The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-08-12
Please ExnIain.

A Hudson county farmer, Democrat,
but not OF the Bryan stripe, has ad-
dressed an open letter to Senator DAILY,
which contains number of pertinent in.
quiries and comments. 1t is here repro
duced
Dear Sir-I have read your letter of
July 10th to "Fhe Democrats Of New Jer-
sey, and as | am farmer, Democrat
and Jerseyman, who is most anxious
to vote for what win be for my own best
interests, take the liberty of asking you
few questions, which will be Of pracli-
cal interests 10 others similarly situated.
Your letters, like the speeches and let
tiers Of all practical politicians, whether
Democrats, Republicans or Populists, is
filed With glittering generalities, mean
ingles$ platitudes and buncombe. You
talk glibly about 'fhe combination of in
dividual wealth and monopoly" and OF
the ''classes against the Masses" You
say, "The people are full of trouble.
There are thousands OF homes in dis
tress, which, under ordinary circum-
stances, with wise legislation and honest
government, would have plenty and TO
spare. This sounds very fine and may
be very true. You may know what
you are talking about, but don't, and
there are many more like me.
As a rule, an ordinary common school
education, such as received, and which
is about as much as most farmers boys
get or expect, doesn't enable them to IN
derstand the intricacies OF political econ
omy as expressed by these highfalutin
sentences reeled off by the yard.
Now, j have farm for which prom
ised to pay $l0,S00, which is decorated
with mortgage for over half this
amount.
This mortgage is held by one of the
Wall street ''harpies" at AZ per cent,
and must say that in the three years he
has been carrying 1t he has shown an
amount of consideration and apprecia-
ton for my situation hardly to be ex-
pected under the circumstances. In ad-
dition, | have wife and three half
grown children, two of the latter and q
farm hand helping me in the daily work,
but with the closest economy | have
been unable in the past three years TO
do more than provide comfortably for
my family and pay the interest.
Now what l want TO know, and what
other farmers similarly situated want to
know, is: What direct benefit am TO
receive from the free coinage of silver at
the rate of 16 to II
The average farmer is not so stupid as
to believe that the government will CON-
nit an act OF paternalism and distribute
silver dollars among them free OF charge.
We all know that IL a hundred billion
silver dollars were coined and put into
circulation we would not get one OF them
unless we had the collateral TO put up, oil
something equally valuable TO give in
exchange. The theory of raising the
price OF farm products "won't CO." as
we all know. that the low prices current
for the past few years have been govern.
ed entirely by the natural law OF. supply
aud demand, just the same as the prices
on other lines or commodities which are
subject TO barter and sale.
We don't believe In the theory that
the capitalists are in league against the
masses. The capitalist, as rule, il
exercising his great American privilege
of getting all he can of this worlds
goods, and there is not demag0gut
among all the spouting Populisis who il
not trying TO do the same.
What we farmers want to know is,
l. How will FREQ coinage help us pay
OIL our farm mortgages
2. How are we to go about getting oul
share OF silver dollars; we who have nc
collateral TO put upl
There seems to be plenty Of money il
circulation, and it is easy obtainable by
those who have something TO give in ex
change for it. cannot see any use il
Initiating the currency unless | am, II
some mysterious way, TO get share of it.
Until these questions are answered in
diligently, and SO simply that even {
farmer can understand, cannot vote FOL
| candidates who are dominated by Alleged
and Tillman; and yet 81 am a Demo
craft Yours truly,
j. G. ALEXANDER,
A New Jersey Farmer and ex Store
Clerk, Hudson county, N. j., July 22d.