Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-23
NOTES AND COMMENT.
Flashes OF Thought Inspired by Passing
Events.

The constant charge iterated and re-
iterated by the sound (rotten) money
press, that the silver mine owners will
be the sole ones who will be benefited
by free silver, is not only inconsistent
but from their standpoint absurd. They
deny that the free coinage of silver
| will add anything to the value Of silver
bullion. If it does not increase the
value Of silver, how, then, can it enrich
the mine owner?
On the other hand, if the charge is
true, will it not apply to the owners Of
gold mines as well? If giving both
metals free access to the minis is a
good thing for the mine owners, then
certainly giving but one metal that
privilege would be much better thing
for the mine owners interested in that
one metal. But as we view it any such
argument is only flimsy pretext and
indicative of the lack of a better one.
AS long as we have commodity money,
the men who own and control the COM
modify will profit by it.
One of the strongest arguments with
which Mr.. Bryan has had to content in
all his travels was that put ZIP by the
young men Of Yale college at New
Haven. Mr.. Bryan himself Is no spring
chicken when 1t comes to an exhibition
Of lung power, but when he came in
contact with the Comanche-like yells
Of 500 lusty pairs Of lungs, trainei in
the ethics Of college yells, and sup
plemented by brass band at short
range the Boy Orator wasn't in It,"
Nothing less than fog-horn could
have been heard above that din, and as
Mr.. Bryan could not make himself
heard 1t disposes of the plutocratio
charge that he is fog-horn.
David B. Hills declaration that he
would "see the democratic party in hell
before he would indorse some parts of
the Chicago platform" is in keeping
with the character of the man and re-
calls to our mind the little controversy
he had in the senate last spring with
Senator Tillman. Mr.. Tillman had
threatened to bolt the national conven-
ton if free silver coinage proposition
was not incorporated in the platform.
Hill declared that he was going to the
convention and was going to abide by
its action, no difference. what 1t was
and insisted that Senator Tillman
should pledge himself to do the same
or not be allowed to participate in the
convention. OF course Hill thought
that the convention would be domin-
ated by the eastern end of the demo-
cratic party, as it always had been
done.
Under the gold standard the post
office department has had no reason to
complain, the number Of postoffices
having doubled since the crime of 1873.
There were S4,294 offices in 1874, as
compared with 7O,36O now-Globe-
Democrat.
No better argument could be offered
for government ownership and control
of public utilities. The same can be
said Of the army, the navy, the public
schools and the public roads. In spite
of the hard times they have gone stead
lily on improving each year. And the
question arises, why? Because the pro-
fits are left in the hands of the people,
tn yb01
and are not absorbed by private greed.
Had the millions Of dollars of profits
that have gone to make millionaire
railway kings gone instead into the
hands Of the people, or rather have
been left there, there would not now
be such widespread distress in the land.
It is impossible to find in the record
Of any great American statesman a
word in favor of the cheating of credit
ors and the wronging of wage-earners
in the way proposed by the free silver
-Globe-Democrat.
On the other hand there never has
been time in the history of this gov
eminent when the money question was
not one Of the important problems,
II not the issue, before the people. The
law of 1884 diminished the amount of
gold in our gold coins, yet debts that
had been contracted before the law
were paid afterwards with the dimin-
ished coins, and the supreme court de-
cided it constitutional. A debt contract
ed in coin, but not stipulated prior to
issue of the legal tender treasury notes
or greenbacks, in 1862 and subsequent
ly. was declared by the United States
supreme court to be payable in paper
money that, at the time of the decis-
ion, had no time set to be redeemed.
The rational democratic managers
are issuing circular relating the facts
that one Father Kelley deposited. for
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