Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-10-07
TIE FARMERS FRIEND.
Free Silver Would Help the Farmer by
Reducing the Wages OF His Heip.

Free Silver Would Help the Farmer by
Reducing the Wages of His Help.
Farmer--I reckon this free silver's
about the best friend Of us farmers
that's come our way since the war. AL
lowing Bryan's elected all right this
year, / calc'late I'll be worth nearly
$4,000 more next year than now.
farmers Wife-Nonsense, Harve! l
don't believe silver's going to make
folks rich. One'll have TO work for n
living if Bryan's elected just as hard as
if he isn't.
FL don't deny but what your heads
level there, Jane. Some folks will have
to work harder, but itwon't be us farm
ers. Well come out on top with free
silver. That's sure's shooter.
F. W.-What crazy notions in your
head now, anyhow? D'you think farm
ers are smart enough to make laws
that'll take money out of other folks
pockets and put itinto theirs?
F.-P'raps not, but they're going to
try it. s'pose you don't see how free
silver'll help us, but / do.
F. W.-If you'll take my advice you'll
not bother yourself to death trying 20
get rich by free silver. I'll warrant it
won't work as you calc'late.
FIJI tell you one way it'll help
me, Jane. You know that if we got
free coinage we will have silver dollars
worth bout so cents-same's Mexican
dollars now.
T. WI thought Bryan said that sill
ver'n be worth just as much as gold
when we get free silver.
F.-Yes, that's what he says in the
east, SOS he won't scare the mill hands
end savings banks folks too much. But
he don't talk that way out here, because
he knows that ain't what we're after.
We want cheap money, SOS prices of
wheat, corn and pork'll be twice as high,
same as in Mexico.
F. W.-Supp's'n' they are? Wouldn't
you have to pay twice as much for
clothes and groceries and everything |
else you'd have to buy? If you got
two dollars instead of one dollar, you'd
have to spend two dollars instead of
one dollar It'd be as broad as it is long.
IF that's the way silver's going to make
you rich, you'll never get rich.
F.-But wouldn't have to spend two
dollars for every dollar ] spend now
You know, we have at least two hired |
men the whole year, and three to five |
more from April to November, besides
the hired girl for most of the year. Do
you reckon I'm going to raise their pay
when we get free silver?
f. WI s'pose so. Why shouldn't |
you?
F.-Just because l wouldn't have to.
P'raps aftera year or so I'd give 'em two
or three dollars more month, but moth
ing like double what they're getting
now. 1 calc'late I'd save between $500 |
and $1,000 in wages-not quite so much
on John and Dave, because they board
with us, and of course the price of some
of the things they eat would go up, but |
I'd save bout half on my day hands
who live and board at home. That's |
how igger it, and it's 'cording to the
opinion of Gov. Boies and other big |
silver people. They say farm wages is
too high for profits and that silver'll |
bring em down.
F. Wand so that's why you're for
free silver, Harve Grimes; want to cheat |
your poor hired hands out of half their |
wages, men who now can hardly keep |
their families out of the poorhouse! ] |
thought it was them Wall street shy.
locks and goldbugs you're after With
your free silver stick and that you're |
trying to square accounts with them
rich fellers, but it seems
F.-Hold up there, janet Free sill
yer's going to save us bout 81 900 on
what 1 still owe on that $4,000 mort
gage. Who d'you think'll lose that?
+. W. don't care who'd lose it. |
'Tain't right to cheat anybody, but
wouldn't say word so longs it's some
body who could afford to lose it, but |
when it comes to cheating your poor
neighbors it's time to put stop to it.
I don't care if you never get that other
farm paid for. guess we won't starve
on this old farm. I'm going to tell
John and Dave and all the others just
how free silver will hurt them, and
I'll get them all to vote against Bryan.
The idea of such farmers as you trying
to elect Bryan to cut down the wages
of your hired men Tn ashamed Of
you, I am!