The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-10-23
MILLS AND MINIS.
The Way to Open the Mills to Labor Is to
Open the Minis to Silver.

MILLS AND MINIS.
The Way to Open the Mills to Labor Is to
Open the Minis to Silver.
The Mckinleyites are moving heaven
and earth to revivify the moribund
tariff issue, and are ringing the changes
upon Mr.. Mckinley's epigram that sit
is far better to open the mills of Amer
lea to American workmen than the
mints of America to the silver of the
world And they try to make the
American laborer believe that higher
protective tariff will set all the idle
men to work and give employment to
all who wish to labor. And yet, under
the operation of the Mckinley tariff
act there were more strikes and lock-
outs and labor disturbances than ever
before in the same length of time.
There is better way. One-half of
the 1abor" of the nation is dependent
upon agriculture for livelihood, and
it is to the agricultural population that
the manufacturers of this country must
look for a market for the greater por-
ton of their wares. When the farmer
has no surplus income and agriculture
languishes, all other industries suffer
in sympathy and labor in the manu-
featuring centers is thrown out of
work, or works only short time. If
all the idle men in the manufacturing
centers could be put to work in the
factories, the goods produced must re-
main unsold unless the price of agri-
cultural products are raised, so that
the increased income of the one-half
of the population dependent upon agri-
culture renders them able to purchase
the manufactured goods thus produced.
These prices can be raised and this in
come can be increased by the estab-
lishment of a bimetallic monetary sys-
tenn and the free coinage of silver at
sixteen to one and in no other way.
The free coinage of silver will at once
increase the price of wheat and cotton,
etc, very considerably, at least 60 per
cent.
But while not denying this general
proposition that the prices of farm
products would rise under the opera
ton of a bimetallic system and free
coinage of silver, the Hannaites ad-
vance a counter proposition. which is
succinctly expressed by ex-President
Harrison, thusly:
THE silver men make a strong APP
put up prices Well, in a sense, yes.
Nominally, yes; really, no If wheat
goes up from so cents to S1.2O the price
has been increased, you will say; but if
the price of everything else has gone
up in the same proportion a bushel of
wheat won't buy for the farmer any
more sugar or coffee or farming imple-
ments or anything else that he has to
purchase. If that dollar won't buy
for the farmer any more or be better
dollar than the one we have now
where is the good to anybody of intro
ducing these fictitious prices?'
This contention is fallacy and will
not bear the light of investigat alton Let
us see: Authentic official statistics very
conclusively prove that in most of our
best agricultural states the leading
staple cereals, cotton and many other
agricultural products are prodrt:ed at
loss, or, at the best, without profit.
That is to say that they have to be sold
at prices which do not repay the cost
of production, or at the best barely
So.
Most of the farmers of the United
States, even those whose farms are not
mortgaged, receive no interest what
ever upon their capital invested. but
simply are REIN bursed for the cost of
production of their products and, by
dint of the exercise of the most rigid
economy. bordering on parsimony, are
able to buy few groceries, and such
other food as they cannot raise on their
farms, and a scanty supply of clothing
Of the cheapest quality. They all. of
fhoir Sfo 70
and school taxes, while those who have
by pitifu1 self-denial and practically
duced upon the farm.
Now.note this fact: Under free coin
age what are called fixed charges"
such as interest and taxes, and for the
most part, rent, would not raise; at
least they have not been lowered dur
ing all these years of depression and
constant lowering of prices In any
event. interest and principal of debts
would not be raised in monetary terms.
while where share of the crop is paid
as rent the rent would be about the
same proportionate amount of the crop
as now. AS we are now paying the
same salaries to state and county Of
hc1als that we paid 20 years ago, 1t IS
likely that taxes would not materially |
increase in amount
Now, then: Whatever increase in net
income the farmer may receive as a re-
suit of free coinage will be an abso-
lutely clear addition to his purchasing
ability. If, then, he has, under free
coinage, surplus income of, say $500,
whereas, formerly he barely came out
even. it is clear that whatever guam
ity of merchandise that sum will pur-
chase, it is quantity that he could not
have purchased at all under a con-
tinuation of the present gold standard
system. So no matter if the prices of
what he has to buy are increased. in ]
the same proportionate ratio the price |
of his farm products are increased,
this added net or surplus income is |