Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-10

, fnr 9hy, tel the farmers what they will do
Farmer friends of mine In Minnesota
nave told me that before the war they
nave hauled wheat 20 miles to market
Win VIII, an OK team occupying days in each
Tip ana got As cents a bushel for II i'm
wliacat money, which was in danger Of
peing worthless when they got home.
ne, hel i III those DAYS the mint was open to
the free and unlimited coinage of sill
YER.
THE SITUATION OF FARMERS IN
1873
So much has been said nv free s;,vor
orators to mislead farmers into the idea
that everything was prosperous with
mem before lSI3 and nothing has been
since. that l submit now paragraph that
have copied from the report of. the
Iowa State Agricultural Society for isI3.
II is from an address delivered by c. ii.
Rogers at the Harrison county fair and
gives a faithful picture of the situation
at that time in that mighty state:
Proud of these aspects and of her pro-
gress in practical agriculture, still the
condition of the labOring man and farmer
is far from what is desirable. They have
worked, watched and waited for an adj
nigh turned to helplessness. Farming
has been financial failure for the past
three years. Hard toll has opened up
1Ine farms and brought to the bins the
products of unexampled harvests, but the
sales have hardly paid expenses and
bought cheap clothing until the coming
ilhiNt~t lItft Is no surplus 10 improve
buildings, purchase thoroughbred stock
and furnish the home with any of the lux
urles of art and literature.
WOULD BE HARD ON DEBTORS.
Let US suppose that the advocates of
free silver sweep everything before them
capturing the presidency and the House
ana continuing to control the Senate
What would be the natural thing TO ex-
pcct? What would you do if some one
owed you and you were not protected by
! gold clause in the contract? You would
demand what was coming to you. Every
man having an obligation coming due
would, in self-defenSe. demand all that
might be coming to him while he could
sun get paid in money of full value.
Debtors would be compelled to pay at
once or give new and better security
with It promise to pay in money of the
present standard. On the maturing of
tntlr obligation they would certainly have
70 70 pay an enormous premium for the
klnd OF money required. They would
NOT escape making payment in money of
me present standard and would have to
take their chances of getting enough
more for their products to enable them
.. 10 make the payment without actual loss.
ana would take all the risk of losing
losing not only the premium which they
would surely have to pay. but depending
upon the forbearance of their creditors
not to lose all they possess.
And what is the probability of the
creditor being able and willing 10 grant
= ciIFtS-ibIlS. IptDoSlIOfS IN banks would
withdraw their deposits. This would
compel the banks to call in their loans
The four months between election and in
a ,,!rsei-a would be strewn with the
employment to millions of people.
FREE SILVER WOULD CONTRACT.
The plan of the free silverites. as all
experience shows. would subtract from
our volume of money very large and eX-
Geedinsly valuable part of it. 1t would
IllnlnI$h mt Of.
god and its representatives. at the very
lowest estimate, $i9o0o0,Oo0 Its disap-
pcarance would be immediate
Moreover sir. would have poorer
money. The silver money would be bulk
Ter and less convenient than what we
nave now And it would lack in stability.
And while money makes the mare CO.
We should not forget, sir, that it must
be stable money.
Creditors. as a rule. would therefore be
unable no matter how well disposed to
grant concessions to those who were
owing them. We who are in debt. sir are
me ones most vitality interested i'm the
proposal for the free coinage of silver.
MARVELLOUS PERFORMANCE OF A
CIRCUS DOLLAR
Whom | WAS a small boy. + saw some
thing that | shall never forget. 1t was
at u circus The clowns and some other
employees arranged themselves in a circle.
Let Us say that there were twenty of
them in an. No. / said to No. .: Il owe
you y. ! II pay up as soon as can"
NO made this statement to No. 3, No !;
~ SAYING 1t to No. l. No. showed his
hands into his pockets and with a look
Of pleased ssurprise pulled out n dollar
Turning to No. .. ne said: II didn't know
that ! had that dollar. Here's SO much
on account. No. took the dollar and
with similar language passed it on to No.
y ana 50 II went around the ring. No 20
passed ii 10 No. j. who received il with a
Smll" ana started TO put il into his