The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-29
THE ST. PAUL MEETING.
POPULISTS LISTEN TO HON
JERRY SIMPSON.
A Sound, Sensible Speech-Good
Points Stongly Put.

From the St. Paul Globe, Jan. Z, 1896.
Market hall was comfortably filled last
night when Jerry Simpson, the Kansas
statesmen. stepped upon the platform, ac-
companed by J. C. Hanley and Francis
Clark, two local representatives of the
Peoples party. Mr.. Simpsons speech was
confined chiefly to the financial question,
being an argument In favor of the free
coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to i.
He is an entertaining speaker who makes
no pretense at oratOry, and all who heard
him showed an appreciation of the merits
of his address whether they agreed with
his ideas or not He told number Of good
stories to illustrate the points in his argu-
ment.
Mr.. Hanley called the meeting to order,
and introduced Mr.. Clark as chairman.
When Mr.. Simpson arose he was greeted
by a burst of applause that lasted some
seconds.
Mr.. Simpson began by saying that he
realized how dangerous it would be for
man to travel at the present time without
socks, and he wanted 20 assure all those
who might be curious to know, that he
was not without his on this OCCASION He
then went on to say that he never had the
advantage of an education. He never
went to college, nor even carried the dim
ner to a fellow who did. He was just
plain Jerry Simpson, living on Kansas
farm but endowed with a little common
sense. He was not going to submit an
array of figures. He had a good deal Of
confidence Of statisticians but most any,
thing could be proved by figures. 1t was
said that figures never lied but this did
not mean that liars could not figure.
The speaker then went into discussion
of the financial question, declaring him.
Golf SOft-mOnpV at least 10 the
extent of favoring the free coinage of
silver at the ratio Of 16 to I. Money was
a creation of law. 1t should be stable in
value. Any money that t1uctuates in value
so that dollar when a debt is paid is
worth more or less than it was when the
debt was created. is a dishonest dollar.
The amount of money in circulation reg
ulated its purchasing power. Carlisle and
Sherman agreed on the proposition that
the free coinage Of silver would initiate
the currency and therefore make the dol
lar cheaper. If this is true the rule must
work the other way. and the wiping out
of silver made the dollar deared, and made
it that much harder for the people to pay
their debts.
The gold standard fellow maintains
that the gold dollar does not vary in value.
But when the speaker saw all other COM
modities retaining steady value with re-
lation to each other and the value Of gold
parting company from them, the inference
was that gold was going up. The argu-
ment of intrinsic value in gold was re-
sponsible for untold misery. 1t was
base fabrication to deceive the people. II
a man had 81 100000 on an island in the
Pacific ocean and no one else was near
him, how much intrinsic value would it
have It's monetary value is the main thing
that gives to gold intrinsic value. Re-
store silver to the same privilege, and
its price will at once go up to its money
value, giving it an intrinsic value Of 16
to | as compared with that OF gold. He
was not troubled about too much foreign
silver being dumped on this country. The
same argument had been made in regard
to free trade-too much foreign goods
would be dumped in here--and he had
often thought what a calamity it would
be to have a carload Of socks dumped on
his farm. daughter).
II am not SO very anxious about a
cheap dollar" declared the speaker, "but
terribly anxious about a dear dollar. Any
dollar that a great nation like this stamp,
as a dollar receivable for all debts public
and private that dollar is a good dollar
as long as the nation is solvent. 1t is
the duty of government to provide
stable system Of finance for it's people.
and any government that farms out this
duty to private corporations courts it's
own destruction" The speaker said he
was not making war on banks or bankers.
The former were legitimate institutions
for the carrying on of banking business.
and the bankers are as good as other
classes of humanity and no better. But
they should have no power as far as the
issuing of the medium of exchange is cons
cerned.
Mr. Simpson next went back over the
history of the greenbacks and the neces-
sity that called 1t into existence, contrast
ing the conduct of the gold holders VINO
refused to aid the government with that
of the common people who risked their
lives for their country.
THE persons responsible for this are the
INSCRIPTIONS politicians you elect to make
your laws" declared the speaker. but