The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-08-21
Doe. the WAGE. Garner want silvers

~
under dogs. but, nevertheless, he ha
always been an independent voter, an
when told by the great Don that q
. should, for the good OF the party, SUI
port such a man as Maurice j. Finn, d
became a mugwump, and now elasse
himself as an independent. but Tor SCUM
: money. and not being subject TO the DID
J, tates Of any political faction, what b
prints on the money question he doe
with a firm and steadfast belief that
will. as he sees il, be for the good, as we
of the wagsearner, which will OF eours
include himself, as the capitalist; il eer
. tainly will not be published for the pur
pose of iurthering the interests OF an!
faction, for that factions sake, and, will
this introduction, we publish the follow
ing article taken from the Boston Herald
and which we ask our wageearner read
ers, many of whom, perhaps not having
looked into the matter thoroughly, are
we are afraid, being led away by the tine
sounding cry OF free silver, TO read and
ponder over:
"A canvass recently made IN suburban
district of Boston, where number %
skilled mechanics were employed, devel
oped the fact that large proportion ol
these were silver men, and this without
regard TO previous political preferences
II this is test of public sentiment in this
and other States, then II clearly il neces-
sary to bring TO the attention OF this
class OF wage earners the true situation
of the case, as il is evident that many oil
them are now laboring under a miscon-
ception.
"Why should carpenter or mason who
is now earning from SO 70 81 day wish
to have our currency system changed by
the free coinage OF silver? Take the case
OF John Brown, who is a typical work
man. He is employed AZ a carpenter,
and receives on an average. taking one
years end to the other, a little under 50
a day for each working day. or, say $500
year. II John Browns father, who was
also a carpenter, and who died few
years ago, had left to his son a record OF
his pay, he would have found that in
1860 he was receiving on an average less
than 50 day, or, say, $500 year, and
that at that time the hours OF labor were
considerably longer than they are at the
present time-that is. John Brown, il he
has possession of any records left him by
his father, ia in the position to realize
that he is now working about three-quar-
tiers OF the time that his father worked
generation ago, and that for this three
quarters work he is receiving at least
one. third more pay than was given TO his
father for the latter's longer hours OF ser.
vice.
His father, il living, could also inform
him that during the days of our civil war,
when we had our currency inflated with
paper-instead, as is now proposed, with
silver-while the prices OF supplies went
up so that ordinary common boots and
shoes were So and IS pair, cotton cloth
40 and 80 cents a yard, readv-made
clothing $50 or more a suit, common
butter 60 cents pound, roast beef from
30 TO 10 cents pound, and other sup
plies in like proportion. the pay, equiva-
lent on the the average to 50 received in
1860, only went up to about $3.50 in
1864, though Supplies OF all kinds had in
the meantime nearly doubled in price.
NOW, what is John Brown going to
gain by the change he is asked to sup
port? He knows, or should know, that
there is not a nation in the world that
freely coins silver that does not have its
currency system on a silver basis. Rus
sia il great and wealthy country, but |
its alleged bimetallc standard il SILVER,
and in spite OF its wealth il has not been |
able to make silver equal to gold. Aus |
tria is great and wealthy country, but |
up to 1892 its assumed bimetallic stand |
ard oil currency was silver standard, /
and its large use OF silver did not enable /
II, evtn in company with Russia, to give Il
that metal parity with gold. The ex-
perience, therefore, of the entire world L
teaches that il we have free coinage OF /
silver we simply substitute in this coun-
Try silver standard of value in place of
the present gold standard. or, in other
" ords, that the $500 that John Brown
low receives for his years work. instead
II having the purchasing power that it
low has will be no better than $500
The reason for this shrinkage will be
hat those who own merchandise or land |
'ill Immediately begin TO mark up their
,rlces, az nearly as they are able, to the
I'D gold basis, so that, unless John
Brow n gets his income put up to 81 600
year instead OF $500, he will soon find
hat he IL unable to Purchase the supplies
hat he and his family are now consum-
Dg in the way OF food and clothing, or to
ontinue to hire the lodgings that they
ow occupy.
Now, what chance il there that John
crown will be able TO increase his nav
-om $500 to 81 600 year? In his faith
= day, during the war OF the rebellion, |
hen similar conditions we're experienced,
nch an advance in pay could not be
iade. His father had to content himself
fter years OF effort, with an advance in
ages which carried his pay up to $3.50
year when he should have had 81 900.
viii John Brown OF the present genera
ion be any more successful?
Let any intelligent Garner of wages or
alary ask himself the question: IL it |
rise TO assist in making currency
nange which will involve him in a mater
II loss unless he can succeed in immed- |
itely doubling the present amount of
IL wages7 For unless every wage Garner
Tho IL now getting SO day can have
If wages instantly raised to So a day he
nil certainly suffer a loss under the tree
Dinage OF silver system.
lt should also be borne in mind that
mis- doubling of wages must be made.
OF to improve the present condition of |
ne workingman. but simply to enable
i'm to stand financially in the same DO
ton that he does today. II he is to i'm
rove his condition-and that is what we
n8giDe the workiogman would wish for ,
he would need to secure a larger in
)me than he has at present, aud vet .
lis debasement OF money by going down
"A silver standard wonld force him to
'ork so hard to increase his
ny 40 as to merely hold his own that il
ould be utterly impossible for him TO {
AXE any real gain"