The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-27

lU. ................. 81 WI 1OO l6S q
There are in almost every community men
who worked by the day before the war Any
young workingman who is at all taken by the
glowing promises OF the free silvertes would
do well TO ask one OF these old gentlemen how
much he really was paid In those "bimetallic"
days and how much he could buy with his daily
pay in the way OF necessaries and comforts.
We have seen that the condition OF American
workingmen has vastly improved since the
days when we had free coinage Of silver 1t
has been shown, also, that opening our mint
to coinage Of silver on private account would
at once send us TO silver basis. How would
this affect wages and the men who earn themS
Every man who earns his daily bread by his
daily toll owes ii to himself and those whom
he holds dear to think this over carefully.
Any man who will examine daily quotations
OF prices as reported In the newspapers viii
soon discover that they change from day to
day and sometimes change very greatly in the
course OF q month. But every man who earns
wages is familiar with the fact that they
change slowly, an Increase OF ~ per cent In a
year being quite gain. Prices change quick
ly: wages change slowly.
Now let US grant what the advocates of free
silver claim-that going to the silver basis
would "double the prices of commodities. :"
Does any worklngman believe that wages
would be doubled tooi Even If they should
by the changer No intelligent workingman
believes for "a minute that his wages would be
in wSs waees might be- ps1 n
creased somewhat the prices Of the things he
has to buy would be increased very much
more. X, the real purchasing power OF day
work would be greatly diminished. All expe.
rience shows that any debasement in the mon.
ey system of "A country raises prices faster and
farthe- than it does wages. This might infu-
ence some employers to consider the propriety
of debasing our currency, but IL Is precisely
the reason why workingmen should oppose II.
30 far as workingmen are concerned the
whole silver question Is To be summed up In
one query. Do you want your wages cut DOWN.
II SO, vote for the free coinage OF silver
Would Not Help the Farmer.
What inducements do the silver producers
hold out to the farmers TO get them TO cooper
ate in this schenef They promise the farmers
higher prices for their products. The sensible
question which every ihoughtful farmer will
keep their promiseS Let US see what the
chances are.
value and would carry with IT the prices Of
farm products
To say that there is any relation between
the price Of metal dug out Of our western
hills depending for It's value upon conditions
peculiar to itself and the price OF any ~ the
vegetable products OF our fields leach Of which
depends for its value upon set a conditions
peculiar TO itsclfl-to tell men that there is
any relation between the prices of things so
different In their nature and uses. Is TO insult
the intelligence of those who are addressed.
But looking at IL from another standpoint.
let rs see what the probabilities are that the
promise corld be kept
talk that silver production is one OF the over
shadowing Industries of this country Let us
make n few comparisons
The total value of the silver product Of the
United States in 1892, even when reckoned at
the price before 1913, was 80 i0l GO, aud this
was the greatest yield IN the history Of our sill
According to the Statistical Abstract, page
267, the farm value OF the cotton crop OF this
country in 1871 was $3.50. 600 00O: that Of the
wheat crop was, in round numbers. $500. 000.-
0O0, and that OF the corn crop was over $sU,-
0O0, 0OO. The value OF our corn crop alone was
ten times the value Of the silver crop OF this
yer produced in the whole world that year.
Why, SIR the clucking hens OF our farms pro-
duce more wealth every year than these silver
,Ss who 70 or tell the farmers
Farmer friends Of mine In Minnesota have
told mo that before the war they have hauled
%nea. ays 20 sach trim and On go Ok cents
bushei FOR Il in wildcat money, which was in
danger of being worthless when they got
homs. Yet in those days tho mint was open TO
the "free and unlimited coinage OF silver
The Situation Of Farmers In 1873.
So much has been said by free silver orators
TO mislead farmers into the idea that every
thing was prosperous with them before 1873
and nothing has been SINCE that submit now
port Of the Iowa State Agricultural society for
is78 II Is from address delivered by G. H.
Rogers at the Harrison county fair, and gives
q faithful picture OF the situation at that time
in that mighty state:
proud OF these aspects and OF her progress
In practical aericulture, still the condition Of
the laboring man and farmer Is far from what
Is desirable. They have worked. watched and
waited for an adequate reward until weari
ness has well nigh turned 70 h0pe'ess er Ss
past three years Hard toll has opened up fine
Farms and brought to the bins the products Of
unexampled harvests, but the sales have hard
ly paid expenses and bought cheap clothing
until the coming harvest There Is no surplus
TO improve buildings, purchase thoroughbred
stock and furnish the homo with any OF the
Injuries Of art and literature"
Would He Hard ON Debtors.
Let us suppose That the advocates Of free sill
yer sweep everything before them. capturing
the presidency and the house and continuing
20 control the senate. What would be the nat
ural thing 20 expects What would you do II
come one owed you and You were not protect
ed by gold clause In the contractf You would
demand what was coming 20 You. Every man
having obligation coming due would, In
self defense, demand all that might be coming
70 him while he could still get paid In money
Of full value. Debtors would be compelled to
pay up ut once OF give new and better secu.
rity. with a promise to pay In money Of the