The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-21
A DIALOGUE WITH A FREE COME

~ III y ttff.E NOfNIE.
We casually met a few days back with
one of the most earnest, not to say dis
tinguished, advocates Of the free coinage
Of silver that that party boasts OF, and
we had a very fun and frank discussion
with him Of the issues involved in the
case.
We commenced the discussion by say
ing to him that we Were unable to ap-
preciate the plea. made by all free coin
ers. that the decentralization OF silver had
greatly reduced the prices of everything
That prices of many things had undoubt-
edly fallen very much in the last thirty
years but that, in our opinion, was the
very greatest blessing that could have
befallen the human race. 1t enabled
poor people to live in great comfort now,
where the same order of people with the
same means had very few comforts
thirty years ago.
But, said he, let me paint for you the
other side of that picture Here is Farmer
a., who has had mortgage Tor $4,000
on HIS land for thirty years. Thirty
years ago his land yielded him annually
Sl2 per acre. 1t now yields him only st.
The creditor gets his 6 per cent. regularly
upon his debt and the farmer who mas TO
pay it is deprived Of one-han OF his rc
sources.
We replied 10 this that Improvement in
machinery and methods of farming and
the great amount OF fertile land cpcrca
up in the West, in Argentina. Australia.
sc. forced the farmers products down IN
the markets. and that his diminished
income had arisen from those causes, and
could not possibly be aided by lecisa-
ton. That when the credi.Cr parted
with his dollars. the agreement made
was that he should have back collars OF
the same value and that that agreement
necessarily implied that the fa.mer was
10 take all the risks of impro semen. III
machinery and methods Of farming and
opening up new farming lands . rat
IT would, therefore. be violation Of the
agreement between the parties 90 shave
the creditor down now. when that had hap
pened which he provided against. but that
the farmer deliberately assua!od the
chances of, and senerary usoc the rrcrey
In improving the land. ANA that 1t was
further to be considered that There had
been no real loss TO farmers. Tnat what
Farmer "a" lost some other farmer made.
and tho case was no more than one
where the benefits OF farming had been
differently distributed all OF which Farm.
or "a" agreed 10 take the risks OIL
His reply to this argument was that the
farmers lot was "a very hard one; that
the creditors lot. as matters now stood,
was very choice one. and that be
thought fairness and equity required an
apportionment OF the loss. lie thought
that the curse OF the country was the
load OF debt that IL carried and tha,
IL should be scaled down to meet the
loss that the farmers had had 10 suner.
We replied TO this that SUCH q proposi-
ton meant war upon private property,
and that he could not touch one dollar
OF property that was IN the form OF debt
due. without violating the principle OF
the sacrcdncss Of private property. and
that II he moved against one dollar OF
debt he could never stop short OF revplg-
ton, to end in anarchy and chaos
But he said. the argument ~ far has
proceeded upon the idea that the free
coinage OF silver is going to have the
effect that its opponents .claim-to-wit, 10
reduce the dollar 10 the value OF tine
bullion In the silver dollar-that IS, 10
nifty cents.
What is your opinion upon the ques'
ton whether il viii or will not have
that effectr'
We replied that VIC thought sentiment