Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-10-27
FARMERS FRIEND.
CUTTING DOWN THE WAGES OF
HIS HIRED MEN.
A Cool, Calculating Farmer Explains the
situation to His wIfe-He Thinks He
Will Gain Nearly $4,000 By tho SIX
teen TO Ono Scheme.

Farmer reckon this free silyer'S
about the best friend of us farmers
that's come our way since the war. AL
lowing Bryan's elected all right this
year. / calc'late I'll be worth nearly
$4,000 more next year than now
Farmers Wife-Nonsense, Harve! (
don't believe silvtr's going to make
folks rich. One'll have to work for
living il Bryan's elected just as hard as
if he isn't.
f.. Il don't deny but what your
heads level there, Jane. Some folks
will have to work harder, but 1T won't
be us farmers. Well come out on top
with free silver. That's sure's shooting.
F.. W.--What crazy notions in Your
head now anyhow? D'you think farm
ers are smart enough to make laws
that'li take money out Of other folks
pockets and put ii in theirs?
F.-P'r'aps not, but they're going to
try it. / s'pose you don't see how free
silver'll help us, but L do.
f. WIZ you'll take my advice,
you'll not bother yourself to death Try
ing TO get rich by free silver. I'll wa
rant It won't work as you calclate.
FIJI tell you one way it'll help
me, Jane. You know that If we get
free coinage we will have silver dollars
worth bout so cents-same's Mexican
dollars now.
f. WI thought Bryan said That
silver'd be worth just as much as gold
when we get free silver.
Eyes. that's what he says in the
east SOS he won't scare the millhands
and savings bank folks too much. But
he don't talk that way out here. De-
cause he knows that amt what we're
after We want cheap money SOS prices
OF wheat, corn and porkll be twice as
high, same as in Mexico.
+. W.-Supp's'n they are. Wouldnt
you have TO pay twice as much for
clothes and groceries and everything
else you'd have to buy? II you got 81
instead of 81, you'd have to spend "
instead Of 81. It'd be as broad as it's
long. If that's the way silver's gong
to make you rich, you'll never get llch
F.-But wouldn't have to spend S2
for every 81 spend now. You know,
we have at least two hired men the
whole year and three to five more nom
April to November, besides the hired
girl for most of the year. Do you
reckon I'm going to raise their pay
when we get free silver?
F. WI s'pose So Why shouldn't
you?
F.-Just because / wouldn't have to-.
P'raps after a year or so Ia give EN-
So or So more month, but nothing
like double what they're getting now.
I calclate I'd save between $500 and
81 900 in wages-not quite so much ON
John and Dave, because they board with
us, and of course the prices or some
of the things they eat would go up, but
I'd save bout half on my day hands
who live and board at home. That's
how igger it, and it's 'cording to the
opinion of Governor Boies and other big
silver people They say farm wages Is
too high for profits and that silver IL
bring 'em down.
F. Wand so that's why you're for
free silver, Harve Crimes; want to
cheat your poor hired hands out of half
their wages, men who now can hardly
keep their families out Of the poor
house! l thought 1t was them Wall
street shylocks and goldbugs you're
after with your free silver stick and
that you're trying to square accounts
with them rich fellers. but it seems
Hold up there, Jane! Free sill
ver's going to save us bout $1,000 on
what ! still owe on that $4,000 mort
gage. Who d'you think'll lose that?
+. WI don't care who'd lose 1t.
'Taint right to cheat anybody. but l
wouldn't say word so longs it's some
body who could afford to lose 1t, but
when 1t comes to cheating your poor
neighbors it's time to put stop to It..
| don't care IL you never get that other
farm paid for l guess we won't starve
on this old farm. I'm going to tell John
and Dave and all the others just how
free silver will hurt them, and I'll get
them all to vote against Bryan. The
idea of such farmers as you trying to
elect Bryan to cut down the wages Of
your hired men! I'm ashamed of you, i
ami