The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-10-22
PADDOOK'S PRATpLE.

MI. dutlDCh Hlhuc MS EOlu SptcCH itSt
Tuesday evening and succeeded in exhib-
iling n most sublime innoccnse of any
knowledge Of the question which is now
agiGaling the public mind. He gave one
the impression that he had probably read
one perhaps two or three small two or
three leaf gold phamphlcts and thus CON
sidered himself thoroughly posted on the
financial question That one side was
all he had looked at, and that he was no
extensive student Of either, was plain.
Any commonly posted man in finance
could defeat him on the pertinent points
of the question. There are perhaps fifty
men in Weiscr who could sweep HIM off
his feet in joint debate in thirty min
ules. From start to finish his talk was
II chain of Measurements, he persisted in
using misleading statements, and con
stantly occupied false premises. He said
he was honest in his belief that lie was
talking for the best interests of the people
here and that he would not knowingly
say a'single word against what was for
the benefit Of this community, therefore
all he said must be laid TO an utter lack
his poor judgement in attempting to dis
course upon it He talked ON the Sher.
man law and stated that it compelled the
government to buy from 2 900, 600 to 4,
COO, 600 ounces month, which showed
that he hid never looked up the Sherman
law to see what it was. He stated that
prior TO 1878 there had been but g. 900 600
silver dollars coined Qeaving out ninety
odd millions Of halves. quarters, etc, } and
when he was told that 5000 600 silver
dollars were coined prior to 1878, he still
persisted in using the figures 1900 coo.
He stated that he once had to pay Is
cents for n pair of ovcrllls, which he
could buy here in Weiser to-day for 35
cents. No one else can, He stated thai
there was 80 cents of value and 80 cents
of faith in the silver dollar, and 100 cents
of value and no faith in the gold dollar
When asked il the free coinage of gold
by the worlds minis at certain figure
had anything to do with its value, he
said no. that there was 100 cents worth
of labor in the gold dollar and only 80
cents worth of labor in the silver dollar.
Sublime reasoningl He said that the
free coinage of silver would not raise the
value of silver bullion. When asked If
he would sell silver bullion at less than
81 20 an ounce when he could take it to
the mint aud get it coined at that rate.
he refused to answer, in fact he evaded
or refused to answer every question asked
him He had set lesson and was
swamped outside of it, First he said that
bimetalism would not raise the price OF
products, then turned around and walled
that the purchasing power of all the pen
sions would decrease one-half Purchas-
ing power can only decrease through a
rise in prices If prices do not rise money
cannot fall. Behind it he gave the i'm.
preston that the thought was fixed in
his mind that under free coinage his
$500 salary would not buy as much
and that he preferred it TO represent
double value to him even at the expens,
Of all the farmers of WeiSer He used
very cunning figures to show that wages
in this country We're higher than they
ever We're before The workingmen OF
| The land can answer him. He spoke oil
over production-th that big supply of pro
ducts made them buy less money, and 4
short supply made them buy more money
He did not say that bountifu supply Of
basic money made ii buy less products OF
that II contracted supply of money mad,
| it buy more products. He said everyon,
was deuded and didn't know what wa.
/ for their own good that leaders instilleC
into the people that there war on between
classes. A good many intelligent mer
who have analysed things agree tina
there is fight on between the capitals
aud banking classes against the producer.
and workers. They know that farmer.
are threatened with foreclosure il they dc
otaccept the financial policy that /,
thrust upon them. They know that lab
orcrs in the east are parading for Bryan
and wearing masks shat their employer.
may not recognize them He thought
John Sherman was fiue man. a glorious
statesman. Yet Sherman once said.
/ The utter ruin that would come TO mankind
especially to the poorer nations. by the entir,
decentralization OF silver cannot he estimated b,
US. Take one-half OF the solid money OF Tho
world out OF existence. take the sole standard o.
more than two-thrds OF tho human race reduc,
10 TO base metal, aud the effect upon the CON.
merce OF the world would be incalculable Ii
cannot be done IL viii not be done. These two
metals have Travelled side by side since the begin
ming OF time. The records OF human history dc
not go back TO time when they did not NOV,
together. They have varied in valne, sometime.
one aud sometimes the other being higher; but
they have gone on, gold the money Of the rich
SILVER tue money Of the poor, the one to measure
acquired wealth. the other to measure the daily
necessities OF life and sir no pct OF Parliament