Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-10-03
Silver and Prosperity.

McKinley's manager, Hanna, and
his aids are quoting Mexico as a silver
country that is below par and are
introducing Mexican dollars and pay
ing them out to workmen as an object
lesson, with the view Of showing, rs
they contend, the effect Of a deprecated
silver dollar They neglect to state
that this money is intended for use in
Mexico and not intended for circula-
ton in foreign countries. 1t is well
known this country issued trade dollars
for use in our trade with China, and
not intended for circulation here. II
was a special mintage for Il special
purpose and no iair-minded man
would undertake to discount the money
in use here by reason Of the lack Of
legal tender qualities in a particular
money coined for particular purpose
for use in a particular country where
lis legal tender qualities were of no
avail. These same managers of the
Mckinley campaign also fail to make
public the fact, 50 cogently presented
by President Diaz of the Mexican
republic, that under the silver stand
ard now in force in that country
Mexico enjoys unexcelled prosperity
and gives the reason for it in the
statement that since the establishment
Of that standard, the imports have
largely diminished and the exports
have largely increased. In other
words, Mexico buys less and sells
more. which is the first element of
success in any nation or individual.
If the effect Of the reconciliation
and free coinage of silver, as proposed
by the Chicago platform and nominees,
is to increase our exports here rs they
have in Mexico. with the attendant
diminution Of our surplus cereals, the
necessary result will he an advance in
prices. This i what the farmers want
and what the mechanic. laborer, mer-
chant and all others dependent on the
farmer want, for the simple reason
that with the advance in the
prices of produce. the farmers will
have more money To spend for labor
and merchandise, with correspond
ing increase of labor and profit to
those as well as to the farmers them
selves. But our gold friends object
and say we will have to pay for our
imports in gold, and that the differ
ence in the value OF gold and silver
will have to be added to the imports
when they reach the consumer in this
country. Admit this, and who is af.
fected by the increased price of i'm
ported goods? 1t certainly is not the
plain people, who are contending for
the reconciliation of silver This
country can now, and does now pro-
duce everything that is necessary for
the plain American people to have.
If the other class-the syndicate and
trust and monopoly owners are too
proud to use and wear American made
products and want to ape English
dudes, they have that privilege now
and will have il with silver restored
to the position it occupied in our iinan-
cial system before the ''crime of -. "
Ii they want these luxuries they must
pay the price for them, and they can
do il without penury. The plain
American people don want them,
and are not able to pay for them and
decidedly object to any legislation or
financial system that compels them to
pay for luxurie= enjoyed only by the
millionaires. America and Ameri-
can products are good enough for
plain American people. and they want
the National Government administer.
ed, not on the European plan. for the
benefit of Europeans and their safe
lites, but on the American plan for
Americans.
The spirit Of 76 is As rife today as
then and the plain people, who then
conquered their independence by the
sword, will conquer by their ballots in
November their freedom from Eng
lish interference in American finance