davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

- IN r.
has yielded exactly the same result.
The fluctuations since the principal ma
lions adopted the gold standard have
exceeded all previously known. But
here is a simple test which the farmer
can easily apply for himself:
Take the average Of prices In your
neighborhood for the five years ending
In 1875 lit is not fair to take one year,
and theaveragegold or greenback value
Of ten ounce bar Of silver at that
time tl. Divide and see what that silver
would have bought, Do the same for
the five years ending with: 895, and you
will find that the silver will buy more.
Is it not arrogant and insulting non
sense to say that silver has deprecated
when twill buy more Of the products
Of your labor? Here is q table to help
you in the calculate on IS 4.ss z. *.s
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

lawyer, has conclusively shown that
some 10000 men own Or absolutely con-
troll one-half the property of the United
States; that 100, 900 men own half the
remainder, and that the great mass of
laboring producers actually own very
little if any more than they did in
1850. The results are simply awful.
Ten men in New York city today hold
the credit OF the United States abso-
lutely at their mercy. If it were to
their interest, they could tomorrow
sweep away the gold basis and precipi-
tate a panic in Wall street. But the
farmer is told that all this is none of his
business and is expected to be controlled
in his vote by the gold superstition.
The Gold Superstition.
"How can there be gold superstition?
What do you mean by such a phrase?'
1 mean just what the words imply
that large portion of the human race
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
actual alteration
in the quantities

actual alteration
in the quantities
Of the precious
metals has ma
teria6'lly altered
their value at
different f re periods
Of history. y L
E. Professor Fran
els A. Walker Of
tn q Massachu-
sets Institute Of
Technology, in.
his able work on
money, a.. says:
"Gold and silver
do over long pc
r iods undergo
great changes of
value and become
in a high degree
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
every part of the

manufacturers.
"And how were the rest made?''
The enormous land grants and subsi-
dies to railroads made few dozens like
Stamford, Crocker and Huntington. The
sudden growth of western cities due to
the dollhouse system Of forcing develop
ment made few hundreds. Dozens like
Jay Gould and his fellows were made
by the system Of railroad wrecking.
Many were made by speculation in gold
and government bonds, by the national
banking system and many other schemes
fostered by government. A few-very
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
The Robbery.

contrary. EN-
pires Of land and
hundreds of mil
lions Of money
were given to
gr at corpora
tions. Credit Mo-
bilier, the Indian
ring, the whisky
ring, the star
route ring and
scores Of others
followed in rapid
succession, but
though the farm
erS m ur m ured
they did hot re-
volt. They over
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

yer is by natural
law far more sta
BILE in value than
gold has been
proved from &C.
,ology, from min
eralogy, from
metallurgy and
still more by
comparing the
fluctuations Of
prices in differ
ent coun tries
having the, diff
ferent standards
or in the =. same
country at differ
ent times. Every
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

has become pos
sessed with the
notion that gold
is infallible, a
notion as degrad-
ing in it's way as
the A fric an
snake worship.
Nine tenths Of
the gold mono
metallists in this
country boldly
proclaim that,
while all other
ON moditie
change in value,
gold does not.
"We know, - the
S a Y az oS say,
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
Judge,


men, growers Of all kinds Of live stock
foc food, and many others that cannot
detail. One Of tho worst errors of the
monometallist is in assuming that the
great mass Of our workers are hired la
borers. and they get that impression from
such misleading documents as the Al
drich report, about which so much has
been said. Examine that report careful
~ and you will find that the working
men in all the trades mentioned in it
do not together number quite one-fourth
as many as the farmers of the country.
And their method of treating this
subject accounts for a very large part
Of the i'll humor among farmers In
spite Of the census and common sense,
our alleged statesmen and economists
insist on treating the subject as if the
farmer were not laboring man. A con-
gressional committee is appointed to go
out and prove that wages have risen,
and of course they prove it. But how?
They take the highest wages paid to the
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

cause it does not fit the arguments
Of those who have selfish interests to
serve. They now maintain that all
forms of currency, including checks
and every other kind Of representative
money, must be counted the same as the
coin basis. though every sound fnancier
knows that, by the method of the ad-
ADMINISTRATION i'll constituting the laws, sill
yer now performs no function that
greenbacks would not, and that silver,
silver certificates and greenbacks are
mere token money, all resting on the
dangerously narrow basis of that metal
which is the money Of ultimate redemp.
tion.
"You admit, however, that the free
coinage Of silver would produce some
imitation. Suppose it We're but 10 or 20
per cent, as Senator Jones thinks.
Would not even that much imitation do
great harm in dislocating existing bust.
ness conditions?''
History has answered that question
90 conclusive]y that argument is un-
necessary. In 1896 the specie infla.
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

the grower i'll
, S nc h eloquent
words that storms
of applause shook
the hall. We
loved to read and
quote the old STIR
ring lines telling
how "the en-
battled farmers
stood" at Lex
ington and Con-
cord, and it was
univ e r.s.a lily.
agreed that thew
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

lew, IL must be adj
mitted-were hon
estly made by legit-
innate enterprises in
which the govern
ment was not a
partner, and many
by the advance in
real estate in our
great cities. Many
others have carried
the investigation
much farth err.
Thomas G. Shear
11oe,, FcC fbo ~roo<
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

most skillful Ia
borers in the
hi g h est priced
cities at the bust
est season Of the
year. As a rule
they take only
those laborers
who are in we'll
organized trades
unions, although
they are but a
tenth of the Ia
bOrers of the
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

ton throughout
the world is al
legged to have
been some 25 per
cent, and in this
coun try there
was a general
currency infa-
ton Of 40 per
cent. Was any
body badly hurt?
Look over the pa
pers Of that time
and see if you
can find any COM
plants from the
farming regions.
! Do not econo-5
!. mists Of all
schools agree
that the 10 years
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

spOCJeO pfeecneS.
He is the butt of
vile jokes in the.
city saloons. He
shares with the
mule and the
mother in. law,
the plantation
darky, the rusty
stovepipe and the
ira m p as the
stock material for
cheap paragraph
7ers. He is brought
on the stage Of
every low theater.
LII ~zIAk@@1, .a:n u
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

United States by
T he Tribune's
agents. The lists
We're published
weekly in The
Tribune for COR
rection and then
compiled in a
pamphlet. The
number exceeded
1900 and was
soon proved to
be entirely too
small. Mr.. Horr
s cceeded in
proving to is
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

hlaps - one or
two. where The
process has been
going on for
1000 years, but
in country,
ancient or mod.
ern, has the proc
ess been so rapid
as in this. In
1860 there were
dl1eSeu GO,@Do III
this nation a dog
en- millionaires.
Today there are
at. least 5000 and
probably many
more. On this
point We have
u II i III peaohable
Testimony an n
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

hand, the rapid increase
in the value Of gold with
III the last 30 years has
wrought worldwide bank
ruptcy, has brought a wall
Of distress from producers
in all lands, has again and
again shaken the very
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
By JOHN H. BEADLE.

The accompanying illustra-
lions are from New York
newspapers of recent date.
They are published to show
the popular idea Of the per-
sonality of the American far
mer in the gold stronghold of
the country.
will invite your attention to two
pictures.
Twenty five years ago the American
farmer was a king. Poets sang about
him. Orators praised him.
Edward Everett held up an ear of gold
en- corn before his audience and eulogized
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

crops, the coun-
try rings with
frantic cries of
rage and denun-
CT tion. The
farmer has sub
mitted too long.
He has lost tho
respect of those
who have robbed
him., and it "a is
much he feared
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

br9adStuHs than
they can eat and
more cotton than
they can wear
and more pork
and beef than
they want or
more shoes than
they need? Why,
the largest wheat
crop ever raised:
only amounted to
three bushels per
capita for the
people of the
civilized world i,
and, deducting
seed and that
made into whis-
= - s,fA1--,E {.
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

looked the fact that parties are COM
posed of men and therefore subject to
change. They were slow to believe that
the grand old party could contain
schemers
On top of all the rest comes a finan-
cial system which has added 80 per cent
to the value Of money and deprecated
the price of the farmers products in
like proportion, and at the least signs of
a revolt on his part he is denounced as
traitor It is assumed as matter Of
course that Wall street ~ go ~ -
]: !: ! !:
should strive for rise in -1SA8
stocks, that manufacturers S%ssA9 fa=
should lobby for higher >7EfjW
tariff, that the Pacific GALE
Railway companies should III -
evade payment of their
debt. All other men can Judge.
vote and lobby to raise the price of what
they own and be good Christians, but
at the bare hint that the farmer
is to vote for restoring silver to
get little better price for his
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

from an unwilling witness. Early in
1892 Hon. Roswell G. Horr, tariff edi-
tor OF the New York Tribune, started
out to prove that protection did not Gre
ate Aaillionaires.
Under his direction a very careful
census was taken in every part of the
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

two bushels per capita was left for
bread. It has been repeatedly shown
that the world s cotton crop is still
5000, 200 bales short of the worlds
.consumptiYe demand, Our own agricul-.
tural department. has shown that the.
American people are eating consider
ably less wheat per capita than they did
q few years ago, and if You will take
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

great" We laugh at the poor hea-
then, but the argument is on their side,
for it never has been mathematically
proved, and it cannot be proved, that
Mumbo Jumbo has not great power in
the unseen; but it has repeatedly been
proved in every way open to the human
intellect that gold is shifting and un-
stable standard Of value, far more un.
stable than silver, and that twice with
in the memory of men not very old it
has changed in value so suddenly as to
Vitiate all long time contracts and dis
locate all industrial conditions. -
The Fact About Gold. :.
Every economist worthy Of the name
had said again and again that gold fuc-
tuates in value. No economic writer
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
N. Y. World

that in great part he has lost his owr
self respect. His poverty has become
Is reproach.
The Af1iction Of Abundance.
~"But there has been SO great an in
crease in production. Now. whv shOuld
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
HI :: AR;IV|R.
As IS He Was and: |.
as He Is.
HOW He !. is ); RI; | b !! 3'I: J.
S':tupendous Decline in
Farm Products.
A PERNICIoUs FINANCIAL POLICY.

EVILS OF Contraction-The Concentration
OF "ealth--Rise and Fall of Gold-Tho
Eject of the Free Coinage of Silver.
What Gold NIonometallism Stands For.
An Honest Payment of Debta-The Help
offered by the Ballot.
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

cannot be explained by that handy
phrase 'overproduction.
Has there been any overproduction of
fat hogs? Every farmer knows that there
is just now great scarcity, almost
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

hog famine. And
yet fat hogs in
the central region
Of the west are
selling at 8 cents
a poand or less,
when but q few
years ago they
sold at 6. Has
there been any
ov erproduction
in milk COWS?
The census will
show you they
are less numer-
GUS in proportion
to population
than they were,
and yet the price
is going steadily
downward. is
there an overpro-
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

perhaps to one, and that is, Has silver
deprecated Or gold appreciated since
1878? On their answer to that depend
the votes of a million honest farmers
Monometallists say gold has stood still
while all other things have cheapened.
We say that silver has stood almost I'M
changed while gold has advanced enor-
mously in value, and, what is more, we
prove it by every line Of reasoning which
can be applied to the subject. That sill
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

immediately preceding our civil war:
were the golden age Of: the Ameri-.
can farmer, if he ever had one?
Again, from early in 1862. to early in
1866 the currency Of this country was
inflated at least 150 per cent Some.
harm was done, Of course, because the.
initiation was rapid and tremendous. tt
was six times as great as any imitation
now possible from the free coinage of
silver, but the: only serious evil i'll it
was that il gave occasion for q subse-.
quent contraction. 1899 s55sss=
The Benefits Of Expansion.
might quote all the economic writ
ers, from q dam Smith down, to the
effect that the volume Of money is the
main factor in fixing the general price:
Level You will find the doctrine ably
set fort in the works Of Adam Smith,
John Locke. David Hume, John Stuart
Mill, David Ricardo, iilliam Stanley
.Jeyons and 81 al the French and Ameri-
aneconomists: The app lling effects of
long continued oontraetion and the all
y most marvel benefits resulting from
"a liberal increase ii the coin suppl are
thusAbeautifull SET, forth 81 Sir Archi-
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

1881, for instance, $685.
$50, bushels were val
ued at $456, $50, 427, and
in 1895, 4G7, 102, 947 BUSH
els at 1887, 938, 998. And
yet the world has not as
much wheat as it wants,
and not much more than
half as much as it would
buy if it had the where
with. There is evidently
co,,oo%h;-. 4Lo Akor 4L4
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

AN ardor of pa
triotism which
so me writers
have thought i'm
possible in. men
reared in cities.
Naturally, there
fore, the north
ern farmers stood
by their govern
ment in the great
civil war. The
Republican party
was in power and
acquired an i'm
mense prestige
by the successful
issue Of the con-
hiCt. Naturally
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
Enormous Losses TO Agriculture. ssz
IF Won want; to realize what on nrmn,,

losses Am ericia7In. I.
farmers I, b a We
sustained because
Of the increased
,pu'rchasing powerl Z. .
of Z gold, look. over
the e files of the
{ gold papers be-
fore this became :.
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
N. Y. Herald.

country, and they are extremely careful
not to take into the account the number
who are earning no wages at all, which
is a pretty considerable item when you
reflect that in Ohio, for instance, the coal
miners only averaged 148 days Of full
work last year. If you will take all la
borers, especially all who produce the
necessaries Of life from the soil, and
count lost time, you will find that since
1878, except in cases where they have
been abnormally kept up by trades
union methods, wages have declined in
the same ratio as commodities.
The Farmers Meager Income.
A rise in the price of necessaries then
would Of itself be a rise in the wages Of
go per cent of the laboring producers.
But would it stop there? Certainly not.
The farmers would first pay their press
ing debts and set the money in motion.
They would then supply themselves
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

own acres, are our great conservative
class They dread revolution. They
love their country with an impassioned
ardor born of close contact with the soil
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

age value per ton has declined from
1882 to $685.. This last is the farm
price as reported by the agricultural
department for July; nevertheless, on
the day write this hay is selling in
New York city by retail at s18 per
ton, which is a beautiful illustration
of how your city consumer 'profts'' by
the loss Of the farmer. Wheat is supposed
to be an exception because our rivals in
other countries are producing SO much,
and yet the figures are significant. In
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

a living. 1t is not absolutely I'M.
possible to press down the agricul.
.tural laborer and yet leave the city Ia.
.borer unaffected, but it is very unlikely.
The farmer. however, does not CONF
plain that he. gets less per pound or per
zbushel when the crop is big than when
1T is small. What he does complain OF,
and what he has a right to complain Of,
Is that prices have fallen 80 fast that
he gets very much less money for 9 very
big crop than he formerly got for 8.
small one. Thus the bounties Of Proyi-
5dence are turned into curses and he Il.
coming to look upon abundance as an
affection. let me call your attention to
some figures. mi 8S1 the farmers pro-
.duced g 6, 49,, 900 bush of oats and
received therefor 50, I98, 81 il:
1888 they produced 81 80 400 sbushels.
and received for il $18 ,04 Q, 26 IN.
1889 they produced "a 60, 600 bushels.
and received 81 81 {, COS, So on
down. the amount rising as ne money
- 49,
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

again, therefore, the great majority Of
farmers credited all good things to that
party. They could not believe that the
friends of humanity would do aught of
injustice.
The Robbery.
The war tariff was prolonged in time
of peace. desnite solemn promises to the
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
Total .s78 p SIS "a $50 AZ $50 40 $40 "A $40 IS
Average Is GA Is 10 II 80 II Is 40 Is

NOUOuy uCu1Su IL
before this be-
came a political
question. The de.
cline still contin-
ues, and there is
every indication
that it will con-
tinue. And now
tho rroof 117oo
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

ductlon OF land? In two-thirds Of the
country east Of Illinois you can today
buy thousands Of splendid farms at what
they We're assessed for in 1870, and in
some Of the finest parts of New York
state they will sell you good farms at
the assessment of 1860. Farmers do not
complain at reduced prices for products
of which there has been very great pro-
duction, but the figures show decline,
though not so great, in articles of which
there is an admitted scarcity and that
the general decline is very much great
er than can be accounted for blythe
amount produced.
Starving Midst Plenty.
But as a matter of fact is there any
overproduction? Have mankind more
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

termlnlng TN @
general level Of
prices. It was
taken for granted
that the amount
of money Of ulti-
mate redemption
determined the
price level. It
was the founda-
tion upon which
ii disputants
built their argu-
nents. But now
you can hear it
denied every day.
And wl,vp Ro
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

near 100. 900 900 people cannot ahord#
10 eat wheat blea.. They are using
Eeheap substit and potatoes
.AresWe to snpp hey. a. TINT To-
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
"But is not the money question too
complicated for farmers to master it in

the brief time
between this and
the election?"
Not at all. In
its present shape
indeed it is SIM
gularly simple.
1t can be reduced
to two or three
plain questions.
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

the farmer COM
plain that prices
go down as the
size. Of the crop
goes up? And
how can you
prove that elevate
ing the condition
of the farmer
will elevate that
Of other labor
ers?'' -.
:
It is imp ossib BILE
to raise the >agri-
cultural class of
any GOu@ntrv.
without raising
all the other
classes who de-
pend on labor for
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

Y. World. ment has shown that the
I farmers income has declined over So
per cultivated acre. THAT MEANS
THAT FOR THE WHOLE GOUN-s
TRY THEY ARE RECEIVINa
ABOUT 81. 500, 900, 900 lEIdHTEEN5
HUNDRED MILLIO IN DOLLARsl
4 LESS TEAM TIE DID "a FEW
YEARS AGO. M OF RECEIVINGIT,
OF COURSE THEY CANNOT SPEND
IT HOW CAN THERE BE WORK
FOR CITY I4ABORERS OR PROS
#PERITY nc ANYBODY WHEN
THE FARMERS Re SPENDING.
l.aoo, 600. 90 AXEAR LESS EaA6
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

with their own land. Their N. Y. World
names were coupled in the popular lore
with the names of their estates. It was
Washington of Mount Vernon, Jeffer-
son of Monticello, Clay of Ashland.
Webster of Marshfield and Jackson Of
The Hermitage.
Where is that farmer now?
The Vili6cation.
He is the gibe and the sheer Of every
clown who can get on the city stage in
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

bald Alison in his history Of Europe:
:. 1.-THE TWO GREATEST EVENTS
THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE
HISTORY OF. MANKIND HAVE
BEEN DIRECTLY BROUGHT:
ABOUT BY "A CONTRACTION AND,
ON THE OTHER HAND, AN EX-s
PANSION OF THE CIRCULATING
MEDIUM OF SOCIETY. THE FALL
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. so
LONG ASCRIBED IN IGNORANCE
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08
The Farmers Meaeer Income

with those things they
have wanted SO long and
been compelled to do With
out. All the country mer-s
chants and all the country
artisans immed iately de-
pendent on the farmers,
such as acks,niths, cob
|blers, carpenters, painters
and the Like. would inn
med lately share IN the
gain. and all others in the
improvement due to q
general gain in trade
Our agricultural depart
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

were the salvation of the land They
were the hardy yeomanry, the free and
independent workers, and even such for
eign visitors as De Tocqueville went
ont of their way to describe the happy
condition of the landowning farmer in
this country.
Washington gloried in being farm
or. Our greatest statesmen passed their
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-09-08

TO SLAVERY.
EGOTISM AND
MORAL COR
RUPTION, WAS
In REALITY
B r o u G. FL T
ABOUT BY A
DECLINE IN
TIE SILVER