The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-11-14

asked MN; Are You for gold Or Tor
free silver, Mr.. Blank 2" He replied:
well, when 1 have get gold I am for
gold, and when / have got silver I nm
for free silver. and when / KANT got
nary one I am one of these damn pops"
have listened and read and thought
and with every faculty of my mind /
have weighed the matter, and I con-
fess frankly I am utterly incapable
of seeing how this government or any
government can maintain the parity
of any two given thugs which are as
wide apart as gold and silver are to-day.
Until / can understand that one prob
lem / can never be for the free and un-
limited coinage Of silver. sixteen to one,
if the free coinage of silver means what
Mr.. Carlisle and Mr.. Mckinley and 9TH
ers say 1t means, that free coinage at
the ratio OF sixteen to one means sim
ply that every one owning silver bull
lion an carry it to the minis of the
United States and have it coined into
money and then that money 50 soined
is turned back into the hands se pri-
Vate individuals as their private prop
erty, and that this government is vi der
no obligation to maintain the pritate
property of any citizen on aparity with
anything. Suppose the government
owned all the grist mills in this coun-
try and congress- should enact a law
that all o should be ground by the
government mills free, and that while
corn was worth but is cents a
bushel the government would stamp the
sacks of meal so that it would bring
so cents a bushel, and do this for moth
ing. 1t is a very hard matter to keep
meal above the price of corn. 1t is a
very hard matter to keep the silver dol
lar above the bullion that is in it, and
this government nov is straining every
nerve to keep the $780, ZOO, 600 of. sill
yer we have IN hand now coined on a
parity with gold, Idon't want a depre-
ciated dollar. I don't want the United
States to fall back 100 years and lock
arms with Mexico and march with her
in progress and governmental science
and craftsmanship.
Mr.. Bryan Is a magnificent orator.
He is making many speeches. He ia
drawing many crowds to hear him.
There is much whooping and hollering
along the line. Mckinley seems to be
staying at home, and his crowd not saw
ing much. At the casual glance it seems
that the Bryan movement is gaining
force, if we did not know that an
empty wagon made ten times as much
fuss going down the road as a loaded
one. But this is a free country, and If
a man has paid his taxes he can vote,
and if he car get anybody to listen to
him, he can talk. / have no war to
make on men who differ with me, and
] have very little respect for the fellow
who is making war on me because I
differ with him. 1 know / am not in
copartnership with Wall nor Lombard
streets, New York and London. Iknow
l have no afinities with or admiration
for the greed that piles up millions,
unless it shall distribute it with a mu-
nificent hand. I don't think more Of
monopolies than I do of men. Nor do
/ think more of mammon than of man.
hood. If l knew the wish of my heart,
and did but express it, I would say IL
Mr.. Bryan, with the Chicago platform,
can lift us out of our present difficulties
and start us on the road to prosperity
I would rejoice to see him and his gang
take charge of the government. If
Mckinley, on the other hand, can
give prosperity to the country, and con-
hdence, 1 am willing that he should
take the reina of government in his
hands.
The fearful drought that has reduced
our cotton crop in the south so per
cent is troubling me much more than
the gold and silver question. If God
shall prosper US with rain and sum
shine, seed and harvest, we can weather
the storm; but when famine and pesti-
lence and disease shall come, then God
is against us, and He is more than all
that may combine to oppose Him. I
don't believe God will ever suffer this
country to prosper until it shall break
the league it now has with death and
it's copartnership with hell. Let the
incoming congress abolish all revenue
upon whisky and cut itself loose from
breweries and distilleries; let congress
put ont the two saloons which have
fourished so long in the capitol Of our
nation; let the $12,O0o,O0O spent for
rum be turned into legitimate chan
nels, and let the people know blessed
Is the nation whose God is the Lord"
SAM p. JONES