Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-10-10
Whenever Danger Threatened the
Country They Have Rallied
to Its Support.
HARD TIMES AND THE CAUSE,
Employment Of Labor in Mechanical
Industries and Not DECEASED
Money is Needed.

:he support Of his country. There il
good reason in this, in the fact that he
owns the broad acres of our territory and
= so identified with our institutions that
,,rotect him in this ownership that his in
terest is necessarily of a character TO
uake him the safe conservator of our
governments perpetuity. prosperity and
.anor
In the present campaign we are con-
'ronted by an issue that affects every
lass of our citizens, hence. there is an
interest in the outcome more intense than
in any campaign since 1860. One reason
for the manifestation for so much inter-
est is the fact that the country has been
suffering from an unprecedented period
of depression and is earnest i'll its intent
80 secure relief. Among those who la
TOR none have more reason for COM
.,Iaint than the farmer. Prices of his
products have been low. values OF land
and stock nave continued to decline,
until discouraged and disheartened,
Gemagogues seem to believe him ready to
rcccpt any promise that they make. but
he fact Is. and better still. he is ready to
review and discuss fully the merits of the
propositions offered. The proposition
that has been urged paramount TO all
others, is the free and unlimited coinage
If silver,
There never was a more deceptive
oroposition, one more startling in its
fleets and results and one that would
he more disappointing should II become
, practical fact. 1t is advocated by
non having II %pecuniary interest at stake,
.acked by n combination OF capltaI uh.
lualed by any that has ever attempted
.ansral OH Unynrnmpnt since the u1V
II the slave power. The silver mine
.wners of the United States, skilled in
.%Lplitical ~maneuvering, have organized
themselves into n syndicate for the pur-
.a,;se of forcing upon the country. with
out regard TO consequences, the free and
unlimited coinage of silver.
The magnificent scheme was outlined
nv Mr.. Bryan in his Madison square
speech when he said: AT the present
sine and under the present law, a silver
lolIar when melted loses nearly one-half
it's value, but that will not be true when
we can establish a mint price OF silver
md leave no surplus silver upon the
market to drag down the price OF sill
yer bullion and then TO show the pos
sibility of cornering silver and forcing
L to a price satisfactory TO mine owners,
we cannot even expect all OF the an
rual product of silver because India.
China. Japan, Mexico and other silver
using countries must satisfy their annual
iced from the annual product: the arts
will require n large amount and the gold
standard countries will need a consider
able quantity for subsidiary coinage;
We will be required to coin only that
,.hich il not needed elsewhere, but If we
stand ready to take and utilize all of IL,
,ther nations will be ready 10 buy at
.lr pricc we fix
This il the silver miners scheme as
outlined by Mr.. Bryan. The people are
invited to loan the resources OF this gov
,rnment to a silver syndicate in order
that il may be able by taking all the
Va the price and compel other nations
. pay that price. This is worse than
tree and unlimited s~inuge, YET u Is me
o,ly wa. Mr. Bryan says whereby The
-frite of silver can be maintained at
,arity with gold. The magnitude IF the
>cleme and their audacity in attempt
ing its execution challenges admiration.
'iut the American people are accustomed
20 investigate the claims of parties and
ten. They want To know for themselves
The why and wherefores, if some great
-adical change is proposed. That they
will thus investigate and judge for them
selves il evidence that they are quail
fed for self-goyernment.
That present conditions are hard, cs-
recially among the farming class, every
tre admits. There is undoubtedly n
,ause for this abnormal condition. The
silver advocates attribute the existing
oppression to the characterization If sill
or, ''the crime of 1873" as they desig-
late the suspension of coinage of silver
collars in 1878.
They fail 10 show how that legislation
reduced prices: they simply assert that ID
lid. They fail also To show why prices
continued TO Decline after coinage of sill
yer was resumed in 1878. They ignore
ul the facts of development. the large
rud unprecedented production of farm
-'sodncts and especially the Improbable
railroads and the opening of vast terri
'orics for cultivation are entirely ignored.
During the years 1S7S-70 and so il is
Known that over 600. 900 mechanics left
10 factories and shops of New England
and the middle and older Western states
- locate on the lands in Kansas and Ne
lraska and the Dakotas. These all be-
'ame active producers instead Of consun-
RS Vt farm products.
What we now need is TO reverse this
condition Of affairs and secure less pro-
: ,cerf Snd more consumers of farm pro-
nncfs. ~ by any way we can do this, we
viii have accomplished something prnc-
cal in correcting the ills our farmers
lave. to bear. There is a method by
which this may be accomplished. n rome
az that IL not only. practical but per-
n.anent and far reaching in its effects.
There is a well established principle In
I~1litical economy often referred to by
Writer'S that the greatest creator az
ealth Is the greatest possible division of
'. Dor" Previous to the election Of Ia9o
raider the operation Of the Republican,
.licy. OF protection. we were struggling
~ realize our benefits Of this principle and
We were rapidly overcoming our adverse
nditicns ny increasing the demand Tor
tsIm products The interest which the
movement of labor has in protective dns
l'ss lies in the effect which the movement
- labor has upon the supply and demand
~ agricultural products. Ii is impossible
~ maintain . proper division of labor.
'Sccpt we produce the largest amount OF
l.anufaetnftd goods possible within our
n ttrtit0ry. Open our ports free and
nsiow our markats to be. supplied by tho
r3pufaaturers of Europe and the effect
MUD be y compel our wage esFpips