The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-10-07
WAGE GARNER and SILVER
Why Free Silver Will Help All Who
Work for Wag. or Salaries.
Conversation Between Railroad Cor ductor
and a United States Senator About the
Gold Circular Being Sent Out to
Wage Earners.
On the Road, Aug. q.

On the Road, Aug. q.
Editor Silver Knight -Watchman:
Dear Sir: l have never seen a copy of
your paper, but l have heard of it, and
know the side that you are on in this
campaign. 1 send this letter to you be-
cause L know that you will publish it, and
your paper has probably a larger circua-
tion than any other paper that would pub
lish it. My name is withheld for reasons
that are obvious. 1 am a conductor on a
Western railroad. A few weeks ago a
certain official of this railroad company
handed me small pamphlet of several
pages, entitled, The Wage Garner and
Free Silver" I was asked to take 1t home
with me, read carefully and return it. I
did so. In fact, read it three times. 1t
worried me much. / have been in the
railroad service 10 years, and have never
given any special attention to political
questions, and know probably more about
the tariff than any other Qustion, and
don't know much about that In gem
cral way 1 have felt from observa ton that
money was too scarce; have seen all busi-
ness and enterprise getting dull; l have
seen land sell under the hammer for half
what it sold for few years ago; l have
heard complaints from relati and friends
who live on farms to the effect that prices
were low that it was difficult to meet
expenses and have enough money left to
pay taxes; 1 have heard merchants COM
plain that they could not sell half the
goods that they have been selling. l had
no doubt railroads would do much more
business in carrying out and bringing
back freights if produce brought a better
price and new enterprises were started up;
SO l had made up my mind to vote for the
side that favored more money in this fight.
But now for the circular. 1t started out
with calling our attention to te hfact that
we were receiving wages Of SO much per
day, or salaries of SO much per month,
and that it was to our interest that every
thing we had to buy should be cheap SO
that our wages would buy more of other
things. Then it stated that free coinage Of
silver would cause the prices of farm pro-
ducts and all other things that we had to
buy would go up about double, which
would have about the same effect if the
company were 10 reduce our salaries one
half.
The circular went on to say that the rail-
roads all owed bonds payable in gold out
of the country but that it would not only
drive all gold out Of the country, but that
1t would also send 1t to q premium; there
fore that the railroad companies would
have to pay premium to get the
gold to meet the bonds, and that this would
embarrass the roads that they would
have to either raise their freight and pas
senger rates or reduce the wages of their
employees. That freight and passenger
rates were now as high as the people would
stand; therefore, the only thing left would
be to reduce the wages of those who work
for the roads. That this would be q double
blow to the men employed, and appealing
to them 0O us), not to vote to bring this
colamity to ourselves The circular also
went on to say that free silver would drive
foreign capital out of this country; would
cause railroad securities which are held
abroad to be returned and thrown upon the
marnet and much more along the same
line.
AS I have said, this circular gave me
great deal of trouble, and had about
brought me to the conclusion that my duty
to my wife and children would force me to
vote against free silver. The day before
returned the circular ! had q my train
w
know him well, knew that he was a strong
free silver man, and that he had also OF
all occa sions taken sides with the laboring
men. So 1 handed him the circular and
asked him to read it, and hand 1t back to
me- saying to him that If what was in
that circular was so, why then it was my
duty to myself and family to vote against
free silver. When next 1 passed through
the car he asked me to sit down a moment
in the seat with him. He handed me
back the circular and asked me if they We're
being distributed generally among the
employees Of the railroad. 1 told him
thought they were. Then, smiling, he
said: "The advice of these companies to
effect that your wages will be reduced if
you vote for free silver reminds me of
what once occurred between a banker and
his carriage driver. The banker asked his
driver, as they were starting for the polls
on voting day, how he was going to vote.
Upon receiving the drivers answer the
banker replied: Don't you know that If
you vote that way you cannot get as good
wages as you do now?' The driver
promptly replied: Sir if that were So,
methinks you would vote that way your
SELF "
I admitted the force of the illustra ton.
hut I told the senator that l wanted him
to explain to me whether or not this cir
cular was correct when 1t said that free
silver would raise the price of farm pro-
ducts and many other things. which 1
was forced to buy out of my salary each
month. l give you below best 1 can
from memory his answer to my questions
Senator: Yes. free coinage of silver will
undoubtedly raise all farm products. But
YOU must remember that
Conductor-If that is so then want you
to show me, if you can, how it would be
70 my interest to vote for free silver. But
first let me state to you my case. My
general sympathies are all on the side of
the farmers and those, who create wealth.
/ even feel that generally the country
would be more prosperous il there were
more money and for that reason 1 had
about made up my mind to vote for free
silver. have a wife and growing family.
Ny only income is my salary, which is
%75 per month. 1t is all that can do now