The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-09-05
THE INDEBTED FARMER
DEBASEME MENTOF THE CURRENCY
WILL NOT HELP HIM.
io"r Wages I" the Laborer Would lead
I" 'urtailment Of the Consunptton nf
Farm froducts-Prices Would Rule
Lower.
\ corln.non,Innt writc,

- 80 . Nl'+Ai'i'lll " llit>r
Among farmers this argument is used
suppose farmer owns l6u acres uf iGn1
on winch he owes $1,000. This wear he has
ltop bushels Of wheat to sell the urocrprls
81 witch he expects to apply on the debt
~ present this wheat IS worth - cents prr
DuSh"l. or SJnO-half the entire debt Under
free silver he would yet 81 per buShrl in
JO-ccnt dollars, or $1,000 -crinuyh ta dis
Charg" the debt, How should this argument
be met:
The change from the 10o-rrHt gold dol
Tar 70 the oo-rcnt silver dullar rHh b" IF
no possible benefit to farmers WHO are ,lut
81 icbt, or Ia tarm,rs WIN nr" IL drht
hut havn contracted to pay in gold
heSc two classes embrace a majority
OF all th" tlllcrS of the soil who own
or claim % own. land.
But there arc many farmers who have
bought land uu time. or who have Dor
IoWcd money IL stock or improve the
farms they own, and have not bound
themselves TO pay i'll g0id. Before these
farmers yot" for free coinage, thinking
i VIII and them, they should study tn"
subject carefully
\ chang" Of the standard to chcap
free silver will wipe out one half the
value of all the notes. mortgages, de
posItH m savings. national. state and
prlNat" banks: stock of building and loan
associations. Inf" insurance policies. and
money IN hand. There will not be a
transfer of wealth from our set Of per
sons t" another. but Il destruction of
wealth.
Ih"S" losses. enormous in the aggrc-
gat" and distributed all over the country
necessarily viii bring on y terrific panic,
winch VIII paraiyZe all trade for a time
and throw out of employment several
mlilinnS oi Wasc-CarncrS. Those who do
nave WORT VIII get no more ,JO-rrut free
coinage dollars than they get now 100
cent gold dollars. Thus tn" purchasing
power 81 their wages would hc cut down
Uno-halT
This universal industrial collapse and
obstruction of the purchasing pow T Of
the mass Of tho community would lcsScn
~" demand for all farm products. and
thus d"prcciate their value.
This would he inevitable. Men with
y" wages or with half wages cannot buy
tn" accustomed quantities Of food. The
- millions living in the cities aud vii
lagos. b"Ion"iug to the industrial ..la- ,cS
would hav" 10 economics vigorously in
their food purchases. They would buy
the least possible, Of the poorest quality
they "oulu Get along with
There would not hc TIA" demand for
beet. val. mutton, pork, eggs, butter
cheese. milk. fruits and vegetables which
exist ordinarily! I'm view Of this de
creased demand the producer tho farm
"r would hay" to lower his prices IT his
product> would j." l"ft on his bands
Thus "vcrN farming community would
suffer. 'Ih" a-rIcultUrst~ Of tn" | nItcd
States would lo>r hundreds of millions.
owing 4" rh"ir inability to market their
products. lhry complain that prices are
low now. They would find prices much
lower than when there was no demand
for what they had raised.
Th" cotton planters would not suffer
aS much 10y the free coina-" panic us the
Northern producer nf food~tuff~ Nor
fE.tIll tho ,f