Smyrna times., 1896-08-19
N. WATKINS ON DELAWARE
AND NATIONAL POLITICS.
A High Compliment to Hon. John II. HOf-
fecker, Republican Candidate for
0OYeruOr

fecker, Republican Candidate for
Governor.
IThe following correspondence has {
been received from Nicholas Watkins, ,
for some years q resident of Smyrna
and first foreman of the Smyrna
Times.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. II, 1896.
EDITOR SMYRNA TIMES:
Dear Sir:-AbOut year ago, [ wrote
to you, in acknowledgement of your
kind remembrance of me, and in the
letter took a Retrospective view, bring
ing to mind a few things which L
thought might tend to your editication
and you may imagine my surprise
when found published in the TIMES |
a major part of that letter. To-day
write again, sending a cordial greeting |
to my old friends at Smyrna and all |
the country 'rOund-frOm KentOn to
Bombay HOok-frOm Blackbird to
Leipsic. Paraphrasing the song,
just tell them that you heard from
me, and whisper if you get chance,
that love them now just as dearly as
1 did long, long years ago.
see that Smyrna is, as of old, well
to the ont-religiously, socially, and
politically. With Mr.. John H. HOf-
fecker as a candidate for Governor of
the State, its citizens may well be
proud. For forty years L have known
him and right along have imputed to
him the highest qualities of a gentle
man; and, aside from the financial
and economic questions which may
naturally separate them, feel that he is
) well entitled to the suffrages of all his
fellow citizens. Right on his native
e heath, he is typical Delawarean, OF
= the strictest prObity, honest, indus
e trious, straightforward, charitable, in
telligent, enterprising, and justly In
1 luential; and, Democrat as L am, 1t
. gives me great pleasure to speak OF
It him in this way, and to congratulate
e my former fellow citizens, irrespec
o tive of party, on his nomination.
e The campaign will doubtless be al
|. interesting one. The questions divid
Ie ing the people may well be discussed
'. and ought to be calmly and deliber
l. ately considered. We hear gOO'
deal about "sound money" and tn
"j3-cent dollar" but we ought not t.
conclude that either party is oppose
NJ to the former or in favor of the latter
nU 1t is assured, as a rule, that men ar
4 honest. This is the presumption {
as law. Senator Gray and ex-SenatC
III Higgins will agree to this, and, in til
IL discussion of the money question, ma
be able to show quite clearly how IL
Ms return to free coinage of silver wOul
'iu lead to reputation, bankruptcy al
ee starvation. OF course we should
told why silver was demonetized,
ed 1873, when the silver dollar was at
rs premium--worth, not So cents, b
Ort 1O3 cents--and in whose interest tn
rec act was, with little, if any, debate, al
ne without the knowledge of the peOpl
passed through Congress; and, ais
III why that act, which has effected
es- enormous contraction of the currenC
no. stagnation of business, and genel
Vi fall in prices, ought not to be repeale
In the face of the fact that wOrkm
're' are idle, and prices of labor, farm pl
ue- ducts und commodities are lower tn
'ui- at any time in the last thirty or fol
ll.h years Con account of the fnanc
l III stringency), the wonderful success
ASn the present money system, and ho
III with only five or six hundred milliC
IL of gold in the country we can wi
AN stand the constant drain upon it
our exportation) without ultimate der
rae ton, panic, and ruin, should be mi
" apparent-and they may be able also
aole explain why we should increase ind
lon' nitely the issue of bonds and incre
re- the public debt to burdensome proI
lOie' tiOns, the payment of which wo
'Pie. result in the confscatiOn of priv
0H"i property.
% III 1t does really seem that these 4
eAl- ters ought to be made plain, that
'oni- people may intelligently vote at
paS'' coming election. 1t is possible
i'ion the silver dollar would not just ]
'opie have the intrinsic value of the {
-, dollar; but, by favorable legislat
Vhe it is unreasonable that silver would
inc enhance in price and parity be N
"insU tanned. If dollar note that is w
au- nothing intrinsically can be mainta'
Wny at its face value in gold, with 20 c
IS be- .I-.s ;,,4,.;,,o;o ,,olr,o 20 rodoor
luil certainly dollar in silver. contain
SO cents of intrinsic value, can als(
lO0 maintained at it's face value. By
proposed coinage of silver, it Sc
u'iol "a there would be money for the peol
iii"i'. it would circulate-business would
l"' VI vive-better prices obtain-and {
'oy' as we'll Us silver, would not be d1
ernor 80 90 .,;,o,,Io+;o, GO 81 ,,rosor+
Ne" course the silver dollar might be
/, ,''eAo bersOme, and the gold also, but J
io' could easily take the place of both
the public convenience thus be a
i'''i0i met. We have abundant energ.
"nsiS resources, and being an industriOu
luoie honest people, there should be
ing about us save thrift and prOsp
sresS and in legislating for the P
uSion, veal, we should not be led-but {
III ou' to lead the nations of the earth.
heyn- Hoping for a change, resultil
nd L. oood +;n,os romaip vonr friend
, were N. WATKl
cess of "
lg the CIlEOWOLD.
Chair