, 1896-10-17
salaries will have but hahn the debt

paying power which they have today.
But those who owe debts. not pay.
able in gold! Well. II the country is
ruined. where will they ind ever sill.
yer to pay their debts In silver? The
only man benented-and they are few
today. and it Is scarcely worth while to
bring around a revolution in the coun-
try to benefit them-are the debtors,
who have today gold on hand nd who,
by free silver coinage. viii have their
store doubled in nominal value, and
will be enabled to reduce their debts by
one-half. And. for those, the question
remains. Ia 1t honest?
1t is a delusion to imagine that silver
will circulate 30 plentifully that 1t can
be had easily by all. and that the guam
THY will make up for the lack Of value.
II silver bullion does not increase In
commercial value silver will not be
produced in quantities. and as owners
of silver will not part with 1t except
in exchange for commodities or labor
which they deem useful and valuable,
II the business of the country is not
prosperous, the people will get very lit
tie silver and obtain no profit from free
mintage.
REASONS FOR HARD TIMES.
But-and here is the popular argu-
ment in favor of free silver coinage-we
have had hard times under the gold
standard. That Is true, and what is
also true Is that under the silver stand
ard we shall have much harder times.
1t is the great falacy Of the day to be
attributing our hard times to the gold
standard.
The craze for free silver as a cure for
hard times is applicable on the same
theory that a man who has been a long
time sick. despite the attentive care OF
expert physicians. will call for any
quack who advertises to cure all the
Ills of humanity. Hard times have
come through the sever and resistless
working Of economic laws. which go
their way in spite of legal enactments
OF parlaaments or congresses.
One Of the chief causes OF hard times
today is the agitation Tor a radical
change in the currency Of the country.
II the American people put down. by an
overwhelming majority. this agitation
bury it out Of sieht-one chief cause
Of hard times will be out Of the way.
Good times may be expected to come
back surely, even If only gradually. The
overproduction that glutted out mar
kets has been used up; capital is anx-
tous to do something with its money,
II 1t a be invested, II the country's
natural resources invite investment to
develop them, and, confidence restored.
the outlook Is bright. But the esse
tial thing 10 confidence.
There are a hundred aspects OF this
question which I do not touch upon. 1
merely throw out some few thoughts
which show easons for my own pres
ent political faith. and which may be
OF some benefit to others In forming
their own judgment.
I may, Of course. be mistaken. But l
have come to look upoa the present
agitation as the great test OF universal
suffrage and popular sovereignty. Can
the people defend public honor and the
institutions of the country at the polls.
as they have done OF the field Of bat
tie? Can they be'so calm and deliberate
in their judgment, so careful to weigh
all things in the scale Of reason. and
to avoid all rash experiments, that they
can be trusted with the settlement Of
grave social and political problems.
That is the question that ia before us
at the present moment.
ELECTION PROCLAMATION.
By the board of county commission
Of the County Of Albany in the State
Of Wyoming.
ONCE Of the County Clerk.
Laramie. Albany. County. Wyo.,
Sept. %. 1896.
Pursuant to law and the prochma.
ton Of the governor Of the State OF
the qualified voters of Al
bany county IN said state are hereby
notified that a general election will be
holden in the several election precincts
and districts of the County Of Albany
and State OF, Wyoming. on Tuesday, tho
Bird day Of November. A. D. 1896. fos
the election Of the following Officers:
For Justice of the supreme court Of
the state-One person.
For representative to the Fitty-nfth
congrem-One person.
For district Judge, Second Judicial
district-Oue person.
For three presidential electors
Three persons.
For One member Of the state senate
person.
For i've members Of the house of
representatives, persons.
And also the following county on
for the said County of Albany:
For sherin-One person.
For county clerk and ex-ofacdo clerk
Of the district court-One person.
For county treasurer end ex-omcio
county aasessor@one person.
For county and prosscutins actor
person
For three county commissionsrs-|
Three persons.
For county superintendent Of schools