The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-08-27
How Daniel Webster Put 1t.

1t is relevancy of a statesman's
utterances to the great issues which
occupy,for the time being,the peo-
pies minds, that gives them their
comparative appearances and prom
inence in literature. The ques-
ton of the permanece of the
national Union was the DOM
inant one at the time of Web
ster's Grafton in reply to fame, and
for years thereafter. Hence that
Grafton was enshrined in histories
and school readers and books:of ell
ecutionary exercises. But now
that the question of the nations
financial honor is uttermost, this
other utterance of "the godlike
Daniel is seen to glow with the
same oritorical fire as his reply to
the blatant South Carolinian
This is how he puts the question
of the laboring mans relation to
the currency:
The very man. of all others, who
has the deepest interest in sound
currency,and who suffers most by
mischievous legislation in money
matters,is the man who earns his
daily bread by his daily toll. ***
His property is is his hand. His
reliance, his fund, his productive
free hold,his all,in his labor.
Whether he works on his own
small capital or another's, his liv-
ing is still earned by his industry;
and when themoney of the country
becomes deprecated and debased
whether it be adulterated coin or
paper without credit, that industry
is robbed of it's reward. He then
labors for a country whose laws
cheat him out of his bread. I
would say to every owner Of every
quarter section of land in the West,
l would say to every man in the
East who follows his own pillow, and
to every mechanic, artisan and lab
orer of every city in the country--
I would say to every man, every
where, who wishes by honest means
to gain an honest living: beware
of wolves in sleeps clothing."
Whoever attempts under whatever
popular cry,to shake the stability !
of the public currency * * * stabs
your interests and your happiness
to the heart.
~ If free coinage means a one-hun-
dred cent dollar, to a gold
dollar. as some Of it's advocates as
sert, we..will not, then, lave cheap
dollars, but dollars just like those
we now have, and which will be as
hard to get. In which case free
coinage will not help,th debtor, or
make it easier for him to pay his
debts.' Leaving the question of
honesty there is this consideration,
which is a sufficient answer to Mr..
Bryan's suggestion about paying
Of his debt with a deprecated dol
lar: Suppose a farmer has Dor
rowed a sum of money, giving
mortgage as security, and in going
to try to- vote himself the power to
pay the debt off in $50 ent dollars.
He should remember that even
though MI. Bryan be elected and
the 53-cent dollar issue prevail, it
must be many months at least and
probably several years, before free
silver Legislation can be effected.
show that nearly all
farm mortgages now existing ex-
pire within very short time-most
certainly the great mojority o
them long before it is possible for
free silver legislation to take effect,
even though Bryan and free sill
YER congress should he elected in
November. Under such conditions
it is absolutely certain that the
fender of the money will refuse
% grant an extention of the loan-I|
:or no man. will loan good money
% receive in return bad money of
he same face-value only-and tho
"a rvoor's roortoo 10 will ho foroo1oo !