a political malleshift
for the purpose of suppressing the
tariff issue. The people will take up
but one political topic at time, and
the southern leaders seem to have
brought forward the unlimited coinage
of silver in order to avoid discussing
the tariff. l doubt if many of them are
sincere in their advocacy of free silver,
and have reason to believe that they
have thrown this tub to the popular
and populistic whale for it's amuse-
ment
The general business outlook con-
tinues to improve, and we shall un-
doubtedly hear less and less about free
silver and other hercsies. There has
at all times been cheap money party,
having it's nucleus in the dissatisfied
elements of society. Hard times in
crease and good times decrease the
number of this faction. As prosperity
becomes better assured, the agitation
for fat money will undoubtedly sub
side as it has in the past, and those
who are chronically 'agin the govern
ment' will ere long find employmentin in
gainful occupations, and disappear as
factors in the political world.
Another very large corn crop is as
sured in the lower Mississippi valley,
and the indications for corn all over
the country are most cheering. We
are now to season where it is
scarcely possible that general disaster
can overtake that crop, even in the
northern part of the corn belt, where
there is always danger from frost, al
though we will undoubtedly hear of
losses from various causes in different
parts of the country. The winter
wheat crop was rather less than half
the usual average, and the prospects
are not fiattering for large yield of
wheat, even including the much better
outlook for spring wheat. OF oats and
other small grain, and fruits of all
kinds, there is an abundance.
Cotton in.Nississippi and Tennessee,
although backward owing to excessive
rains, bids fair to be good crop, al
though not up to the phenomenal
figure of last year,
Too much credit cannot be given
to President Cleveland for having, at
so early day, opened campaign of
education in regard to silver, or to the
chamber of commerce for its aole, un-
selfish and sustained efforts i'll the
same direction. All that seems now
necessary is to continue this work of
enlightenment, with the view of
bringing to the knowledge of our
southern friends the fundamental
principles underlying n sound currency
and the realization of their own in
terests. AS each southern state, except
Florida, annually grows agricultural
products of Il greater value than was
the entire product of silver in the
United States during 1894, and as the
larger part of these products consists
ported and commands gold in every
port in Europe, i cannot believe that
there is, or will continue to be, any
strong feeling in favor of the unlimited
coinage OF silver in the south.
"Our southern friends have, however
grievance in that their local rates for
money are so high in proportion to
those prevailing in New York and
other money centers, and it may be
that this could be corrected by repeal.
ing the tax on circulation of state
banks. The experience of New York
and other states, before the war
demonstrates that notes of state banks
can, under proper safeguards, be kept
in circulation locally at par, without
loss to anyone. For one, fail to SEE
why this should not be again per-
mitted now that the main object of the
war measure has been accomplished
IT, as many believe, it will bring ,
closer parity of rates of interest in al
parts of our common country, this pro
hibitive tax should be repealed forth
with"
1t is the plea of the free silver
ties that they want more money