Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-06-12
The Fool Killer Needed.

as having given out the following as
a Knockout argument against the
free coinage of silver and as the true
theory of Sound money:
ITO declare for the free coinage of
silver or any other product would be
equivalent to declaration for pro-
lection to silver mine owners and ut
terly inconsistent with democratic
principles. The free coinage of silver
would not add dollar to the wealth
of the farmer or laborer. Coinage
under such circumstances would be
free" only to the fortunate people
owning silver mines. The farmers and
laborers of the country do not own
silver mines or silver bullion. Can it
be believed, therefore, that they will
vote to give to certain favored indi-
viduals the right to pay them in their
own product [silver bullion] at more
than double its market value? In
other words, will they vote to reduce
their own wages one-half?
If all the farmers and laboring
men owned silver bullion or wheat,
there might be some sense in their
cry for free coinage of silver or wheat.
The only free coinage other than that
of gold, however, which is consistent
with the principles of democracy is
the free use of credit. If we gradual
ly cancel the outstanding govern
and permit the issue of circulating
medium, not legal tender, by the peo-
pie through their fiscal agents, the
banks, under rigid Federal super
vision, we should have an elastic Cir
culating medium, which would in
crease or decrease in proportion to
the business to be done by the people.
Such circulation should be finally re-
duced to the worlds standard of val
ue-gold. Under such circumstances
we should have no more false theories
such as that of free coinage of silver
bullion, which simply rests upon the
belief that by artiticially doubling the
exchange value of the properties of a
few mine owners we can, therefore,
make all other men rich and pr osper-
ous."
We are now convinced that there is
no longer fool killer in this country,
or, if there is, like d great many other
high officials, he is woefully neglect
ing his duty. We would pay no at
tention to such nonsense, knowing
full well that not school-boy in all
the agricultural States, but who is
capable of taking up Mr.. Hamlin's
arguments and showing their absur-
dities. But, coming as it does from
the second chair in the treasury, the
position deserves attention if the man
and the argument do not. We will
notice some of his points serlatim:
1. The free coinage of silver would
simply ne protection to the mine
owners and would be utterly inconsis-
tent with democratic principles.
Would the free coinage of silver be
any greater benefit to the silver own
.ers than the free coinage of gold is to
the gold owners? If the coinage of
these metals is benefit to owners of
them, and as the owners of both met
ais, under the free coinage of both
received joint benefits in furnishing
the so-called basic money, was not
the benefit thus conferred upon the
gold owner doubled when the bene-
tit was taken from the silver owner
and conferred upon the gold owner by
making his money the only material
for the so-called basic money? Who
is the gold owner that the govern
ment should confer upon him SO dis
tinguished favor and thus multiply
his wealth? Why does he deserve any
more than the silver owner?
AS to what is or is not democratic
principles, we are not prepared to
say in this Jagged state of American
politics, but we cannot see how the
free coinage of silver is not. In al
the traditions of the party what dem
ocratic statesman or platform, aside
from the modern Judases that now
have the party by the throat, ever
declared for the free coinage of gold
and against the free coinage of silver
2. The free coinage of silver would
not add u dollar to the wealth of the
farmer or laborer.
The farmers and laborers are no
asking that dollar be added to thei
wealth. They have not yet reached
the paths worn SO smooth by sucl
political renegades and greed-suckei'
as the assistant secretary of the treas
ury, who can see no good in anything
that does not pour dollars into thei
velvet lined pockets. The farmer
and laborers only ask their govern
ment to protect them in their "righ
to life, liberty and the pursuit of haI
piness." They have read enough O
their country's history and laws t
know that the constitution author
ICES the coinage of both silver an
gold into full legal standard money
and without restriction, and that tn
fathers of the republic, by solemn &C
OF congress and the signature c
Washington, made the silver dolla
the unit of money and the measure c
values, and they are patriotic enoug
to demand the restoration of thes
laws that have been annulled at tn
command of Goddess thieves and ma
ional plunderers, as much under TO-
eign flags as our own.
The farmers and laborers are we
enough acquainted with their coul
try's products to know that silver
one of the most important of then
and that when silver was stricke
down, the mine owner did not stuff,
alone; nor was the mine worker, WI
lost his job, the only sufferer. Silv,
mining emnloYed labor The labor