The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-02-06

census will show that all of the new
states Of the west surpass these smaller
states Of the east in population.
The census for 1S80-1890 shows that the
percentage of increase in population
during these ten years was: Washing
ton, $50 per cent; Montana. 23S per cent;
Idaho. 1853 per cent; Colorado, III per
cent; Rhode Island, "a per cent; Della
ware, IA per cent; New Hampshire,
per cent; Vermont, 00O4 per cent.
While there are no great fortunes
owned by families or individuals in our
section, the facts are, as shown by the
last census, that these mining camps,
these 'rotten borough" states of the
New York press, rank first in wealth
per capita, surprising any other states
of the Union. Massachusetts and Penn
sylvania are old established and rich
states, yet the people of Idaho are
worth 81 each, as against 81 for each
citizen of these great commemorative.
l am not boasting. Mr.. President; l
am speaking in this strain only be-
cause l am tired of the sneers and the
arrogance of the ignorant or willfully
perverse. In this same connection l
beg further to say that until this west,
which is my home, began to turn its
streams of silver and gold upon the
east, this republic was but a second
rate power in the opinion of the world:
but fourth or fifth rate power in finan-
cial standing, on a level merely with
Egypt and Turkey.
While the men of the west have been
blazing the trails for and appearing
the temples to civilization they have
at the same time supplied the men of
the east with their vitalizing agent
called real money. which has enabled
them to transport and realize on their
common, coarse commodities until they
now have reached a point where their
poor memories and their absence of
common gratitude and their over
whelming egotism cry out, mot unto
you, but unto ourselves, all the glory
is due"
The reason why the mining states of
the west are for silver is not to be found
in the statement that they have silver
to sell. They have the gold also, and
probably in as great abundance as sill
YER AS silver depreciates gold appre-
ciates, so that so far as the mere dol
lar and cents are concerned in the pur-
chasing values of the metals it is prac-
ideally immaterial to us whether we
have gold monometalllsm, silver mono
metallism or the double standard of
gold and silver
In addition to that, the value of the
silver which Is now being dug out or
which can be produced in our states
under any conditions amounts to but
very little in comparison with our 9TH
er resources.
1t is and has been one of our indus
tries, however, the same as gold pro-
duction, and it has been, and should
now he, treated as money of the con-
stitution. When the money function
was taken away from silver by unjust
ana uncalled-for legislation, and the
industry of silver mining crippled, our
people and their representatives in con-
gress naturally inquired the reason,
and this led them to study the question
of money. The attention of our people
| has been especially and directly called
| to the subject of silver, no doubt, be-
cause we are producers of both gold and
silver. and the results of investigation
have united them firmly in favor of the
restoration of silver.
AS a fact, we suffer less absolutely
than any other portion of the country
on account of the decentralization of
silver, and can endure the single stand
ard of gold with less personal hardship
than any other section. Taken all in
all, as communities we are today. |
think, better off than eastern states.
and will continue to be. 1t is of little
Importance to us as compared with the
farmers of the south, middle, west and
east, and the wage-earners generally.
whether silver is restored or we main
tain the single standard of gold.
Speaking for my state alone, which is
not so well known and not so we'll
equipped, perhaps, as some of her
mountain neighbors, Idaho has more
agricultural land than all of New Eng
land combined, and its soil ranks with
the most fertile and productive to be
found within the boundaries of our
country. Almost every day there is
filled with sunshine. In mountain and
river and landscape there is an ever
changing and never-dying charm. The
ratio of deaths there, Notwithstanding
her bad people, is less than any other
spot on earth. In mineral and agricul-
tural and fruit-raising resources the
state is so equipped that were it set
apart and made an island of the sea
she would be an empire within herself,
without one needed attribute wanting.