Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-10-20
1T BECOMES INTERESTING.
Mr.. BigelOw Replies to the Commune
cations of Last Week, Answering
His Former Article.
EDITORS PUBLIC OPINION:

There was such an array of talent
against your humble servant in last
weeks PUBLIC OPINION that don It
know as can do justice to them all in
one short article. DR.. Cartwright's
article is 50 good natured that will
let him down easy this time. He can
fire sugar-coated pills with unerring
accuracy, and as doctor and gentle
man stands i'm the front rank, but on
the money question is little off. My
advice to Mr.. Elton is to keep on SELL
ing machinery and not fool away his
time dabbling in politics, and es-
pecially not to undertake to teach men
old enough to be his grandfather. I'm
der the heading of mistakes of Free
Silver" is very courteous letter, and a
table is furnished showing the popu-
latiOn of silver states as compared with
Chicago, with the results about 5000 in
favor of Chicago. Has the writer
never dreamed that Chicago will go
for Bryan by large majority and that
Illinois is more than likely to go the
same way? Then where does it come
in that the people of the cities are so
opposed to free silver; but if exact
justice is demanded why are the seven
states allowed fourteen United States
senators and Chicago none? Can it be
possible that because these senators
have heretofore been republicans is the
reason why there has been no kick
from the republican party? 1t is
cllavged that free silver advocates hold
oy 2ahe hope to farmers that free silver
VIII bring better times and better
prices. That is certainly the object of
the free silver movement, and what
else could they offer? Have the goldites
offered any remedy, and hope? Not at
all; but they say, shave confidence"
and continue the same policy as the
present" Do they propose any
remedy for the deficiency in the reve-
nues? Do they propose any remedy
for saddling the people with large
bonded debt in time of peace? Do they
propose any remedy for the outrageous
IL low prices, of produce? DO they
propose any remedy for the present
legislation in business, except "vote
for Mckinley" Do they propose any
remedy for the speculative raids upon
the U. S. treasury? II bimetallism
is bad thing why did we send COM
mission to England to induce them to
join with us in such a scheme and why
did it fall into oblivion as quickly as
the Venezuelan Commission? If their
government can float S6OO,OOO,0OO of
silver as it is now doing and answer
ing all purposes as well as gold, why
can it not float few more millions on
the same terms? If the gold is all go
ing to foreign countries (where the
most of it is now why should we not
have some kind of money to do busi-
ness with i'm our own country? Why
should this country, the richest, most
enlightened of any in the world, ask
any foreign country what money we
should or should not have? Not a
nation on earth ever sends a COM
mission to the United States to con-
fer with us as to what kind Of money
should be used by the world and by
their country and ours in particular.
Let us regulate our own financial
questions independent of the rest of
the world and depend upon it all
civilized people who want to buy of us
or sell to us will conform to our none
tary system as we do to theirs when
we deal with them. One more question
is all. Why did Major McKin-
ley on Oct. 27, 1890, in letter to the
Stark County Farmers Alliance say
81 am in favor of all the silver product
of the United States for money rs cir
culating mediums. would have sill
yer and gold alike?" This is the ut
terance of him who is the great apostle
of the gold standard today, and why
did he never change his opinion until
nominated at st. Louis? Will some of
your readers please answer these ques-
tions soon, as election is near at hand
and we want to be sure we are right
before we go ahead.
HI. A. BIGELOw.