The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-08-08

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body and the vehement spirit remains to
be seen. ~
VIEWS OF W0RKINGMEN
Their Opinion Upon The Free Coinage
| Question.
! The New York World recently invited
views of representative Labor men.
among it's patrons, and the following is
presented, in the summary of views OBJ
tained. The question propounded, was
how Free Coinage would help the work
ing man who lives solely on wages, if
the cost of articles was increased by the
promised rise in prices: ..... Il.
Agriculture is the foundation, the
source of all prosperity, OF all wealth,
individual and national, and whatever
helps the farmer cannot fail to help all
the rest. - .+
Free silver will increase the prices OF
all farm products, which of late years
have been so low that the farmer has
been forced to sell at a loss. The result
of this loss has. been that thousands OF
young men and women tired OF the
drudgery of farm. life-caused by low
prices-have sought to relieve their con-
| dition by entering various trades, COM
peting with those already there. Sec
Ond,, an the price Of farm products rise,
caused by the increasing volume of
money, so will the wages Of the wage
workers rise, although they will not be
the first to experience the benefit. This
will not benefit the wage-workers only,
but all merchants"
"The same question you have an
swereds a thousand times during the
tariff fights. Higher prices for farm
products means ability to purchase
things we workingmen produce. The
increased demand for our products must
result in increased demand for labor,
and "a consequent tendency to increase
! our wages or number actually employed.
In other words, the prosperity of the
| farmer would be the prosperity of the
factories" --.-- aE.a...
II am still paying five cents loaf for
| bread, although the farmer is getting
only half as. much as formerly for his
| wheat -.... ..-... "". !
"As I am credibly informed and be-
lieve, the cost of gold from the best
mines is even less than fifty cents to the
dollar delivered at the mint and ready
to receive the government stamp. But
this gold cannot be purchased at any
stage of it's production for its true cost
or value. Intrinsic value of money is
| intrinsic idocy.'
"You assume that with free silver the
price of commodities would rise. ex-
pect they would gradually do SO, and as
a wage-earner would no doubt suffer
temporarily. But as it would change
the order of things from falling to a
slowly but surely rising market, idle
wheels would be set in motion, times
would certainly grow better, there would
be fewer idle people seeking work, fewer
suicides and less crime. Wages might
! be slow to feel. the upward movement
for there is as yet no very effective labor
trust in operation. But the tendency
would be upward, and on the whole the
situation would be more satisfactory
than a falling market. Granting that |
might personally suffer, it would not
WVlEl d lt5tiIlIGI tWlGu tAC
general welfare
! zone reason why workingmen should
! favor the free coinage Of silver is the
following, The Influence of organized
labor has been exerted for many years
pastlin an, effort to shorten the hours of
labor, to the end that more laborers
might be, employed. If the circulating
medium is enlarged interest will be
LESS, capital will be more liberal to Its
labor in the. way Of shorter hours, thus
giving employment to greater numbers,
and; thousands aof manufacturers and
| other. business men would enlarge their
business plants; if capital were accessible
at a. lower rate than at present
| Hoy would free silver help the work
| irgman? More money, less misery! The
increase of the legal tool of exchange
moneY-gives more productive service
from and to. each and all in exchange,
| and; less idleness, loss and misery. Half
the productive force of the nation is idle
half the year. Money exists by law and
not by nature. Gold is least fitted for
monetary use, and, like diamonds, it is
used as a store of value, owing to its
beauty and scarcity
When our government opens its nints
\ to silver and makes 1t legal tender for
hall debts public. ana private, the price OF
silver, will immed II 80 Up I'd I|ar with
Egold, just as our present, silver dollars
and silver certi ficates, which aretnot re
deemahe IN. gold, are nevertheless as
good as gold. because our government re-
ceiyes them for axes and duties.