Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
A WAGE FARMERS VIEW.
TALK AND SENTIMENT v. LOGIC
AND FACTS.
Only Harl Times and Hard Work
VIII Result From Adoption of
the Free Silver Idea-A Question
No Free SiIverite Has Answered.

the Free Silver Idea-A Question
No Free Silverlte Has Answered.
The free-coinace .of-silver agitation
disturbs me. The discussion OF it
faces me at every turn. Many of nv
friends in whom l have the utmost
confidence are most ardent advocates
of free silver. and nv desire, before l
had examined closely into the ques-
ton, was to be a free silver man also.
I would I could stanl with my silver
friends; but I cannot. The loudest
talk, the most activity, the deepest
earnestuess. ale arrayed on their side,
but the logic and the facts, as they APP
pear before me, are against them.
am neither a farmer nor a banker.
I earn nv bread by work-which, bv
the way. is very scarce just now and
it is by closest economy that 1 am able
to get along at all. In this condition
of afT4irs 1 feel that l am ripe for a
change of some sort, and l sm only
too eager to become m advocate OF
ANYTHING that will better matters, and
| would be free silver man if I could
see wherein I could get any benefit
from it. But l can sea only harder
times, harder work TO live, through
the adoption of the free coinage idea.
1 have wrestled over the question
with the brilliant Bryan of Nebraska,
with Senator Stewart, with jerry
Simpson, with Congressman Britton,
and others, to see if they could point
a way for me to Join with them with
out leaving any doubts in my mind as
to what the result of the adoption of
their idea would be. They have failed
to convince me because they have
failed to give a logical answer to one
question l have asked of them.
The assertion of the silver side is
that the injection of free silver at the
ratio of Is to l into our circulating
medium will increase the price of
commodities; in other words, that
food and other household necessaries
that can now be purchased for fifty
cents will under the proposed new or
der cost, a dollar to the consumer.
That brings me to my question. which
no free silver advocate has as yet an
swered. 1t is this:
evil not free coinage OF silver at
the existing ratio increase the cost Of
commodities, and therefore decrease
the purchasing power of wages?"
1t seems to me that my question is
fair and straight; yet when l pinned
Senator Stewart down to 1t last year,
on the occasion of the California Pr
oneer reunion, he turned away from
me-gave no answer. Bryan and the
other friends have agreed that free
silver coinage would reduce the pur-
chasing power OF existing wages; but
as n of them said-I forget which
one-"Would you not be willing to
submit to a temporary hardship for
the general prosperity and good?" A
Mr.. Clark, who writes hot free silver
pamphlets, answered my question by
saying wage earners could even up
matters by demanding wages com
mensurate with the change" which
showed that he did not know how
hard it was to get an increase OF wages.
Labor and business are depressed.
All the silver OF the world,
dumped in upon us, will not
change the conditions. How can
it? Suppose the wishes of the silver
men are agreed to, and silver is coined
into 16 to l dollars as fast as all u
minis can do it-how will we who
work for wages get any of it? For
that matter, how will the farmers get
any of it? We will have TO work for
it, and so will the farmers. But sup
pose there is no work, what then?
Then neither can get it. l can see very
plainly who will be the beneficiaries.
The silver mine owners-notthe work
ers, mind you-and the silver specula-
tors, will be the sole beneiciarles.
For we will coin their silver for them,
taking fifty or sixty cents worth OF
their bullion and put the dollar stamp
of our Government upon 1t, benefit
ing them from eighty to II hundred
per cent. on each dollar. Such a
bonus is worth fighting for-would be
a great "snap." OF course the silver
mine owners viii pay their miners in
the silver dollars thus procured; but
l wonder II they will increase wages to
a point commensurate with the
changer" l do not know whether they
will or not, but 1 do not think 1 am
rash in saying they will not. Why
should they, except as a matter of SEN
timent? But sentiment is not bust
ness; aud business says: Get your
labor as cheap as you can and sell
your product as dear as you cam
VIM. McCabe, in American Industries.