Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-22
FREE COINAGE And FARMERS.
John NJ. stahl IN October Forum.

coinage of both metals at u ratio of III
TO 1, then the people of this country, acting |
through tue machinery of the national
government, will pay one dollar for about
fifty cents worth of silver. 1t is safe to
say that not one hundred farmers in all
the country will have any silver bullion to
sell Practically the only individuals hav-
ing silver bullion to sell will be the owners
OF silver mines and moneyed spectators
rich men. II gold and silver do not re-
main ut a parity when we have the free
and unlimited coinage of both metals at
u ratio of 16 to 1, then the holders OF
gold which is now out of circulation,
being boarded in banks, safe-deposit
vaults, and elsewhere, will be able to
sell 1t At premium which may reach near
to 100 per cent. II is safe to say that all |
the farmers of the country will not hold |
per cent of the gold in the country; and |
thus the premium will go into the pockets |
of those 'Shylocksr who are continually |
being denounced by the free coinage adj
vocates.
Thus, whether gold or silver remain at
a parity, or whether they separate, the
farmers will reap no benefit; in either
case the direct effect will be to enrich the
very ones who. the free coinage advocates
claim, are already too rich; the direct eff
feet will be the very effect that these adj
vocates declare it their object to avoid
making the rich richer" And, as there
will be no creation of real value, the effect
must also be to make the poor poorer"
Certainly the rich mine-owners and
money-lenders are not rightful objects
of the nations charity. There is no more
reason why the government should pay
one dollar for fifty cents worth Of silver
than that il should pay one dollar for fifty
cents worth of wheat
The national government is the instrU
ment of the nation, the machinery ny
which the people as a nation do business
If the government pays out dollar II
must be a dollar that belongs to the people;
In most cases dollar that the people have
paid as a tax; in every case dollar that
could be paid out for the benefit of all
the people--to improve the mail service,
x for example. If the holder of silver bull
lion is paid by the government two dollars
for bullion that is Commercially worth only
one dollar, it is not the treasurer of the
United States who furnishes the money,
but the people of the United States. The
farmers of the country will furnish from
the proceeds of fifty cent wheat and
twenty-cent corn a very large part of
the millions of dollars that will be used to
enrich the owners of silver Mines All
farmers will pay this tribute to the rich
men who own these mines.
The free and unlimited coinage of silver
demanded by the Chicago platform would
not be, by reason of an increased price
given to silver bullion or by reason of
putting gold at premium, of any benefit
to the farmer, the manufacturer, the mer-
chant, the mechanic, or the common la
borer; none of these has gold boarded
or will have silver bullion to sell: the only
ones who will be enriched will be the
very ones that the advocates of the free
silver coinage demanded by the Chicago
platform declare should, of all men, not
be enriched; the very ones that it is
sought to array the farmers and laborers
against. The farmer will not be bene
fitted If gold and silver remain together; he
will not be benefited if they fall apart
wall Street'-that is, what the advo
Gates of the free and unlimited coinage OF
silver mean by that term-would prof
in either case; for tluctuating currrenc,
increases its opportunities for gambling.
1t would probably get a share of the prof
by being paid more for silver than it i
worth, or of having gold at premium
but this share would not be taken from tn
mine owners or the 'Shylocks," but b
made through manipulating the market
increasing the fictitious value given sill
yer or forcing higher the premium OF
gold. 1t would thus grow fat on the NJ
cessities of business and the misfortune
of the people. Instead of wall Street,
as the Populists understand "Wa
Street" being successfully combated b
the free and unlimited coinage of silver,
would successfully manguvre with silvt
and gold, forcing the price up one day an
down the next to the profit of the gan
blers," and the unsettling, pcrplexity, an
disaster of every business interest. Farm
ing is business interest.
Whenever in country there have bee
two kinds of money, the one inferior
bullion value to the other, the inferi,
money has circulated among the farmer
and the money that found its way into IL
strong boxes of the rich and the hands
Insurers" has been the better money.
will be so until human nature changes
until man voluntarily parts with the he
ter Of two things and retains the wor
for himself. Farmers always have bee
and always will be, the chief suifere
from the discrediting and debasing of al
part of the money of country. In t
days of the wild cat currency, farme
had the least coin; and as from the natu
OF their business and the longer time
quired for information to reach the
they could not keep so well-informed
could bankers and merchants, they We
nearly always the losers. They it W
who suffered most from the rotten cl
rency of those days. Can any good reas
be given why they would not suffer m,
from the ,debasement of any part of q
currency now
The more convenient greenbacks, tire
ury notes, bank notes, and silver cert
Gates have always circulated almost
tirely in cities, and the less convent,
silver in the country. Gold and gold C
tificates went out of circulation in
country several months before they w
out of circulation in the city. One rar
sees a treasury note or greenback in
country now. The best money has gra
tated to the cities, being retained thu
and the money not redeemable in e
being paid out, until on the farm ,
finds now only silver, silver certificat
national bank notes, and an occasio
stray greenback. The farmer has b
made to bear the brunt from the distr
of part of our currency. Debase t
currency and the injury to the farl
will be increased.
Legitimate business the business I
makes real mot speculative. fictitio
value by employing labor in the field