The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-16
SEATTLE. TUESDAY. JUNE IS.
TILE POOR MAN.s rnIENp.


The coIored delegates to the Republican
convention have come out almost TO
man for gold. OF course. fanny people
viii say they could not be expected TO
come out for the white metal; but IL shows
they know what r. best for them. They
want the best; they DO not want a money
that is good enough only for the common
people. They will find some white dele
gates who are content with 1.-THE poor
mans friend as II Il were not the rich
mans friend most people had need Of.
There were plenty Of people -four years
ago who did not want the best policy for
this nation. they wanted that Of the DEM
ocratlc party. Four years ago the party
put on the mask of free trade and called
upon the people 20 fail down and worship
Il as the poor mana sriend--the friend Of
tho simple. guileieas. gullibie. common
people. THAT fetch will not work any
more. so the free silver mantle Is thrown
over the mockery. and this time IL pro-
claims that the white metal. that emblem
OF prosperity among worklngmen In Mex
leo. Japan and China. Is tho money In
which labor should be paid
-Four years ago workingmen were by
free trade brought 20 the level OF the la
borers of Europe: now they are invited by
free silver 10 step yet lower and take
rank with the coolies of the Orient. With
what object7 That manufacturers may
by lower wages compete with the manu-
facturers OF China and japan.
Republicans propose TO keep out the pro-
duets OF Europe and the Orient from COM
petition with American labor. and to pay
for II In the best money that can be made.
The Democrats and Popuiisss propose 10
admit the manufactures OF the cheap labor
Of the world and compel cur labor to meet
the competition by taking their pay In the
same kind Of money paid to Chinese aaa
Japs.
BY all the indications of the past II
would seem that a white worklngman
would want to go forward. not backward.
II gold Is the money OF the rich. that Is
the kind no wants~not the money Of the
peon and the eoolie. He may reply that he
had rather have silver than no money.
and n free silver would give him relief
II would be a sensible answer. But II viii
rot The treasury VIII not shovel out sill
YER dollars any more than II shovels out
gold dollars Free silver is not free dis
fribution.
A workingman win ind that he VIII
have "a hard a struggle to get work. be
IN return he win get, as the free siiverites
themselves admit. wages IN coin which is
ITO lessen the purchasing power Of mon
ey.' He viii be paid one. two. three or
four dollars day according 70 his labor
and skin. as he was before. but each doll
lar Will have less purchasing power"
that Is. II will take more dollars 10 buy
the same articles.
" not. tho whole theory OF free SILVER
falls 20 the ground.
The whole argument Of the free silver
ties Is that gold has appreciated and sts
purchasing power Is moro than il was ten
years ago. As silver dollar In the United
States win hey every blt "a much as the
COLA dollar. II fellows that silver must
have appreciated with gold II Il had NOT,
silver would not be accepted AZ the same
value. But Il Il true. "a the siivcyites say.
that free coinage win make the pnrcaaz-
Ing power less. The danger Is. however.
that II Is only thessllver doliar-the poor
mans friena-whieh would buy him less
At the grocery stores. the butchers aud
bakers. and clothing store and tool shop:
tho purchasing power og the sold dallar
would be as great Ms ever.
The difference Is that the rich man
would have rho sola dollar and the poor
man would have the silver dollar. aua as
II wenid buy him less be must work hard
er and for longer hours 20 acquire sum
equal to that Of the present purchasing
power OF his friend the silver daiiar