Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-06-04

W.................. ST. e2.s 100 lH O
There are in almost every community men
who worked by the day before the war. Any
young workingman who is nc all taken by the
glowing promises of the free silverites would
dc wen TO ask one of these old gentlemen how
much ne really was paid in those "bimetallic"
days and how much he could buy with his daily
pay IN the way OF necessaries and comforts.
We have seen that the condition of American
worklngmen has vastly improved since the
Gays When we had free coinage of silver. IL
mas been shown, also, that opening our mint
10 coinage Of silver on private account would
az once send MS TO q silver basis. How would
ms AFFECT wages and the men who earn themf
Every man who earns his daily bread by his
aally toll owes IT TO himself and those whom
he holds dear 10 think this over carefully.
ANY. man who will examine daily quotations
OF prices rs reported IN the newspapers will
soon discover that they change from day TO
day and sometimes change very greatly in the
course OF a month. But every man who earns
wages Is familiar with the fact that they
change slowly, an increase of 10 per cent i'm n
year being quite a gain. Prices change ouick-
iy: wages change slowly.
Now let us grant what the advocates of free
sllSSr I'M going to the silver basis
would double the prices Of commodities"
Does any, workingman believe that wages
We ha De doubled toof Even If they should
pe, now much would the wage Garner profit
py the changer. No intelligent workingman
believes for a minute that his wages would be
increased ~ more than a small per cent-that
Is, "Hlie MS wages might be nominaIly in.
creased somewhat the prices OF the things he
has to buy would be increased verv Bnn =
more. % the real purchasing power of a days
work woald be greatly diminished. All eyye.
rience shows that any debasement in H. 49,.
ey system OF a country raises prices faster and
farther than 1t does wages. This might infn.
~ dsp pnl EMPLOYERS TO consider the propriety
~ uepaslng our currency, but it is precisely
'hs reason why workingmen should cpuose IL
80 far as workingmen are concernad tn
mnole silver question Is to be summed up in
one query, Do you want your wages emf down.
IL So vote for the free coinage Of silver.
Would Not Help the Farmer.
What Inducements do the silver producors
hoid GU. GO the farmers TO get them To co-oner.
hte In tnls schemef They promise the farmers
question which every thouchtfu, farnnar Iii
naturally ask is, Could they and wonld ,bax
gsep sheir promisef Let us see what the
They claim that ~"silver wouId ipcr.ooo q,
fa aro anu would carry with it the prices Of
the a1 nr say That there is any relation between
mis- depending for its value upon conditions
ppecatn d 70 Itseitl and the price of any of the
dde eSeud products of our fields leach Of which
uepenus LOT It's value upon a set Of conditians
pecuIiar TO itself)-to tell men that there 10
shg relation between the prices OF things 90
,h hnatir.tnI IN their nature and uses, is to insult
~ iheeiilgence OF those who are addrnssa1
but looking at it from another standnoin.
icy US see what the probabilities are tLpt ~,
promise could be kept. NAV 'he
One would think to hear thee
eaik that silver production Ia one Of the onani
snaaowing Industries Of this country Iotn
make a few comparisons. ' Lev US
The total value of the silvar nroa,.
United States In lSg2, even when $500, IL ! the
was bpnace before 1915, was $50, l0l, 900. and this
YER pr rs greatest yield IN the history of our sil
~ according to the Statistical A6strnc, 49,.
c y, ,na iarm value OF the cotton crop on thS19
v wssaa IN 1851 was $3.50. ooo, 90; that Of tn
~ ~ and that cs tho corn cron Wa ssVvvO0.'
teU,vD. Ihc value Of cur corn crop sinr scU
'sA times The value OF the silver crop 81 ~ y