The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-06
SILVER THE POOR MANS MONEY.

The Chicago Tribune affects great in
dignation at the claim that silver is the
poor mans money. 1t grants that for
convenience in making change it may
be used in any sum less than $50, but
would have us believe that the country
is overlooking with gold coins from
that amount up, and that it could be
used in payment of wages as well as
silver. Its editor wades through a
column of false assumptions to show
that there is no physical reason why
the millions of loose small coins in gold,
lying idle all over the country, should
not be serving the laboring class just
as well as not The point is made
that most of the wage-earnerS are paid
$3.50 a day, and that even the COM
mon laborer earns $1.25 per day. These
wages, it is stated, are paid weekly, and
with something vi lordly affectation
of superior knowledge of the poor
mans little balances of cash, he says:
"He must be poor man indeed who
cannot earn quarter of an eagle and
wait for his pay till it amounts to that
sum-"
Very conclusive indeed is this sort Of
rot to the pampered editorial writer
who earns his $50 week by writing
the stuff which is dictated to him by
the gold barons What does he know
about the necessities of the poor? If he
knows anything, or if he dared to make
a truthful statement Of the matter, he
would recognize that there are thou
sands who would die of starvation if
compelled to wait till their earnings
amounted to $50. There is Il large
class, including helpless women and
children, who are not favored with
steady employment, but depend upon
such odd jobs and errandS As they can
pick up, to buy meal. Right under
the Tribune editors nose there are hun
dreds of thousands of poor cash boys
and girls who earn less than 500
week. If he would make little tour
of inspection around the Easements and
attic rooms and sweat boxes of the
block from which he writes his high
flown comments, he would find mothers
and almost helpless invalids who stitch
away from Monday morning till Sat
urday night for a less weekly wage than
the minimum of his ''Only real money
But this is fair sample OF the clap
trap put up by the champions OF the
gold standard. They know as well as
the general public that there is not
enough gold coin in the United States
to pay 10 per cent Of the wages earned
by the laboring class. They know, too.
that it would be literally impossible TO
provide sufficient gold coin. for that
purpose, even from the worlds supply
1t shows the poverty of arguments, as
well as willful perversion of facts,
when such falSehoods are dished up
to place before intelligent readers.
Further, and with an air OF triumph,
the silver advocates" are referred TO
Mexico as a sample Of the beauties of
paying wages in silver. 1t is stated
falsely by the way. that the avera &c daily
wages there is - cents. but the writer
forgets TO compare the rate 10 that OF
England and other gold standard ma
tons of Europe. If he can depict
poorer poverty and greater human suf-
fering in Mexico. than in these highly
favored gold blessed monarchies grow
ing out Of poor wages. he Will add TO
his laurels as satirist upon the truth
Thousands Of foreigners came 10 this
country while we were yet holding TO
the deluSion Of double standard, and
found a haven and a refuge from the
starvation wages Of the old world.
Even the Tribune editor knows this
He knows further that wages are lower
today than they were before the de-
monetizstion Of our silver, but there.
the admission OF this fact would dam
age his cause II Is wonderful how
some distinguished c0n>ervators OF
truth are given 10 lying.