The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-09-26
TO CUT DOWN G
6y Paying the workingman In Cheap
Silver Dollars

Ex-Gov. Horace Boies, of Iowa, is
franker than his fellow silverites, who
pretend that their 50~-cent-dollar scheme
would benefit the working classes. In
a recent interview he says:
"Ihave myself in this state two farms,
paid for largely with money 1 have
earned as a lawyer. One is a farm oil
1900 acres of land, and the other con-
tains 1000 acres. With the present
price of labor and the present price paid
for farm products, no man in the world
could take either of these farms, V II
7 should present him with the ground,
and make a dollar out OF it. mean, OF
course, that he could not equip the
farm and pay interest on the money
invested in the equipment and wages
for labor out of the income he would
get by selling the products. \ farmer
who works himself and is assisted by
the labor of sons and daughters
could make a small farm pay. But
10 farm is profitable when conducted
on the basis of a manufacturing bust.
ness. Cheap and abundant money is
the only remedy for this intolerable
state of things"
This is a candid admission that he
thinks that wages are now too high, and
that in some way free silver will give
the farmers cheaper labor. The mere
fact of an increase in the price of farm
products would not make farming prof
liable, if, as is claimed by most of the
sixteen to one leaders, wages would be
doubled along with doubled prices OF
everything the farmer buys. Mr.. Boies
clearly expects that the result of cheap
and abundant money will be the prac.
teal reduction of the price paid for
farm labor. This would no doubt be
a very good thing for a rich man with
2.5GO acres of land. But what does
the poor laborer think of the scheme?
Are the American people ready to vote
for a debased currency which will re-
duce the wages of the workers?
Next in Importance to the confession
that free silver would cut down wages
is the admission hat "a farmer who
works himself a make n small farm
pay." What kind of farmers does Mr..
Bcies expect to see prosper? Men who
have bought up big racts of land which
they hold out OF use in the expectation
of selling it at a high price, and in the
meantime are working it with hired
labor? That is not the kind of farmers
which Americans wish to see thrive.
The man who OWLS and works his w
land is the ideal farmer of this country.
The big estate with its gangs" of hired
men may do while new territories are
icing opened up, but the welfare OF the
public depends on the men who Guilt
ate the soil owning the land they till
e ex-Gov. Boies thinks himself entitled
70 an income from his land without
working it himself, he is very much
mistaken. No farmer should prosper
whc simply GOWNS land" and expects te
make 4 profit out of other mems labor.
That under free silver n few men could
Use cheap money to speculate in land
and get rich out of the toll of the under
rid Iaborcrs is the very best reason
,,L.y the masses should vote against it
GOV. l;oies admits that the farmer
Who works can make his farm pay. But
in #r0ther part Of the same interview he
saws int farms bought 20 OF - years
20 cannot be made TO pay interest on
'hrIr cost. This is Il strong argument
MINIS. chca3 money. for it was the
~. o.r' ok imitation of II" war period
49,. MY .ha r,~f... TF '-,-I ca hf'rh
s.ls -. men who !lourat farms have
o ~ STRUGGLING ever stree IL pay for
Tn" heavy mortgages. with
-, interest rates. which ere crushing
nay farmers. have their origin in
~. nj; speculative price Of land
~",.A hy the cheap money Graz oftte
e-t ~.ancratioa. Free coinage would rc-
at he evils brought anoUt by he
of @~reenHacks, and TTh:le aot
..' ;- he present owr"rs Il farms
.-,, '.rHeft spectators ard make it
~.-,ir~ rc- the millions of !a@Hl"S- and
men 10 get 4 piece of land on
.- - make living.
49, "r:cs is evidently a sincere man
= "~dvCcating free silver with the
IN rh"t it VIII help ike himself
=. 10 own big tracts OF lane. But sthe
ONLY results of that policy would bc The
?rruflfa7ion Of debts. the reduction OF
,rac-S I'D the enrichment of the men
10 s-"cUlate in land hut DO not work
.hruraIycS. he is not a safe guild" Cor
honest citizens.-Whidden Graham.