Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-09-16
THE FARMERS BALLOT
VERMONT ELECTION SHOWS 1T
WILL BE CAST FOR M'kINLEY.
They Favor an Honest Currency, the
Restoration OF Republican Rule and the
Employme ut of Labor.

Much apprehension has been expressed
in this campaign in reference to the vote
of the farmers 1t has been conceded
that business men would be alarmed by
the threats of Reputation which were
endorsed in the Chicago platform, and
are advocated by the candidate selected
to stand upon that platform. Nor have
many been fearful lest mechanics in
large bodies should desert the Repub
1ican cause: the experience of the last
few years has been too bitter for them
to desire a prOlOngatiOn of Democratic
rule under the control of the most dan
gerous element of the Democratic party.
But it has been constantly stated that
the farmers Of the country would flock
in shoals to the cause Of the silver stand
ard and of partial reputation.
1t is hard to see why such a belief
should be entertained: the farmers con-
stitute large and an intelligent class;
as body they have stood by the cause
of good government; they have not been
controlled in their political action by
any low appeals to selfish motives. The
burden of war taxes fell on the farmers
as it fell on all. but none the less they
were staunch in their Republicanism
during that trying period, and quite as
ready as any other class to devote their
money as we'll as their lives to the pres
erYatiOn of the Union.
Why should it be supposed that they
would suddenly be allured to the support
of silver standard? There could be
only two motives for such q course; one.
the belief that debasing the standard
would increase the price Of farm prod
ucts; and the other. the hope that de-
baSing the standard would enable those
whose land was mOrtgaged to cheat their
creditors by paying in silver what had
been borrowed in gold. To imagine
for
their lot was to be bettered by depre-
citation of the currency, and the bust
ness disaster which would follow, is an
insult to their intelligence: to claim that
they would be attracted by the pos
sibility of cheating their creditors is an
insult to their honesty.
We need not repeat what has been
advanced on this subject; the falSity Of
the assertion that the price of farm prod
ucts has fallen with that of silver. has
been shown by figures which no dema-
gOgue can cOntrOVert. During the years
of a gold basis from 1880 to 1892. the
average price of great staples. like corn
and rye and hay, did not fall at ali; it
varied from year to year with the crop
and the demand, but there was no gen
erai depreciation such as there must have
been If their values were regulated by
that of silver, which during that period
fell nearly 30 per cent. Even the price
Of wheat suffered but a small fall until
about 1872, when increasing supplies
from South America and Russia lessened
its value in the markets of the world.
Neither in a single year nor in any
period of five years, have the f1uctua-
lions of wheat correspondent with the
steady fall in silver which has been
caused by the enormous increase in the
production of that metal.
1t is refreshing to see that those who
prophesied evil things of the farmers
have been put to shame, and that neither
their intelligence nor their honesty is at
fault. There is no state in the Union
which is more peculiarly Il farming state
than Vermont. In Vermont there are
no great manufacturing cities like those
IN Massachusetts and New York; if
any depreciation in farming lands has
been suffered in Western New York, the
causes which produced it have operated
quite SIS severely among the people of
the Green mountains; by their votes
they have shown their ability to under
stand the cause of their evils and have
sustained the policy which will secure
for them better things in the future
They have voted for an honest currency.
for the restoration Of the Republican
rule which will give confidence to bust
ness. employment to labor and will in
crease the demand for the products of
the soil. The voters of Vermont appre-
ciate the fact that when the mechanic
has no money with which to buy. the de-
mand is sure TO be poor for the things
which the farmer has to sell. After the
lesson of this election we hope to hear
no more nonsense talked about the in
roads which free silver is making among
the farmers.-Rochester On. " Post and
Express.