The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-08-29
BRkNN ON SILVER.
He Hits From the Shoulder the Pres
emf r1oney FaIlacieS.

For vigorous, though not in all respects
classic language, commend the fploWlns
crushing answer TO the silver standard
fanacies, which is from the pen OF Editor
Brann Of the Independent:
II am not much Of a free silver fanatlc,
bat I do DISLIKE to see the people ln1poseo
upon by q set OF editorial and oratorical
frauds who bra%enly jussle figures. duhu-
reds nf papers, 'spIters ana spoutefs aie
striving to create the impression That solu
makes for high and silver for low WAGES;
yet She biggest fool engaged in this dis
repu1abl scuil-duggery knows full we'll
II he knows anythiug-that he is perpe-
.rating a urazen falsehood. e Cicero Won
dered that the Roman aruspices could
lock into each others faces without laugh
ing, what would he have thought OF gold-
bug editors and orators who, after labo-
riously comparing the wage rate IN I'm
gland and the United States with that OF
China and Japan, solemnly advise the
American Workihgman that il he doesn't
want to toll for a dime day-"in depreei-
ated currency and live on rice and rats,
he should give the glad hand to the
"cross Of gold? There isn't an editor on
earth with sufficient sense to dodge
plate matter when welding pair of
shears who doesn't know that all such
talk il the variest tommyroI. There isn't
an orator who employs it but does SO for
rant people. I here brand every man
who INDUCES in such argument as a
fool Of the first water or q deliberate
fraud. Certainly wages are higher III
England and the United States than in
China and Japan. and Of right ought to
be, for the productive power Of the en-
ergetic Caucasian, with his improved
machinery, is tenfold greater than that
Of the putterng Monaghan with his
antediluvian devices. Every man versed
! in even the primary principles Of econon1-
les knows that the unit Of value in vogue
wage rate than with the plumber OF wig
g!etails in it's rainwateSs We don't have
10 go to Ricardo, or Mill or Montesquieu
for this information it is only necessary
to turn to the latest published consular
reports, which any man may obtain Of
his representative in congress free OF cost.
Il the gold makes FOR high and the silver
standard for low wages, how comes it
that 2asfitters receive &4.50 week in
Colombia and SIS in Venezuela both silver
standard countries. and but $4.O2 in Ger
| many and $40 in Italy, both on s. gold
basis? How comes it that cigar makers
receive $3.50 and tinsnths sl4 in silver
standard Venezuela and $3.50 and 50 re-
spectively in gold-standard Spain? How
comes it that distillers receive $12 per week
III Mexico and but $500 in Denmark? How
comes it that cabinetmakers receive $40
in Ecuador and but $4.25 in Germany
blacksmiths $12.S3 in Venezuela and but
$3.50 in Italy, telegraph opera tors Sl1.5O
in Mexico and but 80 in Denmark, EN-
glavers $19.75 in Peru and hut So in Spain :?
II the gold standard makes uniformly for
nigh wages, why is there such a tremeu-
1ous difference in the wage rate of gold
standard countries? The average weekly
wages Of bricklAyers in the United States
! is, S2l.}S, in Spain $3.50, in Canada $18 and
in Italy $500. yet all are on a gold basis
Hod carriers average $1O3S in the United
Ssates and but $40 in Italy; plumbers
$3.50 III Canada and 1926 in Spain $18 in
the United States and $3.50 in England
sl3.%5 in New South Wales and s4.25 in
Germany-all gold standard countries
Coopers get $3.50 in China and $40 in
| Ecuador; 71asons, s2.1S in Japan. and
$10.S0 in Mexico; butchers. $2.6S ia Persia,
and $3.50 in Peru: cigarmakers, s1.4 in
China, and $3.50 in Venezuela--aN silver
standard countries. Yet the gold-b,gs
ask the workingman to believe that upon
the unit of value depends the scale Of
wages 1t is a wonder that when a. man
makes that kind of a talk to Intelligent
people he: escapes being hooted--or
hanged. In pointing out that wages are
higher in eold-standard England and
America than in silver-staudard China
and japan, the oddities just leak enough
truth to give their assertion the full ef-
feet OF a dangerous and damnabIe lie
They are wonderfully interested in the
| welfare Of the workingman--!n a perfect
agony lest he commit industrial harakiri!
Will they please inform asa~Assw the gold
going to the English level? Will they
kindly take a day off AMI explain how the
adoption Of the gold standard by China
! would raise her Wage rate. to a parity with
! that Of New South Wales-wlllle that Of
| England, Germany. Denmark, Belgium
Italxr Cn.oip mi G1v.ifo
| main SO far below that of Mexico, Co
! lcnloia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela? ?
! And when they have explained this mat
| ter to the satisfaction of the public, will
( they explain why gold-standard Spain is
| deca wing, while silver-standard Mexico is
going forward with giant strides? The
| people are tired Of your internal soph:stry;
| now talk sense. If a deprecated cur
| rency be responsible for Chinas low wage
| rate, why didn't it have a like effect in
America previous to the resumption Of
specie payments? Why did wheat so to
s.. SIS i'll 1867 and to 49c in 1895? In 1857 I
was 10 years old, and received 81 j day
for work In the harvest field; now 10-year-
old boys can be employed at like labor
| for 81 a week. am told that / was paid
| in "depreciated currency Cert! [ could
| only get five sticks of candy for 5 cents:
now, the SO week boy can obtain six!
What a pity my birth wasn't delayed 30
years. SO the blessed gold-bugs could keep
rne from being sandbagged by depreci-
| ated currency! While handicapped with
| ''the evils Of deprecated currency" my
people raised and sold wheat and corn,
cattle and hogs, purchased more land and
built comfortable houses and mammoth
| barns; but under 1.-The manifold blessings
| Of stable gold standard they are selling
the land because It's produce will not
| yield a profit. and letting the buildings go
! to wreck because unable to repair them.
| Then the Old gentleman was wont to put
| 81 900 bills in the family Bible and hide it
under the bed; now when the tax col1ec-
| tor comes around he must go a-borrOwing.
Then the farm, with its billowy wheat
! fields and golden corn, stretched out over
an entire section and resembled garden
! of the gods; now it is reduced to pitiful
| 50 acres and looks like desert Of desola>
! ton. Seventy-five years Of grinding toll
has ended in ..crucifixion upon cross OF
gold Z 81.
The Crowd to Follow.
We have parties no longer-only
crowds, If the newspapers Me-te~be be-
|lieved. There is the gold crowd and the
silver crowd, and the ordinary citizen is
at a loss as to which he should follow.
! # he wants to be right he should by all
means follow the crowd that uses the st.
Paul & Duluth Railroad between st. PAUL,
Minneapolis, Duluth, saltwater, West
Superior and other northwestern points
Of Importance and interest. Everybody
uses the Duluth Short Line, because its
! fast trains run smoothly at convenient