The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-07-11
THE MEANING OF IT.

1t is natural for a nan TO believe
that the policy which, in his opinion
will be most beneficial to himself, will
also be most beneficial to the people al
la,ge. Self interest, selfishness if you
please, has much to do with shaping
the political views of the average man.
1t is safe TO say that a majority of the
capitalists of our own country, ire
spective of political affiliations, are in
favor of the adherence to the present
single gold standard.
1t is equally safe to say that a
majority of those not capitalists, IRE
spective of political affiliations, are in
favor of the reconciliation of silver.
Self interest, s%elishness if you please,
in the case of both the capitalist and
the non-capitalist? Granted. But there
is selfshness and s~elfishness. Selfish
ness has its degrees.
To the capitalist, adherence te the
single gold standard does not mean a
single additional comfort, nay III most
cases, not even a single additional
luxury. He already has everything Of
both. 1t does not mes or adj
vantages for his family, { IAN
a higher education tor - --.iIdren,
does not mean any uplifting of him or
his or of mankind above the present
plane of existence however grovelling
it may be. On the contrary, to the
man of large wealth adherence to the
gold standard means an addition to
that of which he already has an abund-
ance can that in the years that
remain to him he may amass a still
greater fortune for his heirs to quarrel
over after he is gone; means that the
wealthy few may acquire yet more of the
worlds wealth, albeit the fierce strug-
gle of the masses for sub istence grows
fercer still thereby. The advocacy
of the single gold standard by such a
mar is selfishness pure and simple,
selfshness in the superlatIve degree
He may not realize the fact that his
opinion on this political question is
based on the most sordid sellishness,
but such is the fact nevertheless.
To the man of small means, the man
who earns his bread in the sweat of his
brow, be he farmer, miner, mechanic,
merchant or what not, to such a man
the reconciliation of silver, the unlim-
tied coinage of both gold and silver,
means q few more of the comforts, a
few more of the necessaries of life for
him and his loved ones. 1t means a
little better educational advantages for
his children. 1t means q few more
attractions in his home, a few more
pictures on the walls, a few more
books on the table, perhaps a carpet or
two on floors now bare. 1t means
more of pleasure in the life and more
of brightness in the eyes of his faithful
wife. To many a man it may moi
mean all of these and yet may les
even more than all of these; it may
mean TO him food, raiment, shelter, for
him and his family 1t may NEAR to
him that the upper and neither mill
stone of s'life's remorseless grind"
shall not, for him and his, be set to
grind so exceeding hne. Granting
now, that the man of small means, the
toiler, the poor man does not look at
the fact that the masses will be bene-
fitted by the reconciliation of silver;
granting that he tavors RECOMMENDATION
because OF what it means to
him; is not the selfishness which
shapes his opinion the least objectiona-
BILE of all selfishnessP Would he not
be more or less than human if he did
not favor free coInageP
But If reconciliation of silver has
for the individual the meaning set for
above, it follows that for the masses of
the people it has the same meaning.
The mass is made up principally of
individuals who toll for daily bread, of
of small means, of men who, per-
force, ''live from hand to mouth"
Large as is the number of millionaires
these latter days the number in
poverty is much larger.
The movement towards remonetiza-
ton is a movement in the interest OF
the masses. 1t is not a movement
towards increasing the numb , az capi-
it is a movement towards in
the number of those who
''neIther poverty o riches"
are yet ''fed with food convenient for
Adherence to the single gold stand
ard means an increase of the number
Of miliiOnaires, but an increase in the
number of m%illionaires of necessity
with il a much greater increase
the number of those who suffer from
lack of the merest comforts of life.
''He that Oppresseth the poor to
Increase his riches. and he hat giveth
o the rich, shall surely come to
ant
1.-The mild manners and gentle tones
the southern delegates" is the way
he eastern press EXPIRE 'ses itself about
he convention. This is good. But a
mild man a be made angry. /