The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-09-09

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floating around in the hands of the
people?
The Professor then says:
ut is said that this silver PROVOST.
tion is in the interest of the laboripp
man. Would it benefit him? One Of
their favOrite statements is that it
will double the value of everything.
They appeal to the laboring man on
the ground of their numerous strikes.
They want to array him against the
capitalists. Don't they know that
any man who earns money and saves
a part of it is capitalist? These are
facts that every laboring man knows:
II he works for wages, whether it be
by the day, week, month or year,
whe ether it be upon farm, in school
room or on the street, he will always
find that his wages increase slowly.
The prices of things change day by
day. Suppose free coinage would
make things cost twice as much as be-
fore. do you think that it would
double your wages. Can these men
guarantee that as prices double your
wages will double? You know by ex-
perience that prices change fast but
wages slowly.
The proposition that every man who
owns money and saves part of it is
capitalist. while it may be technically
true is practically an absurdity. Ac-
cording to tie Professor, the rag pick
er, who has ten cents in his pocket,
belongs to the same class in society as
the Nanderbllts and Astors. This is
trash. You night just as we'll say
that because there is little light in
the darkest night the night and the
Gay are all one.
| Wages have been held up in this
country, despite the fall in prices of
commodities, by the force Of labor Or
CARNATIONS. But when the hard
times press upon the people, while
those who work may work at a sched-
ule OF prices fixed by their society,
there are millions who cannot get
work at any price. The man who
commits suicide because he cannot
find employment will find little COM
fort in the fact that the few who do
get work have their wages fixed by
themselves. But even organized la
Dor must tremble as it stands over
the abyss and knows that below them
are the seething millions Of unem.
plOyed. There is no certainty when
they thems selves may tumble into it
also. For theirs is an abnormal con-
dition Of affairs. If there is prosper
ity for the whole people, labor will be
certain Of ample reward; but amid
universal wretchedness, it cannot
long maintain itself by the force of
organization.
The next point made by the Profess
sor is as follows:
Another statement is that it will
greatly increase The price Of farm pro
ducts. A farmer asked me recently,
il he received one dollar with SO cents
in it now, tor his wheat. wouldn't he
receive two under free coinage? The
number of coins you wish to receive
depends upon the section OF the coun-
try in which you live. Down South a
darkey wants his money in pennies.
Why? Because there is more coin and
it jingles.
LET me tell you Of an experiment
a man tried in North Carolina. He
had large number Of men working
on his tobacco plantation. Nearly
every one Of them was for free silver.
can dollar. The owner Of the planta-
tion sent to Mexico for large num-
Der Of Mexican dollars, and paid his
men with them. The man who usual
ly received Sc week in American
money now received $l2 in Mexican
money. They were all happy and
started to town to make their pur-
chases. They then, however, realized
that they must pay out twice as many
Mexican dollars as they had paid
United States dollars, and there was
no gain after all.
This is perfect trash. Is there any
workman in Minnesota that wants
his pay in pennies because they Will
''jingle?"
And the argument Of the Mexican
dollar amounts to nothing. Why is
the Mexican dollar worth but so cents
in the United States? Simply be-
cause you cannot take the metal Of
which it is composed and have it re-
coined into United States dollars.
The trouble then is, not in the silver,
but in the law. Give free coinage and
the Mexican dollar will be at once
worth 100 cents in this country. 1t
is not worth that amount because Of
the trick played on the American peO-
pie in 1873; and which McCleary is
now engaged in defending.
If the Peoples Party and the Demo
cratic forces united, elect Mr.. Bryan
next fall, with House Of Representa-
tives to sustain him, free coinage OF
silver will follow and the clap-tra
argument or the Mexican dollar will
fall to the ground. 1t is now an in
suit to the intelligence Of the Ameri-
can people; because it presumes that
they don't know why 4l24 grains Of
standard silver worth dollar with
the United States stamp upon them
and only worth 53 cents without that
stamp. The Mexican dollar is legal
tender in Mexico; it will buy as much
Of the necesSaries and luxuries of life
in Mexico as our dollar in the United
States; and it will pay as much debt
in Mexico because they have not de-
monetized silver Wheat is Worth 81
a bushel there and everything else in
proportion. Would it be we'll for the
farmers Of this country If we had the
same system here? Is not anything
that is good for the farmer good for
the rest Of the people? Is not his
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