The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-01-31
SOCKLESS JERRY.
Discourses Upon Finance According
to POpuIism.
Doesn't Want a Dollar That Will Go
Abroad


A small audience only greeted Hon.
Jerry Simpson at A. o. U. W. hall
Thursday, land quite number of those
present left before the close of the
meeting, their curiosity at seeing the
renowned Sockless Jerry and hearing
him speak, having been fully satisfied.
Jerry opened his remarks by saying
that he had his socks on, as the tenn
perature of Minnesota weather made
them a necessary article of wearing
apparel, and that during the evening
he would proceed to ''sock" it to the
gold-bugs. His remarks were of d
rambling nature, and when he had
finished his audience readily perceived
that he was indeed truthful when he
said that though he had read much
upon the subject, he had not mastered
the question of finance. Of this he
gave evidence at every turn. He is
possessed of considerable wit, can tell
pretty good story, and if a man did
not stop to think. but swallowed
everything he heard, Jerry might be
able to make him believe that Repub-
lican legislation had run the country
to hades. But fortunately for the
country, though unfortunately for
Jerry and his class, the vast majority
of people are doing their own think
ing, hence the setback to the
calamityites.
Mr.. Simpson said he did not care
much for parties, should not speak as
a partisan, prided himself that he be-
longed to no party, but the party be-
longed to him. When the Populists
did not represent his ideas he would
hunt up some other crank and organ
ize new party. The country was in
a bad way, all admitted, and there
must be thorough overhauling to
get upon the right track. Things
were in an alarming condition and
could not long continue this way. He
quoted Emerson as saying that the
government of a country was simply
the reflex of the intelligence of the
people, hence everything depended
upon the education of the people, and
such meetings is one way to educate
them.
The great danger to the country to-
day is the concentration of wealth.
Chauncy M. Depew had said that fifty
men practically controlled the affairs
of this country, and had it in their
power to stop congress when they de-
sire. This change was the result of
the last thirty years. Accumulated
wealth is everywhere driving out the
smaller concerns, and so making it
harder for man to succeed. Fifty per
cent of our farmers are tenants, and
80 per cent of the residents of cities
and towns live in rented homes. This
is an alarming condition of affairs.
Thomas G.. Shearman has shown that
one-half of the wealth of this country
is controlled by less than 10000 peo-
pie, and their power is rapidly becOm-
ing greater He wished to call atten-
tion to some of the causes which have
brought about this state of things.
We all wish to gets the best laws we
can, and laws which will do away with
favoritism and help the many are
what we want.
One cause for the present condition
of affairs is that certain natural op-
portunities have been created into
monopolies for the benefit of the few.
He believed such natural monopolies
should be controlled by the govern
me1t for the benefit of all. To this
extent he was a socialist, though in
everything else he believed in the
widest range of individualism.
He then branched out upon the
money question. Said he would first
define money. Spoke of the age of
barter, when all sorts of articles were
used in matters of exchange. But as
man progressed in civilization the
necessity of some fixed representation
of value became more apparent, and
the government was obliged to fix the
standard, and produce the supply in
one kind or another to meet the needs
of the people. 1t was of the greatest
Importance that this standard of
value should consist of something
which fiuctuates very little. He re-
ferred to honest and dishonest dol
lars, and said that both Senator Sher-
man and Secretary Carlisle agreed
that if silver was coined at the minis
free dollars would become cheaper.
Well, what of it. What we are suffer-
ing for is a, cheaper dollar. Eighty
per cent of our debts were contracted
when silver was part of our money.
The striking of it down had made
conditions hard, and the present dol
lar was the dishonest dollar. What
we want is to get the honest dollar
back again.
He dwelt at some length in ram