The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-12

common people IL I am In reality ad-
vising them for their good and serving
tasir true interests. Those who above all
others In the land should today be on their
the iaborers OF America.
And the Farmer: Oh. No.
But will not the farmers be Benefited?
WIZ they not receive higher prices for
iheif products? May be higher price.
70 have a dollar instead of alalf- dollar
II she dollar can purchase TO more than
ihe lalf-doll1r? And will farmers receive
even noLllTnliy a nigaer price than they
do now? The best market or the farmers
product Is fals OWN country. And. IL mis-
cwn country Is impoverished. II factories
less the farmer will receive but little for
his harves.s.
Men on salaries will scarcely hope to
have tnelr salaries doubled. even nominai-
ly. and then their salaries. such a. tary
may be- viii have only half @he purchasing
power they have today. Those who owe
debts, payable principal or interest. win
receive the same salaries as today, and
their salaries will have but half the dehs-
paying power which they have today. But
those who owe debts not PAYABLE IN gold?
Wen. IL the country Is ruined. where will
they ma even silver 70 pay their deb-s?
1t Is q Delusion.
'sThe only men benehted-and they are
few today. and Il Is scarcely worth While
10 pr-ng around a revolution In the cOun-
try 10 benefit shem-are. the debtors, who
have today gold on hand, and who by free
silver coinase will have their store
doubled in nominal value and will be en-
abled I'D reduce their debts by one-haif.
dslnsion TO imagine that silver will cir
cusate so plensifuliy that II can be mad
by all. and that the quantity VIII make
up for the lack Of value? IL silver bull
Ion does not decrease IN commercial
value. silver will not De produced in guam
titles, and as owners Of silver win not
part with il, except IN exchange for COM
n,oiEIes or labor which they deem ussfui
try Is not prosperous. the people will get
very little silver ard obtain no profit from
free mintage. But-and here IS the popu-
lar argument in favor OF free silver COIN
age-we have had hard times under the
gold standard. That Is true. and what
Is also true is that under the silver stand
is the great fallacy OF the day to ee at
trlbutlng our hard times TO the gold stand
ard.
Ii II a Quack Remedy.
The craze for free silver as a cure for
hard times Is expfcable on the same the
ory that a man wha has been long sick,
despite the attentive care of expert ply
sIc.ans. will call for any quack which adj
vertises 10 cure ali the Ills Of humanity.
Hard times have come through the Sc
we're and resistless working of economic
laws which go their way in spite OF local
enactments OF parliaments or congresses.
oue OF fhe efltSf causes or nara f1mSe To-
day Is the agitation for change in the
currency of the country. II the American
people put down by an overwhelming ma
iority this idea. bury il out OF sight. the
chief cause OF hard times will be out OF
the way. Good times may be expected to
come back surely, il only gradually.
.'The overproduction that gIutted our
markets has been used up: capital is anx-
fous 70 do something with its money IL ii
can be invested safely: our wondrous nat
urai resources Invite inyestm snts to de-
velop them and. confidence restored. the
outlook is bright. And the essential thing
IS confidence.
There are hundred OF aspects OF this
question which | do not touch upon
merely throw out some thoughts whtsn
show reasons for my own present pclit-
scat faith, and which may be OF some ben
eft TO others in forming their own Judg-
ment | may. OF course. be mistaken
But have come TO look upon the present
agitation as the great test OF universal
suffrage and popular sovereignty. can the
people defend public honor and the fnsti-
tutions OF the country at the polls as they
hav. done on the field on oatfieg Can they
hs. so calm and deliberate in their judg-
rsent so careful TO weigh all things IN
the scale Of reason--and 10 avoid all rash
experiments, that they can be trusted
With the settlement OF grave financial
probe ms That Is the question that Is
before us at the present moment