The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-10-07
SILVER AS THE
FARMERS FRIEND.
FREE SILVER WOULD HELP THE BIG
FARMER BY CUTTING DOWN THE
WAGES OF HIS HIRED MEN,

FNrNMCR . W INV OOWN lFlE
WAGES OF HIS HIRED MEN.
A Cool, Calculating Farmer Explains tho
Situation to Ills wife-He Thinks He
VIII Gain Nearly $1,000 by tho sixteen
70 One scheme Half OF This wni BE
Taken From the Wages of His Farm
hands wife Shocked at the Idea OF
Cheating Their Hired HeIp-win Do Her
Best to Prevent Bryan's Election.
Farmer-I reckon this free silver's
about the best friend Of us farmers
that's come our way since the war. AL
lowing Bryan's elected all right this
year. I calo'la I'll DO worth nearly
81, 900 more next year than now.
Farmers Wife-Nonsense, Harvel /
don't believe silver's going to make
folks rich. One'll have to work for o
living il Bryan's elected just as hard as
If he isn't.
FL don't deny but what you're
heads level there, Jane, Some folks
will have to work harder, but it won't
be us farmers Well come out on top
with free silver. That's snre's shooter.
f. W.-What crazy notion s in your
head now anyhow? D'you think farm
ers are smart enough 10 make laws
that II take money out Of other folks
pockets and put 1t into theirs?
F.-P'r'aps not, but they re going to
try it. dispose you don't sec how free
silver'll help US, but do.
f. VII you'll take my advice,
you'll not bother yourself to death try
ing to get rich by free silver. I'll war
rant it won't work as you calc'late
F.-rll tell you one way it'll help
me, Jane. You know that If we get
free coinage we will have silver dollars
worth bout 90 cents-sames Mexican
dollars now.
f. WI thought Bryan said that
silver'd DO worth just as much as gold
when we get free silver.
F.-Yes, that's what he says in the
east SOS he won't scare the millhands
and savings bank folks too much. But he
don't talk that way out here. because he
knows that amt what we're after We
want cheap money, SOS prices of wheat,
corn and pork II be twice as high, same
as in Mexico.
+. W.-Supp's'n they are. Wouldn't
you have to pay twice as much for
clothes and groceries and everything else
you'd have to buy? If you got - instead
Of 81, you'd have to spend 81 instead of
81. It'd be as broad as it is long. II
that's the way silver going to make you
rich, you'll never get rich.
F.-But / wouldn't have to spend 81
for every 81 spend now You know, we
have at least two hired men the whole
year and three to five more from April
to November, besides the hired girl for
| most of the year. Do you reckon I'm
| going to raise their pay when we get
! free silvar2
f. WI s'poso so. Why shouldn'
you?
F.-Just because wouldn't have to.
| P'raps after year or so I'd give ZEN
| So or $3 moro month, but nothing
like double what they re getting now.
l calo'late I'd save between $500 and
| 81 900 in wages-not quite so much on
John and Dave, because they board with
us, and of course the prices of some of
the things they eat would go up, but
! I'd save bout half on my day hands
who live and board at home. That s
how flgger it, and it's 'cording TO the
opinion of Governor Boies and other big
silver people. They say farm wages is
too high for profits and that silver ii
bring 'em down.
+. Wand SO that's why you're for
free silver. Harve Grimes; want to cheat
your poor hired hands out of half their
wages, men who now can hardly keep
their families out of the poorhouse!
thought 1t was them Wall street Shy
locks and goldbugs you're after with
your free silver stick and that you re
trying TO square accounts with them
rich fellers, but it seems
Hold up there, Jane! Free silver's
going to save us bout 81 900 ON what
still owe on that $4,000 mortgage.
Who d'you think'll lose that?
+. WI don't care who'd lose it.
'Tain't right to cheat anybody, but /
wouldn't say word SO long's it's some
body who could afford to lose it, but when
1t comes to cheating your poor neighbors
it's time to put stop to it. l don't
care If you never get that other farm
paid for. l guess we won't starve on
this old farm. I'm going to tell John
and Dave and all the others just how
free silver will hurt them, aud I'll get
them all to vote against Bryan. The
idea Of such farmers as you trying to
elect Bryan to cut down the wages Of
your hired men I'm ashamed Of you, 1
ami