The Monitor-register., 1896-10-30
The Fallacy OF Free SILVER.
EDITOR OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

|
we term "Free Silver man" in these
days of silver and gold.
We were few minutes late in reaching
the hall, bub when we got in we were
pleased to see three thirds audience and
Mr.. Summerill holding their undivided
attention, but not long after we noticed
that only two-thirds remained, and In
another short while we again noticed that
only One-third remained, and BY the time
he had finished his address about twenty
persons were in the room. When the
speaker inquired if any person had any
questions to ask, the final rush was made
and only three auditors remained,
We hold all charity to Mr.. Summerill
as citizen of Pennsgrove, but as free
silver lecturer in Pennsville we declare
him to be decided failure, and can back
the assertion with the opinions of those
who are of the same party as himself.
and who would be the last to own to it
. were it not the truth. He seemed to
credit us with nearly all being farmers,
| when the truth was that two-thirds were
day, weekly or monthly wage.earners.
In Orderto show how much he showed
the free silver fallacy to be beneficial to
the farmer we give our own impression.
When we entered the room we had q very
distant and cloudy thought that the
principle might be possible help for the
farmer for short time, but by giving
some points, in it's favor as he thought, it
| gave US clear decision that it would not.
but would rather make the case worse.
He begged for the same favor to the
| silver mine owner of using the mints as
the farmer had the feed mill. g.. have
the privilege of taking his silver and hav.
| ing 1t coined into dollars as the farmer
does of having his wheat made into -four;
but we did not hear him tell of any feed
mill where farmer might take half
bushel of grain and bring back bushel
| of feed, yet he wants the silver owner to
be privileged to take fifty cents worth of
| silver bullion to the mint and bring back
| one hundred cents. Farmers, is that
fair? Is that going to help your We
cannot see how, nor where.
Further, he said, that the gold stand
ard had deprecated farm lands and its
| products, but did not tell what caused
the mills to be closed throughout the
| country and thus cut off a large dem and
for farm products because workmen had
no work and consequently could not buy
If Mr.. S. has remedy which will start
the American, not foreign, mills in opera.
tion he is worthy of another hearing.
Give our home factories and mills of all
classes q start and enough oil that they
will never run down and American farm
ers will be the most prosperous and happy
people on the globe.
He argued that money was only crea.
tion of law and could be made from any
material the government might wish.
Happy that this is government of the
people and that Mr.. s. has only one voice,
for l believe, with all sincerity, that we
Americans favor a money of intrinsic
value. To prove his position the speaker
cited Judge fancy. While we have all
respect for Judge fancy and his useful
ness as Chief Justice, when on the
bench, yet he was only one man and was
known as a rule to be on the unfortunate
| side of court cases. Again, we say, if
there need be no intrinsic value to money
simply have the legal tender law back of
it, why not make so many pounds of
wheat legal tender, so many basks ts of
potatoes or so many bushels of corn or
any other production? Would that not be
of more advantage to the farmers than
giving the same privilege to the silver
producere You might just as we'll re-.
pudiate with one as you had with the
other, and we can readily conceive to
what this action would lead. If his
argument be true, why not remonetzs
skunk skins, bear hides, wampum and
other merchandise that our grandfathers
used as money?
We do not assume to be either a poll
tician or statesman, neither do we pre-
sumo that any more sense is needed than
we have to size up the present situation.
We, alike some others, believe there are
defects in our financial laws which could
be improved, but we do not believe in
being like the boy who asked about
crossing certain stream by wading and
was told, II guess you can cross all
right" but when the boy had started
and was nearing midway he found the
stream to be wider and deeper than the
man had guessed, and but for rescuer
the boy would have drowned. So with
the 16 to 1 idea, if everything should
turn out as Mr.. Bryan and others guess,
all would be so, but if he should make a
wrong guess, what will be the result :?
Who will come to our rescue except they
Cypress?
Mr.. 8. spent some time in illustr ating
on blanket of paper how much money
banks we're making on bonds, circulating
notes, etc., but what does that matter
as long as they do it within the bounds
of honesty and laws. National banks are
now and always have been convenience.
To illustrate that q silver basis was
superior to gold basis he took 3 five
dollar gold coin and placed some silver
dollars on top of it, asking at the same
time if the silver dollars didn't look to
be the better foundation. We do not yet
know just what he meant to illustrate,
but We cannot see any point favoring
silver coinage at 16 to 1. But if he viii
take one foot cube of cork he will fin
that l. will bear up twice or more tina8
as much as the same size piece of o.
wood.
If it is the government stamp that
makes money, as Mr.. 8. holds, why do
we need to have such large silver dollars
as at present? We all agree that they
are of very inoonvenient size, or, better
still, we might have paper or rag money,
but one does not have to stop to think
over twice to see that it is fallacy and
fraud on the face of it.
Many say this is a campaign of gold
against silver, not seeming to understand
that the Republican platform says eve
favor the maintenance Of the gold
standard until international agree
ment,' which, Mr.. MCKINLEY says, he
is bound to advance, If elected President,
as best as in his power.
What is meant by international agree
ment? We understand it to be when the
| other countries with which our chief
| commercial transactions are had, will, at
the same time, as we do in this country
| open their mints to silver at price fixed
| by law alike in all these countries-thus
we would have true bmetalism, which
| we favor, but until this time we do not
TABOR plunging into darkness as we would
at 16 to 1. Even should Mr.. Bryan and
his helpers succeed in raising the price oil
silver to 81 80 an ounce would that help
any one? 1t would be equal to the
present dollar; but does not all expert
ence teach and prove that our gold would
at once 90 out of circulation, thus CON
tracing our currency 5000, 900. 900 OF
more and squeezing many business tC
it's death, and would take we are told
more than ten years to replace it in silver
dollars coming them at the full capacity
of our mintss
Some people tell US that can not worse
our country even at SO desperate 8
change, but have they examined 9th el
countries and its people? We believe We
enjoy the best eating, clothing and happi
ness of any other country on the globe
taken as whole people.
| Give we workmen plenty of work with
due compensation and we will be market
for the farmers productions. Give us the
silver standard and many of US will be
idle with no money nor credit to buy
what the farmers produce.
Believing that the best will be done at
the ballot box next Tuesday, we remain
A WORKMAN WHO CANNOT VoTE.
Pennsville, 10Th Mo. 28th. 1896