The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-26
ANOTABLE ACCESSION.

NOTABLE ACCESSION.
One of Chlcago's Greatest Merchants De-
clares for Silver.
Frank H. Cooper of the big firm of
Siegel. Cooper & Co., of Chicago and
New York has just returned from Eu'
rope. lie is alive to the issues OF the
day and has evidently kept we'll post
ed while away from Chicago.
Mr.. Cooper went across the ocean TO
make his annual visit to his aged faith
or, who is one of the registered burgh-
ers of Akkrum, Friesland, in Holland,
where he has resided all his life. Mr..
Cooper was called upon by reporter
for the Chicago Dispatch.
''There is not much that 1 can say
of my trip abroad" said Mr.. Cooper:
1T is tour of pleasure and duty and
in that measure it served me we'll"
Mr.. Cooper is much improved in
health by his ocean voyage and says
that the political situation in this
country interests people abroad.
"They do not approve of Mckinley
over there, because OF his protective
theories, but they regard him as the
lesser of two evils, as Bryan represents
free coinage of silver. I am not
strong for Mckinley" said he,
Though 1 favor protection. We can
make everything over here that is
made abroad, but with Mckinley as
President our currency may become
even more contracted than it is today,
as a single gold standard, if adopted
would work ruin to this country and
make times harder than they are.
You see, they favor Mckinley over
there because they believe he will COM
pel paying our debts due there in
gold. The debts call for coin, and if
silver is our coin these debts can be
paid in that metal if it is so chosen.
81 am yet somewhat on the fence,
but I can't see anything but good to
result from tie free coinage OF silver.
True, it will benefit the mine owners,
it will also benefit the miners-give
them work-and benefit the west. It
will give the farmer money; it will
make the farmer a buyer in our mar
kets Times can be no worse than they
are at present. Our currency is not
expansive enough for the demands OF
our people. France has $40 per capita
of money in circulation, and its peo-
ple are prosperous and happy. We
have but $40 per capita. We need
more money, and free silver coinage
will put an end to business stagnation.
"Our factories are closed and our
artisans and merchants are out OF
work. More money will make higher
prices, better demand for goods and a
revival of prosperity.
"Goods and produce are too cheap
because people have no money to buy
them. The depreciation in prices on
some lines of goods has been more
than 80 per cent. in the past six
months. Can merchants and manu-
facturers stand that2
THE Wilson bill that reduced the
tariff on goods about 10 per cent, ex'
cept on wool, which is made free, is
not the cause OF all the hard tines.s
do you think that putting back the
old tariff would cause a return Of
prosperity?'
There are many ways to view this
matter. The poor and the middle
classes pay all the taxes. l believe the
multi,millionaires should pay their
proportion. I believe in q graded in
come tax as a partial panacea for the
ills we have fallen into.
"With free silver the price Of wheat
and corn would enhance in value at
once. Dollar wheat for the farmer
makes him look at his clothes. When
they are frayed he buys new. He fur.
nishes his house, if it is needed, and
so helps to start the furniture factories
going again. 1t is so in all lines.
More money, the greater the demand
for goods. , ..,,,,z ,,,s
bring prices still lower and more fail
ures and more disaster for the people.
It is hard to say what is exactly right.
We are partially upon a bimetallic
basis now, and that is in measure
our salvation. Take tn at away, and
where are we?
Contract our currency to $12 or $l5
per capita and the result would be
such as no one could figure. Talking
of free silver, our mints could not
turn out over $50, 900, 600 per year
less than 81 to every inhabitant.
Would that flood the countrys 1t
would restore prices, confidence and
resu scitate business. That's about, l
think, what free silver would do for
us. This question is near to the peo-
pie and they are carefully discussing
it. We want to take Of ourselves
first European countries are able to
take care of themselves.