The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-16
from bad money Qegal tender) to good

of the world forces the price OF our
stable farm produce down the net pro
ceeds of each class decreases.
Atkinson says that gold is the worlds
standard, and every attempt to drive
us from that standard is a failure. The
worlds standard in Europe measures
labor that is paid one half to one third
the same class in this country, and the
same standard measures ten times as
much labor in the harvest-ield IN the
Argentine Republic as paid in this
country, and competition with capital
employing this cheaper labor armed
with laborsaving machinery Is forcing
prices down and squeezing more into
the gold dollar on which the creditor
class have a corner.
1t is a law Of trade as imnutable as
the ten commandments, which Is that
capital employing cheaper labor armed
with improved labor saving machinery
will force the true civilization to the
level of the lower, and from this result
there is no escape.
Mr.. Atkinson says: The only true
definition of sound money is that which
when melted down will have the same
value as when a full legal tender" One
of these dollars will command 25 days
Q ffemale wages in the factory in Japan,
and Mr.. Atkinson would maintain g
policy that would force our labor in
direct competition with this class of
labor, with their primitive modes Of
living, and this will force the same
class of labor in this country to their
level. Japan capitalists are laying
down carpets in New York at 81 cents
per yard, and the result is our carpet
factories are closed and tens Of thou
sands Of men and women are idle and
starving.
Mr.. Atkinson says: "The object Of the
advocate of unlimited coinage of silver
is to force these bad dollars on others
and establish a privileged class. 1t is
against a privileged class we protest.
An indebtedness of n hundred and
fifty million dollars, payable in gold as
the standard gives the holders of gold
a huge corner on this metaland forcing
every civilized country to compete for
it, they increase its value by %dopreciat-
ing the value of the products of labor.
This competition since 1870 has forced
three bushels of wheat ano three bales
of cotton into the price of one.
This power given the creditor class
by legislation is the most despotic and
dangerous Capitalization ever placed
in the hands of a class, and Mr.. Atkin-
son would perpetrate this power. Mr.. At
kinson's charge of conspiracy of the
owners of silver mines is gratuitoua,
and like a boomerang, returns with the
came force demolishing his honest
money standard.
Give US facts, Mr.. Atkinson, and leav
epithets to those who have run out of
arguments. Those who have the truth
can give it without dealing in epithets,
Nations pay their debts in their stable
products. Their ability to pay depends
upon the price received and the net
proceeds after paying taxes and ex-
peEses. Competitor on tie free ira lie
market of the world forces prices down,
reduces the net proceeds of each class
forces more of the products Of labor
into fixed incomes, leaving less to be
applied for the necessaries of life, re-
ducing consumption and production,
closing mills, throwing labor out OF
employment, b~ankrupting merchants,
forcing railroads into the hands of re-
ceivers and distressing every class, and
that too, while we are multiplying our
ability per capita to produce the neces
saries and luxuries OF life.
Mr.. Atkinson says the moment that
fraud Of cheap fifty cent dollars is ex
posed it will be repudieted. When the
fraud prCcipitated upon yhe people
compelling them to give toree bushels
of wheat and three bales of cotton fol
the price of IN 1870 to pay fxeG
incomes that should be paid with one
third of this amount, preventing then
from getting sufficient dollars to dis
tribute all we have the facilities to pro
duce, reducing consumption and pro
duction and the net proceeds of every
class and bringing upon the Country
untold misery amidst our ~increasins
facilities to supply the ~neceasaries anc
~luxuries of life; they will rise in theiI
might and bury this privileged class 81
deep that Gabriel's trumpet will no
resurrect them. Dabts must be paic
with wheat at one dollar a,6 GF4,