Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-08-27
FARMERS TAKE ISSUE.
e. p. Wells "Sound Money"
Arguments Call Forth
Replies.
That Bankers Have Suffered
Equally With Farmers
Strongly Denied.
Silver Money of Other Coun-
tries Will Not Leave
Home.

oliver money OF OIn0F NOUO.
tries Will Not Leave
Home.
Editor Alert:-May I be allowed to
cay something IN answer to Mr.. Well's
talk in your last issue? shall not at
tempt to discuss the financial question
from q political or international stand
point, but to look at it in it's practical
every day workings.
Mr.. Wells asks that courtesy be ex-
tended by tho silver people to those Of
opposite opinion; that is only fair, it
it should be done, but let me ask Mr..
Wells to pick up any Of our great da,l,es
or weeklies taking the gold side aid see
the courtesy extended to the silver peo-
pie. "Fools," "idlots," "blockheads,"
"anarchists," }" "traitors," are few Of the
courteous terms to which our gold
friends treat us, and have treated us
ever since this question came up. OF
late, though, when they see the question
assuming serious form and the
silver cause supported by men whose
intelligence, honesty and foresight can
not be sneered at, they begin to beg for
a fair hearing and that We shall believe
in their sincerity.
This should not be 80 on either side
ono man may in oil sincerity of purpose
believe in the gold stsndsrd-his neigh.
Dor, equally sincere. may see the silver
side of the shield; can they not agree to
fight it out IN fair field and leave per-
sonal dispsragement alone? The dis
paragement, by nearly all gold standard
papers, of farmers who are interested IN
the silver movement is offensive and un-
called for. When We consider that every
civilized person in the world is fed and
clothed-the great necessities Of life-by
the products of the farm then surely We
must recognize the vast Importance of
the farming interests to the world. Tn:
men who conduct this great work are
those who are coolly informed of their
ignorance, and general insigniicsnce and
inability to help carry on the affairs of
the great nation which they clothe and
feed. They are tired Of only being con-
sidered at election time and begin to
realize that letting the business mem
attend to all the business 10 rapidly i'm
poverishing them.
Mr.. Wells asks Why banker should
not be better posted on financial matters
than q farmer, ~ that is the business to
which he 10 specially devoted just az
farmer is to his farm. There 10 no rea.
con Why he should not, he is expected to
be and probably is; neither is it any rea-
son Why bankers should use that knowl-
edge for their own ben6t and control
the great finances Of the United States
any more than that farmers should store
up oil their produce and refuse to sell it
unless their deaires could be complied
with. No one can cast any personal
reflections on Mr.. Wells or his conduct
OF his bank in trying times, but to cer-
tain extent bis bank and all others are
controlled by the bankers association
can any one doubt but that control is
used for the interests OF banks and
bankers? The finances of the country
since the war have been in the han dc Of
tho money interests-our Legislatures
whether republican or democratic have
been controlled by that interest and
what is the result? Scarcity Of money,
excessive interest, great corporations
and trusts controlling both price and
sale Of all articles used by farmers. A
farmer can not set price on one article
he buys or sells, unless in the sale of
some single article he may be allowed
his price.
Now what can be more helpless than
that? He goes to town with wheat, or
hogs or potatoes or butter and eggs or
any OF the varied produce of the farm;
he has to say "What will you give?"
Then he wants to bring home groceries
or dry goods, or machinery, or twine. or
any Of the needs of his home and he has
to say "What will you tske?" That is
the result of allowing the people who
favor the present gold standard to at
tend to the finances Of our country.
Our republican friends tell us it is the
democratic administration that is re-
sponsible for all this. If We are farmers,
we read enough to know that in the
early part OF Harrlson's administration
prices began to fall, trusts began to
multiply, wages grew smaller and more
men were thrown Of employment; we can
not forget that the very acts for which
we condemn Cleveland, his bond issues
and sales, his sending out regular troops,
etc, were cordially indorsed and ep-
plauded by the leading republican
papers over the United States. Now
both old parties having failed US, il we
propose to enter into public affairs with
new start and to earnestly advocate
those measures which we believe will
help all the greet laboring classes, then
who shall blame US?
When we see 10 the promoters of the
gold standard every millionaire, every
banker. every trust, and every corpora
ton is it not natural we should feel that
the system while it is beneficial to them
ls not so for US? Is any financial system