The National tribune., 1896-10-01


EpIToR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Here is
Che argument q very intelligent farmer ad-
2 vanced to me as the reason for his support
of the Free Silver doctrine, and find that
1t forms the reason of their support OF Bryan
in this section:
/. 1t is generally conceded that wheat
will go to over $1 bushel, and farmer
can make more money.
2. That while wheat will bring over 81
per bushei, labor will remain at so cents
day Except in harvest, and the farmer can
save more.
Now. he contends that if farmer raises
600 bushels of wheat now. and receives S300
for it. or so cents bushel, the wheat being
his main cash crop, he will use $500 to pay on
the mortgage and interest on his place, ms
expenses being 500 for guano. But II ne
raises the same amount of wheat next year
and receives $500 for it, at 81 per bushel, he
will be able to pay $500 on his mortgage and
interest, allowing his expenses to be doubled,
or 5000. for guano, as can be seen.
He therefore argues that he will double
his savings, even if the price of the goods ne
purchases is doubled; SO that the price OF
his wheat is only doubled. as he counts on
his corn, hogs etc, paying his farm expenses
outside of his guano bill.
Next. he argues that the rise in wheat
and the consequent rise in coffee, sugar,
meat. ETC., will not increase the working
mans wages.
"For.n said he, when wheat was dollar
and half bushel, and all articles of con-
sumption double what they are now. the
workingman on the farm only received the
same wages he does now. The farm laborer
has been having the best time he ever had
or will have in the past five or six years"
"Then,n said i, you don't think Free Sill
yer will benefit the farm hand and country
mechanic or Workman"
Not at ALL" he replied; that is one of
the main reasons why every intelligent
farmer should support Bryan; and as to a
panic, / don't believe there will be any,
except among the money brokers See,
there was no business panic North or South
when the people got to using paper money
during the war"
of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, that the work
ing class of people will not be benefited by
the free coinage of silver and consequent
increase in the price Of the necessaries of
life.
But what ] want to know is, Would a
man be honest who pays his debts as abovee
If / lend man $10O this year. when it will
purchase me 6S tons of guano, would it be
fair to pay me but 500 next year, if free
silver is inaugurated, when it will purchase
me but 81 tons of guano, or will have only
half the purchasing power that it has now !?
Then see that Maj. Mckinley speaks of
the Sherman law. under which we purchased
from 1890 to 1893 about 54,000,000 ounces
of silver year to try to keep up its price;
but yet it kept going down. and the United
States had then accumulated about $780,
000, 600 worth of silver, / believe. What
then was the argument of these same silver
men as to the decrease in the price of silver?
They laid it TO the vast stores of silver held
by the United States which was a menace
to the market, and kept silver from going
mp, as the United States could put her silver
in market on any rise in price and thus
keep it down. They knew they had bam-
boozled the Government out of a number of
million dollars and could carry it on no
longer, and desired to clear the way for free
coinage when they would have another
chance TO swindle the people by slumping
the products of their mines on the mints,
and receiving ST. for SO cents worth of silver
the taxpayer to stand the difference. We
cannot sacrifice the other interests of the
United States for few millionaire miners,
and / doubt not that every honest debtor
viii join the mechanic and laborer, whose
wages are menaced, in voting for Maj. Nc
Kinley.-WM. E. DOYLE, Stevensburg, Va.