The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-10-09

FREE COINAGE WILL NOT GIVE THE
lABORER WORK.

Moss of 1t in Trying to Explain How
Free Coinage Would BE Benefit to the
Workingman.
Perhaps Chicago, with it's thousands
and thousands of unemployed, has
more street arguments concerning the
political situation than any other city
in the country. One is only obliged to
walk a block or two in the down town
district to find a curbstone orator
belching forth to a curious crowd. For
some reason the man who generally
shouts the loudest, and invariably opens
up the subject, is a free silver man.
OF course he finds some one who will
ask him questions, and the crowd
grows. Sometimes as many as three
or four will be trying to talk at once,
and as a result each gets an audience
Of his own.
But no matter how many groups
form, there is always some one in each
who is willing to take either side Of the
question and make 1t interesting for
the listeners.
It was in one of these groups, which
had broken away from the original or
ator and had drifted into a doorway
across the walk, that Mckinley man
asked the question
"How will the free coinage of silver
help me in taking care of myself and
family"
swell, I'll tell you," declared the sill
yer advocate.
That's what I want to know" de-
-clared the sound money man, land If
you will tell me how I am to be better
off under unlimited coinage Of silver at
16 to / you will make convert right
here"
Every WELL" declared the silverite.
'How in 1873
Never mind the crime Of '73," in
terrupted the man who wanted toknow.
IT think 1 know about as much about
that act as any one. 1t has nothing to
do with September, 1896. You said you
would tell me how the free coinage of
silver would benefit me, and I want
you to stick to the text"
"You don't talk sense" said the silver
man, excitedly.
'Very well then, don't talk to me.
But the crime as you call it, has no
more to do with the answer to the
question I asked you than the discov-
cry of the first silver NINE"
Two or three of the crowd to whom
the amateur spellbinder had been
preaching, and who had begun to think
he was right, turned to him and said:
"That's right; '73 amt got anything
to do with &C.,
The silver man, seeing he was on the
way to being hooted at If he did not
let the "crime" go without further COM
ment, turned to the man who w ted
to know and said:
''Well, we will let that pass. Now,
If there is plenty of silver coined, it
will be easy to GET
"How?"
''Why, If man can take silver to the
mint and get 1t coined for nothing, he
will have more Of it, won't hep"
"Who?"
"Why, the man who takes it to the
mint"
Certainly. But 1 have no silver to
take to the mint. I asked you how I
was to be benefited. Tell me how I am
to get any of that silver. That is what
want to know.
The crowd closed in little to hear
the answer. Few of them had much
silver, and they wanted to know how to
get more.
eff there is more of it in circulation,
won't you get more?" exclaimed the
silver man, with wave Of his hand.
'How?" asked the man who wanted
to know.
'Why, there will be more work.
"How do you known"
why, when there is lots of money
there is always lots of work."
"How do you know when there is
lots of money? Is it because everybody
has little to spend?"
,,,Ixx
"They have it because they have
earned il, don't they?"
Certainly"
well, they had to have a chance to
earn it, didn't they?"
Eyes.
"And If every bank and safe in this
town was full of money, they could get
none of it unless they earned it. Is
that true?"
"why, yes; that's So" stammered the
silverite.
"Well then, what gives the people
plenty of money-you and 1 and these
men here--is the chance to work for 1t.
Is that true?'
The silver man did not answer but
the crowd said: yes, that's so. Sure.
That's good sense. Go on"
'Well, then, what we want-we who
work is a chance to work. There Is
plenty of money in this country for
those who have a chance to earn it.
We don't see anybody who is working
going home on pay night without his
money, because there is no money in
the country. When a man works he
gets paid for it."
That's right" yelled some one in
the crowd. II wish / could get a job.
/ wouldn't be afraid of not getting my
pay"
The silver man said nothing.
Then" continued the man who
wanted to know, what we want is a
demand for people to work. everything
going, and steady jobs. Now, what I
want to know is how free coinage of
silver is going to make that demand. If
the country Was so full of money that
they lad to build a vault in every
store, that wouldn't help me unless /
got a chance to work for some of it,"
That's right" said the crowd. THAT
is good honest talk"
well. now, it comes right down to
where what we want is a chance to