The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-21
CAN'T FOOL THE FARMERS.
iirynn's Plea win Not succesd-Nn Not
bu Led into tho Tap.


New York Mail and Express: One OF
Mr.. Bryan's most urgent pleas In behalf
| OF free silver is that 1t would make the
American farmers independent OF for
| eIEn dictation IN fixing the prices Of
agricultural products. Mr.. Brynn'B
heart blCe1s for the farmers. lie Is
quite sure that they are the victims OF
some dreadful form Of OPPRESSION which
Il In hlS appointed mission "a. relieve aud
redress Having convinced himself that
foreign dIctation" II what ais them.
lie promptly concludes thnt the free mud
unlimited coinage OF silver Is precisely
what II needed TO alleviate their dis
trcss and open the way to an era OF I'm.
eXnmplel prosperity.
But let us see how the scheme would
work IN actual practice. The American
farmer. III 1898 exported products worth
fti5, 1875. These consisted. In part, OF
81, $685. 3S bushels OF corn CO. Sii, ESQ bnsh-
els OF wheat. l4.j2S. 76l barrels OF -four
and 6,5l9.l2l bales OF cotton. These were
all paid for In gold or In exchange, test
Ing on II gold basis. II the prices on these
commodities were fixed by foreign dc
tatlon" the farmers did not appear TO
mind 1t much. They had the produce TO
sell, the foreigners had the money tdpay
for II, and the prIccS were the Legitimate
reflex OF supply und demand In the, open
market.
Under free silver. however, another
element would enter the transaction.
The foreign trader Of American produce
could bring his gold to this country, buy
Mexican or South American silver with
II at about 81 or 90 cents an ounce. md
then, by taking Il to u minis and hav-
InB ~ Hpfna1 lpfn ,,at.tnnn ,tntiuru Ia
cOuM Increase the purchasing power OF
his capital all the way from 30 to so per
cent. ana gtill pay his Importatlona OF
our products In lawful American coin.
The farmer would have no redress what
ever. His bu3h-l OF wheat or corn
would have 10 measure a. much. his bale
OF cotton would have TO weigh us much
ms they 90 to-day, whereas the foreign
buyer. by means OF free silver Imitation,
would have his capital enormously e1-
banded, and his price debating power,
which Mr.. 'Brynn so greatly breads,
would be Increased to Il point that would
make him practically the master OF The
markets. Prices OF agricultural products
would be demOrallZed by the capriclous
Influence OF silver speculation. the farm
or would get about 20 cents FOR the grain
which to-day brings him n dollar. and
the foreign dlctation" which "a now n
mere pigment OF Mr.. Bryan's magma
tl1n would become 4 reality.
Mr.. Bryan Is trying TO fool the farm
ers. but he can't do It. They understand
the great, central Issue OF the campaign
az well ~ he does. Many OF them under
stand Il meter. They know that honest
money and a stable currency are as nee
essary to agricultural prosperity as they
arr TO safe banking and successfully usl-
ness. And they know that a financial
measure which Increases the purchasing
power Of the foreigners capital without
decreasing the contents or the American
bushel or without contracting the weight
" the American ton. Is simply a scheme
TO take money from the farmers pocket
and present II as 4 free gift TO the Euro
pean buyer OF our agricultural products.