The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-07
SQUANTUM OPINIONS.
PUBLIC INTEREST cENTERs ON THE
CURRENCY QUESTION.
Silas Upham Sides With Deacon Griggs.
Wants Notes Based Stoncs-Squirs
Crane Explains the True Inwardncss oil
The Free Coinage HumbuE.

That the question whether Deacon
Ahner Griggs is an inspired financial
genius or a muddled ignoramus contiu-
iues To agitate the people of Squantum
township, is shown in tho latest issue of
the North Squantum Gazette. From
that paper we copy the following ac-
,coant of discussion ut Hopkins store
lat Squantum Center on last Saturday
ievening:
:. Public interest in the interference by
Mrs. Abner Griggs with her husbands
attempt to put his new financial theories
into practice has increased during the
past week. The farmers and villagers
who. were in Hopkins store on Saturday
evening spent most of the time arguing
for and against the deacon's financial
experiment Among those who favored
the deacon was Silas Uphssn. who said ::
.i'Pegs to me there's IL good deal in these
new money schemes, and I'm kinder
sorry Deacon Griggs want let go On till
we see how the thing would work.
There Is no use talking. we farmers are
wheat a-going down, wool lower than
ever, and so many men out of work in
the towns and cities that we cant sell
half the stuff we raise. What we need is
more money. We want free coinage, SO
that all the silver in the world can be
used as money Ii that wouldn t give us
$a0sper capita, the government ought to
print enough greeubacks to make up the
difference Then we want the subtrcaS-
Jury system. so rs to let us farmers put
our wheat, corn, wool or pork in govern
ment warehouses, and get treasury Ger
tlficates for 75 per cent of their value.
And the government ought to lend mon
ey 70 the farmers at . per cent OH the
security of their land Ii all that won't
give us enough money, don't see why
we inightn't try the deacon's plan and
issue notes on labor products, specially
stones, which won't rust, and which is
abundant round here
Some of what you say about hard
times may be true, spoke up Squire
Crane, ibut more money amt going to
help matters. Prices is low, but its be.
cause the cost of producing things has
been lessened. Stands to reason that
wheat coming from rich prairie farms,
which cost about $l.25 an acre would
be cheaper than that grown on our
farms, which cost from $50 TO $50 al
acre TO clear. Wheat grown in India
and Russia completes with ours in the
markets of the world. Then freight rates
has gone down, and that helped lower
prices. Wool comes now from Australia,
and the great states out west, where il
can be raised far cheaper than here. The
fact Is, tisn { lack of money which has
made prices low, but new ways of max,
ing things, new places to get 'cm from
and handler ways of hauling them than
we used to have
Besides, this things as broad n
it's long. Everything we farmers buy
has gone down In price, and we can get
far more for our money than we did 20
years ago. So if we do get less money
for orr crops, and while some of them
Is lower there's a good many which
fetehes as much as they ever did, we
can buy more goods of all kinds with
What we sell off our farms.
Anyhow, making more money ont
OF silver or paper won't help us, but
would leave us far worse off. This talk
about the need of free coinage is all
humbug, stirred up by the owners of
silver mines and other people in few
states who want to fool the farmers and
the rest of the people into doubling the
price of silver The rag baby plan of
the greenbackers is played out long ago
It's the greenbacks we've got now that's
making all the trouble about our gold
reserve. If it wasn't for them. we
wouldn't have to borrow hundreds of
millions of gold at 4 per cent, and we
wouldn't be threatened with another
panic.
The rest Of them cheap money
schemes is all alike. They mean trying
to make something ont of nothing. And
Deacon Griggs' idea of getting rich bv
basing money on stones is Just AS sensi-
BILE or as crazy as the rest Of them
Joe Leffert, tho old wheelwright
thought the squire went a little too far
IN putting the people who wanted free
coinage down with the other cheap mon
,ey faddists. 'Tisn't only the farmer
who needs more money, he said. MY
business amt half what it was 20 wears
ago. These big factories out in Ohio
and Illinois can make buggies, farm
wagons and carts and sell them here far
cheaper than can build them I get
enough repairing to keep me going, but
i haven't third Of the hands | used To