The National tribune., 1896-10-15
A SON OF A VETERAN
E.presses very Cogent Common sense.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Having been
q reader of your valuable paper for many years,
and studying the fight it has been and is still
making for the best interests of the country
and the old soldier, / will say am well pleased
with it.
Now for few remarks on the present cam.
paign. as this is the most important campaign
the country has ever witnessed, the two main
features being the tariff and money question.
1t is unnecessary for me to say what PROM
ises they, the Democratic party, made four
years ago, and the people have seen how slowly
they are fulfilling them; of course, they would
not and could not fulfill them in thousand
years. And again they come around and try
to tell the people what they will do for them
if given chance; but notice if the cry of
promises is not put about the same as four years
ago, only few words changed.
Four years ago they said: Give Us tariff for
revenue only. with lean towards free trade,
and everybody will have good times. The
workingman will have plenty Of work at good
wages and pay little for what he buys; the
farmer will receive good price for his crops
that he has to sell, and buy goods great deal
cheaper than he had been doing. And so on
they went and preached.
The people listened to them and voted for
them, aud to their sad disappointment they
found they had made mistake, for things
did not turn out just so.
The manufacturer saw the lack of confidence
in the new Administration that had been SO
prominent under the old one. and that the new
was aiming at rnning him. He closed his shops,
throwing the workingmen and women out OF
work in this country, with no wages whatever,
only their little savings to live on.
Then the farmer, having to compete with all
foreign prices and pauper labor of those coun-
tries, we noticed how his prices of crops fell
and the great panic We now having fol-
lowed, with strikes all over this great Republic,
gives us a fair sample of the times under the
Wilson German tariff law.
To-day they do not come forth with the cry
of free trade. but free silver at the ratio of 16
to /, when the commercial ratio is 32 to l..
Now, are We going to listen to them because
they jump up and yell in little different form,
or are we going to vote for those who have al
ways sought the interest of every citizen of the
United States. and not only few silver mine
owners but every living man, woman, and
cbild in this great Republic of ours?
We havo even noticed that some of the COM
rades Of the GAR. are complaining against the
stand you have taken towards silver but they
certainly don't understand the real situation.
Let any person ask the silver cranks how
they are going to raise the price of silver. so
that 16 parts of it will equal 1 of gold, when
the world says 80 parts of silver equal one of
gold, and if you do raise it (as some claim
they willy, who will be benefited by it, then
their theory is all smashed to pieces.
Now we come to the debtor class, as Silver
ties tell them they will be able to pay their
debts with half the value of the money which
they borrowed. and great many think this is
what they want. First, think of the moral
question that is at stake, that of being honest
and how can q man, County, State, or whole
Government be honest in wanting to pay
only one half the amount borrowed? Next,
the creditor will see far enough ahead, that if
Free Silver President and Congress are elect
ed he will be paid only one half, and therefore
he will push his debtor to pay Immediately
(Which he can't do to save his life), take the
property or renew the claims to be payable In
gold or its equivalent. This we think, is suf-
cient for the debtors to see that the present
gold standard is far better than the silver stand
ard which is being preached by the Popocrats.
Let US consider the class of people that will
be injured, viz: The cid soldiers, widows, and
orphans drawing pensions; men, women, boys,
and girls who work day by day and week by
week, by having their wages cut in two by
one-half their purchasing power; also all
those who have deposited small sums IN savings
banks and building associations. All of these,
then, will receive these debased silver dollars
instead of good and sound dollars they ought
| to receive, that will buy dollars worth Of
goods and not half that amount.
When we think of the question In this light,
We can't see how any OF the old soldiers will
fight for the Free and Unlimited Coinage of
Silver at tho ratio of 16 to !.
Therefore. In conclusion, every soldier. his
relatives aud friends; every working man,
either with brain or muscle; every farmer;
and every voter interested in this great Re-
public of ours, ought to turn ont on the Sd
day of November and cast his ballot for VIM.
McKinloy.-J. +. ZIMMER, s. Of w., Kels0t Ind.