The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-10
ADIALoGUE WITH POPULIsr.

II seems 10 be a hopeless task 10 make
a Populist tor free-coiner, for that mat
teri understand that money does not
and cannot issue out of government.
They have the idea that a great govern
ment like the United States is a money
fountain out If which money may run
as water runs out OF a spring. Tell them
that the value of a money metal depends
upon the labor necessary TO dig 1t out
of the earth and they reply that they
care nothing about money metals; that
after the war the government issued
great quantities OF its notes, which II
made the people take as money, ana the
county got along irst-rate with 1t, ana
If the government could do that then,
why they ask. can the government not
do the same thing again?
1t almost looks like a hopeless case to
argue with these men, 1t does them no
good to tell them. and keep on repeating
it, that the country was in disordered
state after the war which eliminated
In the terrible panic of 1859. and that any
disordered state of finance founded, as
ours then was. upon false theories OF
finance. must wind up always in a gene
raj smash-up. Their minds always re-
vert to the halcyon part of the thing
when oceans OF false money start all
sorts Of wild speculation: when 'he ccun-
try is In q delirium of excitement ana
lives on blooms" but they never take
any account of the disaster which neces-
sarily follows when confidence leaves
and cistrust sets In; when the process OF
liquidation commences. and houses valued
a; so. sell for $4,000. while much other
property that was inflated to big values
yesterday. can hardly be given away to-
day. The ropulist and the free-coiner
shut their eyes TO that side of the pic
ture and refuse TO see any but the side
which portrays the period when the bal
loon is being inflated.
Hopeless as is the task OF making the
Populist and the free-coiner understand
that money can only be a precious metal
and that the value OF the precious metal
for money depends upon the labor neces-
sary to dig II out OF the earth, The
Times. nevertheless. does not despair.
II had the pleasure to meet with a Pop
list a day or so back who is a regular
subscriber 10 The Times. This gentle
man admitted that The Times had knock
cd great deal OF foolishness out or
him. but he stiil maintained that some
thing must be wrong about the finances
OF the country when wheat would only
bring sixty cents a bushel and corn
was hardly worth anything
We called this gentloman's attention |
10 the fact that our wheat crop this year
is more tnan four hundred millions OF |
bushels. We shall not want 10 eat more |
that two hundred millions of it perhaps |
so that we shall probably have some |
two hundred millions OF bushels 10 dis
pose OF. Americans will not buy this, |
because they will have as much with
their own two hundred millions of bush
els as they can cat. We must find peo-
pie outside OF America 10 sell this wheat
10. But when we go out looking for
purchasers we find that Russia has as
much to sell as we have, that India has
4 large quantity for sale, that the Ar
md that number Of other countries
have raised more than they can eat, and
have wheat for SALE When we get into
The general market to which all these
nations send their wheat for sale we ma
here IL more wheat than there are
wheat eaters. Ought any one to be sur
'rised. then. that the price Of wheat
hould fall to very low point?
Then, a. to corn. We have raised an
immense crop Of corn this year. esti-
mated a. high a. two thousand. fve hun
RED millions Of bushels. What are we
sing - a. with ~ tth eevn' We are