Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-22

On Friday over four hundred work.
ingmen Of Baltimore called upon Secre-
tary of the Treasury Carlisle, at Wash
ington. and presented to him a petition
requesting him TO visit Baltimore ard
address them upon the question OF
sound money. In response, Secretary
Carlisle expressed deep regret that he
(. would be unable to comply with the
request and then said
II there is laboring man In the
United States who really believes that
the money be is now receiving for his
wages is too good for him, that 1T is
buying too much food, too much cloth
ing for himself and his family, or that
it is paying the rent for a better house
than be and his family ought TO live in.
it is his duty to vote for the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver at the ratio
of 16 to L.
If there is any laboiing man In the
4 United States who has saved money out
Of his earnings and has deposited it in
savings bank or building association,
or paid it on a policy of insurance for
the benefit of his family, and who de-
sires to have it paid back to him in
currency worth about half as much as
the money he paid out, ne also ought
to vote for the free and unlimited coin
age of silver, for that will give hin
exactly what he wants.
On tie other hand, every man in tho
United States, whether he works for
wages or not, who wants to preserve the
value of what he has already accumu-
lated aud to insure the value of what
he may hereafter receive, ought to vote
al. ena at,I IA, Il -.
age Of silver and for the maintenance of
a sound and stable currency in this
country.
While every man who works for wages
or receives fixed compensation for his
services must be deeply interested in
the result of the pending contest, those
men who work for railroad companies
and other transportation companies,
many of whom reside In your city, and
some Of whom are, perhaps, here, have
d special interest in the questions in
volved, because their employers are
confronted by situation which makes
it impossible to SO increase wages at
to compensate for the diminished pur-
chasing power of the money in which
wages must be paid il the policy Of free
coinage of silver at the ratio of l6 to
is adopted. These companies cannot in
crease wages unless they can increase
the receipts from their business. They
cannot increase the receipts from theil
business unless they can increase tn,
charges for carrying freight and pass
engers, and if they should attempt t,
increase the charges for carrying freigh
and passengers, it is safe to say tina
{ the very men, the very people, who ar
now most clamorous for the free coinag
- al l. hn ~.
against it and to demand legislation f
prohibit it in all cases where such leg
islation ia not already existing. TIL
man, therefore, who works for trans
portation company would find himsel
+ the helpless victim of policy whic
diminished the purchasing power c
his wages about one half and compelle
him to work on and on for the sam
number of dollars he received before
thus destroying all hope of improve
ment of his condition.
But, gentlemen, the laboring men hav
their fate in their own hands, The
have the power to protect their wage
against depreciation and to protet
their country against financial dit
turbance and ruin, and il they are ;
9intelligent and as patriotic as ! belle,
them to be they will so exercise the
"A power that no reckless agltRtor WI
hereafter dare to approach them in b
half of his wild and revolutional
scheme of fiDance and civil government
In these few words Secretary Carlis
has shown the workingmen OF ii
country Just how they are interestt
10 the proposition OF free silver col
age. He has shown them how it wou
affect them in the most vital factor
their existence - their age-earnil
q capacity.
Every workingnan in the count
should read this little speech and pro
by it. AS Secretary Carlisle said, t
workingmen "have their fate in the
own hands," They can settle the ISIS
by their votes.
And if hey resolve to vote for thu
material interests, the workingmen
the country will vote resolutely agar
the free coinage of silver at the RAJ
of l6 to /, or any other ratio.