The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-07-30
The Farmers and the Times,

Do farmers prosper in comparison
to other classes2 What staples are
not affected by the depreciation of
property values and other products ?
Was the demonetization of silver the
cause of depreciation and runation of
the agricultural industry Is the
single gold standard the cause Of the
steadfast and increasing purchasing
power Of the dollar? These are
questions for the voters to answer at
the polls next November. The con
ditions answering to the above ques-
tions everybody admits 10 exist. All
professional men, feed and salaried,
are not affected by the depreciation
Of property and product values. Taxes
will be just SO many dollars to every
farmer if the dollar grows just twice
as large as it now is-that is if it takes
just twice as much of the farmers
produce and labor to obtain one.
The official will get just the same
salary. That is fixed by law-it is
fiat. Before silver was demonetized
the rate of interest was 6 per cent.
1t is that now. What is the difference
when it is just the same2 THIS is the
difference. When the farmer borrowed
hundred dollars before the demon.
citation of silver it did not take half
as much of his labor and produce to
pay the interest as it does now. Six
per cent. is more now than IL per
cent was then--that is, the farmer
could pay IL per cent. easier then
than he can pay 6 per cent now.
Every obligation the farmer makes or
owes is fiat and staple because the
law compels him to meet his obliga-
tion although his property shrinks out
of sight by the class legislation. These
unequal conditions between the classes
exist through no other causes than
through class legislation. Class legis-
lation is nothing but a transfer of
wealth from certain classes to other
classes. There is Just so much wealth
in the nation which increases pro-
grcssively, but the channels of increase
are diverted from their natural course
from the many to the few by legisla-
ton. We are told that free coinage
of silver means financial ruin of our
industries and national financial wreck.
This cannot be true. So long as
there is demand for commodities
there will be supply. So long as
people wish to buy there are people
anxious to sell. You cannot obstruct or
stop the channels of trade by any
form of circulating medium, no matter
how obnoxious that circulating medi-
um may be to the plutocracy and
money kings of our country, or any
other country for that matter. Farm
ers have nothing to fear from the
reconciliation of silver. But how is
it with Bank institutions and Trust
companies' They aim invariably
and more than realize that aim at 6
per cent. on their investments under
the single gold standard. They can
not possibly suffer from depreciation
of many forms of property, but are the
sole benefciaries of the enlarged dol
lar and its increasing purchasing power
which robs the masses of their fair
share of the profits of the universal
business transactions of the world.
The masses of the people have as
great and just grievances against the
money kings of this nation as they had
against King George III. They
need as much deliverance from their
power and tyranny as they needed
independence from the tyranical throne
of King George. Their hordes of
bribed emissaries eat out the sub
stance of the producing and laborlng
people as much as King Georges
hired emissaries did. The wrath of
the people is aroused, and the money
power trembles in its boots. They
are alarmed at the prospect of the
sceptre of the power returning to the
people, where it justly and of right
belongs. The Western political cy-
clone is already assuming fearful
destructive proportions, and the single
gold standard people are already ap-
pealing for British protection. The
storm is approaching; let it come.
But Notwithstanding all this the coun..
try will be safe, no matter how the
election goes.
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