The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-25
MORTON'S LITTLE JOKES
yor GREETED WITH H0Hhh"
MfRrH ~ MS DEPLEIMhNf'
rree-siIxer Men Not Pleased with "'s
Comedy Paying Them ON In i"e''
Own Coin"

WASHINGTON Aug. Isl. sterlihs
Morton occasionally transforms 'Ac ~.
rartment OF Agriculture into a hhdi. .l'.,
experiment stauOn. ne dcie5hts ~ pN.''o
Known as the JOily Joker Oh tuN -,
uents oncial fanny, ana ~ content "
remain ln " asuIls tOn "nli" w -
dent and the other members OF the NaDi-
ret are away on their summer N"caNoi'9,
provided ne is permitted 10 pay luv iiN.''
with ms praCu.dl Jokes. his iat-St YIN.
cay IN entitled raging Them vi 4"
Their own com. .t
enc on the LIST ana the 0tner on the i10n.
There are several Farmer Aihahce III"
advocates OF Tree SILVER IN the DtldiN-
menL OF Agriculture, 1Of me rural ~
,,resSun an feels mat ne mas a. special claim
lpon the head OF that pfdhch OF s"o
service Tor such patronage as may ~
sNailaple. \ lew days ago secIctaiy .i'A
ton decided IL NOulu be a Svod JvN' ~
stVe some OF the Tree SILVER employ ees
ia mis- department an OBJECT lesson VI
the financial question. lie thtrupoh .'il
cd into consultation the dlsbuIslns olu~et
oil the department ana lhssiuNt-u iiliii ~
ascertain IN a quiet way all those IN
ulove.s who were IN the habit OF talk
ing free SILVER In the oince ana ddNoca1iHs
what they de siSnatc as the pour ma
money. When pay day arrived tnc -
silver employees procccued 10 1ne ne"
nursing oflctr room IS usual 70 ttcctN0
their emi-mouthly stipend. Muen ~
their surprise they were pdll OIL III sittt
coin. IA amounts asgresaunS ABOUT fi'Y.',
10 All complaints as 10 .ne v"," ,,',e
weight OF that class Of money, thcie N"P
no reply from the disDursing clefh' anu
d. b. understood that orri AIRY "i'.' w
regards his practical Illustration vi ro ,
SILVER question convincing III o'ii'0i- q"
favor OF sound money. ...
secretary horton Justies Ills payment
OF the sdlaI-ts 20 certaih tintios'' "a
silver by saying hat they nave dnilou''.,1
repeatedly tncir preference lOi H"f -
consequently received the coin OF tA'lt
choice one OF the men VINO got SEVERN
pounds OF silver TO carry mono Oh 81
FRIDAY was quite indignant. nc Nol.,'
the sentiment OF many Tree S'l'Ni VII
piuyes Wueu uc Salu.
Il think Secretary Morton IS very un-
fair in what me forms AS ms on. itf-'i'
lie might as well pay us IN nlchel pieces
or in copper pennies, anu II we s.o-, ,.,
protest that. that Is no convenient 4V4 h
of money 10 carry, he might as wen Jay
we are not i'm favor Of copper ana hlehtl
coin. As a matter OF fact, III man re-
ceived say, $1,000 IN gold coin, Whlch ns
would be expected TO carry nome WIN
him ne would protest as strongly as We
protested at getting our monthly sdidlg
in silver dollars. The SloiNN Moult M,ir"
sixty pounds, and greenbacks OF l@ibe
denominations or silver ceitlucdl'rf lvI
the matter OF that, would be preferred
10 the heavy coin. We are lntelil5ehI
men In this department, ana il secretary
Morton wants 10 present an argument 10
ms "A. see no reason why he should not
present some manly argument, lnste"u
Of indulging In child's play or paying
MS of i'm silver dollars. Let MN give l9
silver certificates and ne VIII near no
complaint" ,,.-,.. ..a,.. h.
simply gave them the Kind OF money they
profess 10 believe IN, and therefore lhey
should not complain. lie indicates mat
he proposes 10 keep up the practlce nnlh
further orders. 49,. s-oa
solver men say. the Secretary should pay
OF i'm gold coin all those clerks ana em-
ploves i'm his department who iaFot
gold IN preference 10 silver. The estaD-
lisnment Of such a precedent, they thlnk,
would soon call forth cry OF MATT
from Secretary Carlisle, who Is so zeal
ous i'm his guardianship OF the gold re-
serve A iOcOse free silveritc suggested
that. on the same principle, Secretary
Morton might pay off his colored messen-
pefs and lanOrers in WatcrnelOns, ID they
dared TO express a fondness for thelr
favorite fruit within the walls or me
department. There should be no room Tor
the Secretary I'm his private carriage on
nav dav. If his cOachman should receive
yatehmelons instead of dollars.
Secretary Morton Is not the nrst pract-
cal htrioi.i4 4 10 SIT al the mead OF the
Department of Agriculture, although he
may be the most successful one. one OF
Inc most peculiar Secretaries was the
first one. Norman j. COlman. He excited
considerable merriment during his briei
career as "A member Of Mr.. Cleveland's
Cabinet. COlman. like Morton, was