The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-23
ANSWERED.
Mr.. Harvey, Editor of "Coin" and Chair
man of the Bimetallic League
Writes.

CHICAGO, Ill, April 16 Mr.. w. 81.
Harvey, Chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Bimetallic League,
whose headquarters are In Chicago,
prepared yesterday the following reply
TO President Cleveland's letter to the
Chicago business men:
TO HIS ETcetLency Grocer Cleveland,
President, Washington, d. c.:
DEAR SIR:-In reply to your letter
addressed to a committee of business
men of this city, we wish to say that
the committee that waited on you and
the persons who attached their names
to the petition, did not represent a ma
jority of tue business men and citizens
of this city who take a deep interest in
the welfare of this republic. They rep
resented the class that owns money
and securities payable in money-fixed
incomes. We respectfully submit that
your letter does not present the true
merits of this controversy. You call
the attention of farmers and wage
| earners to the fact that the rising prices,
while enabling them to sell their prod
ucts and labor at a higher price, will
also cause them to pay equally more
for what they may purchase, but you
neglect to say that your statement is
not applicable to debts. With prices
coming down regularly and steadily
since the demonstration of silver, our
merchants, manufacturers, and people
generally have been doing business on
q falling market, so that the time in
terveDing between the purchase of
their merchandise OF raw material and
placing 1t months after on the market
has removed the margin they would
hnUn nfhnrWTSn made This ChWTn nOn
in values, added to the ordinary risk
and expense of business, has led to an
ever increasing volume of debt. to a
money lending period, until it has in
creased all told, public and private, to
about $40, 600, 900, 600, or about two
thirds of the total value of all the prop
erty in the United States. We have
constantly pointed the people to the
ever-increasing interchangeable value
of the creditors dollar, and to the
reason why it was increasing, but the
influence of these creditors have dom
mated your administration and you
insist on such q currency as they have
established al a sound currency. 1t
means the c~oDfiscation of the property
of the people by the sale of property
under mortgages, judgements and exc,
Cutions. 1t means that fixed incomes
will wipe out the interest of hundreds
in our railroads and corporations.
IF it is an injustice to restore prices
SO that people can exchange their prop
erty for a sufficient number of dollars
to pay their debts and bring happiness
and prosperity to u land again, 1T was
a greater injustice to destroy the value
of property and enhance the value of
money by the characterization of silver
and the establishment of a single gold
standard. The gentlemen who invited
you and who petitiOned you, only rep
resent one class of people. We
respectfully submit that it was safer
that all the people should do the think
ing for it, than that any class should do
it for them. The selfish interests pre-
dominate to promote selfish interest
when one class does the thinking for
all. Broad views to justly promote
the common welfare of the people can
be best secured by a ensus of the views
of all the people. We agree with you
that it liz time for the people to reason
together and to that end we respect
fully ask that you make it possible for
them to get printed copies of the act OF
1892 on which our forefatheI s based our
financial system and subsequent acts,
together with the act of 1873 that re
versed the former policy and acts sub,
sequent thereto, as well as all statistical
and other information of an official
nature at Washington that bears there
OF. We but express own opinion
to the President of the people when we
say that all the people should have the
opportunity to Investigate and intelll-
gently pass upon this question.
Respectfully.
Nv. III. HARVEY,
"Chm'n Bimetallic Committee"