The Yale expositor., 1896-10-16
FARMERS FRIEND.
CUTTING DOWN THE WAGES OF
HIS HIRED MEN.
A Cool, Calculating Farmer Explains the
Situation to His wife-He Thinks He
WIN Gain Nearly $1,000 by the Six
teen To One scheme.

Farmer-I reckon this free silver's
about the best friend OF us farmers
that's come our way since the war. AL
lowing Bryans elected all right this
year, calc'late I'll be worth nearly
$4,000 more next year than now.
Farmers Wife-Nonsense, Harve! !
don't believe silver's going to make
folks rich. One'll have to work for
living if Bryan's elected just as hard as
If he isn't.
FL don't deny but what your
heads level there, Jane. Some folks
will have to work harder, but 1t won't
be us farmers Wen come out on top
with free silver That's sure's shooting.
f. W.-What crazy notions in your
head now anyhow? D'you think farm
ers are smart enough to make laws
that'll take money out of other folks
pockets and put 1t in theirs?
F.-P'r'aps not, but they're going 10
try it, s'pose you don't see how free
silver'll help us. but do.
F. VII you'll take my advice,
you'll not bother yourself to death try
ing 10 get rich by free silver. III wa
rant IL won't work as you calc late.
FIN tell you one way it'll help
me, Jane. You know that II we get
free coinage we will have silver dollars
worth bout so cents-same's Mexican
dollars now.
F. WI thought Bryan said that
silver'd be worth just as much as gold
when we get free silver.
F.-Yes, that's what he says in the
east SOS he won't scare the millhands
and savings bank folks too much. But
he don't talk that way out here, be-
cause he knows that amt what were
after. We want cheap money SOS prices
of wheat, corn and pork'll be twice as
high, same as in Mexico.
F. W.-Supp's'n they are. Wouldn
you have to pay twice as much ioT
clothes and groceries and everything
else you'd have to buy? If you got 81
instead of 81, you'd have to spend "
instead OF ST.. It'd be as broad as lts
long. If that's the way silver's going
to make you rich. you'll never get Itch
F.-But l wouldn't have TO spend 81
for every 81 l spend now. You Know
we have at least two hired men the
whole year and three TO five more from
April to November, besides the hired
girl for most of the year. Do you
reckon I'm going to raise their pay
when we get free silver?
F. WI s'pose so. Why shouidn
you?
F.-Just because / wouldn't have to
P'raps after a year or so I'd give EN-
81 or SO more a month, but nothing
like double what they're getting now
l calc'late I'd save between $500 and
81 900 in wages-not quite so much on
John and Dave, because they board with
us, and of course the prices of some
of the things they eat would go up, but
I'd save bout half on my day hands
who live and board at home. That's
how | figger it, and it's 'cording TO the
opinion of Governor Boies and other bis
silver people. They say farm wages Is
too high for profits and that silverl
bring em down.
f. Wand so that's why you're FOL
free silver, Harve Grimes; want &c
cheat your poor hired hands out OF hall
their wages, men who now can hardly
keep their families out OF the poor
house! l thought 1t was them Wal
street shylocks and goldbugs you're
after with your free silver stick ant
that you're trying to square accounts
with them rich fellers. but it seems
F.-Hold up there, Jane! Free sill
ver's going to save us bout $1,000 CT
what / still owe on that $4,000 mort
gage. Who d'you think'll lose that?
F. WI don't care who'd lose 1T
'Taint right to cheat anybody, but
wouldn't say word so longs it's some
body who could afford to lose 1t, but
when it comes TO cheating your poor
neighbors it's time to put a stop to 1t
don't care If you never get that othe'
farm paid for. guess we won't starve
on this old farm. I'm going to tell John
and Dave and all the others just how
free silver will hurt them, and I'll get
them all to vote against Bryan. The
idea of such farmers as you trying tc
| elect Bryan to cut down the wages OF
your hired men! I'm ashamed of you,