The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1895-10-09
REMARKS BY A FOR
MER MADISON MAN.
BOLIVAR, Mo, Sept p, '95.


Editor of THE CLIMAX:
A short time ago, looking Eastward to
my old native State, had good reason
to fear that it would be lost tothe Dem
ocratic parry, be ,ause of factional differen-
ces over a purely economical question,
involving no great fundamental principle .
that might effect our liberty or tend to a .
change in om form of government.
The outlook looks better now. Am l |
right? hope so. As has been sugges-
ted, there is not enough room in Ken
lucky for two Democratic parties, 50 let
all get together This free silver wave, !
sweeping down from the silver-laden |
mountains Of the West, threatens every
thing before it. From cranky Kansas it |
rolled over Missouri with the Dema
gogues and office-seeking politicians Oh |
It's crest, and is not only democrat |
izing the Democratic party, but is exer-
cising bewildering influence among the |
Republicans. Some of our strayed-of |
Democratic friends are opening their eyes |
to their mistake, but pride of opiOn holds |
back an honest confession, and they only |
hope for chance to come down grace
FULLY and without being hurt. Some still
cling to their idol because they honestly
believe in and worship it. Others have
built upon it and it is the foundation up
on which they must stand or fall, and we
cannot blame them for their desperate
struggle to keep it in place. The masses,
here, have heard but little except the
silver side Of the question, and, as con-
sequence, are mostly free-silverites.
When the sound money side is discussed
and understood there will be change,
and most of those who have gone off will
come back to the old Democratic fold,
while a few will 90 into the third party
mostly useful for trading purpOses-This
tidal-wave, going East, crossed the Miss
issippi, and, it is to be hoped, will find It's
break-waters in Kentucky as the Know
nothing party did in Virginia. There is
no reason why the Democratic party
should divide on this question and give
the victory to the Republicans.
Surely the Democrats of Kentucky are
not so dazed with this 'bright idea"
cleaning from its mountain home as to
tamely and 6lindly pass under the Re-
publican yoke?
What is there in it, any way? If the
fiat theory Is right, and value has moth
ing to do with money, our free-silver
friends are but half right; if 1t is wrong,
they are that much wrong
Ii the fiat of the government would
makeu up the difference III value, between
the gold and the silver, or would give
the purchasing power to the dollar with
/ out regard to the material of which it is
made, so that there would be no change,
who would be benefited ? The mine
owners, in case Of free coinage Of silver,
/ but would the farmer or laborer in either
! case? The farmer would get no more
for his surplus or the laborer his servi-
vice, and not dollar more wonId be
added to his wealth by It.
If the dollar continues to command
the same amount Of labor or its products,
whethercomposed of 25.S grains OF stand
ard gold or 4l2l grains of standard silver
or OF fla tpaper, of what advantage will the
change be to the people of Kentucky or
the great mass of toileris in the United
States? If, by the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver at Is to I, they expect
to get more Tor labor and its products
''that money will be more plentiful
will it be because the law when passed
would make labor and its products more
valuable or because of a depreciation in
our currency? If it takes two dollars
then to buy what one dollar will now,
how is the farmer benefited though be
can sell his surplus for double, with the
proceeds he can only buy of the things
needed or desired the same he can buy
with the proceeds.
The prices paid for labor and especially
for common labor, are slow to advance,
when compared with the fluctuations in
the currency, and the products of labor
are much sooner adjusted to a change,
therefore labor will suffer most by de
probation in the currency. Free coin
age might, at least, for while, material
ly advance the price of silver to the no
small advantage OF the mine owners, but
it would drop back as the output and
the inflow from other countries would
increase. By it, gold would be driven
out as money metal.
The credit system would be suspended
until prices and values should De adjusted
to the new basis. The creditor class I'M
willing to suffer the loss from such an
adjustment, would demand payment,
when the debtor class unable to borrow,
to meet these demands, because of the
unsettled financial status, would suffer
most. The day laborer will still get his
dollar but can only purchase half that he
could before and must be satisfied with
half rations.
financial crisis, such as was never
known viii necessarily result from these
changes. The shrewd man of wealth
will add to his thousands by speculations
while the poor and laboring classes will
suffer. Are we ready and willing to
make this change and suffer the conse-
quenee,when, in the final adjustment.
the most We can hope to make by it is to
get two dollars for the products of our
labor, where We now get one, with which
we can only buy what We now buy for
the one. In view Of this, had we not
better get together and keep together on
the great and fundamental principles
enIinciated by jefferson and others upon
which our security as a free people rests?
Let the Democrats of Kentucky get
together before the Ides of November
next and hold the fort for their own good
and the good of the country at large.
Respectfully,
JNo w. Ross