The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-02
The POOR NORWEGIAN.

It is truly wonderful to notice the in
terest the goldbugs now have in the
poor workiDgmen. Having succeeded
in running the workingman as we'll as
the business mau and farmer, they are
now trying to convince the working
man that goldbuggery is the proper
caper. Recently the Young Mems
Sound Money Club" of Atlanta, asked
permission to send speaker to address
the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engjn,
GERS in that city. f. R richardson,
editor of the Atlanta Journal, was the
speaker. Here is what Mr.. W. L
Simmons, one Of the engineers, said
a2out the speech:
when he had finished I wanted to
ask him a few questions. He was argu-
ing that the fell Of prices was caused
by over production and said that the
free coinage of silver would not help it.
| asked him for statistics, but he said
that he did not have ans statistics with
him, but he knew this, that as long as
farmers raised ten or twelve million
bales Of cotton they would get their 4
OF 5 cents o pound for it.
4 asked this: whether he based his
statement upon a comparison with
consumption, but he said nothing, He
also said that the stamping Of the sill
YER dollar with the seal Of the United
States did not enhance it's value. l
asked him If this was true. He said
that 1t might be increased a little, but
that it would remain the same 50 cents
dcllar. I then asked him how he could
acclu2t for the fact that in IS, when
they were discussing the B and Allison
act and there YVES every probability OF
g bill favorable to silver passing both
houses, that it rose in price IN the stock
market 80 or 40 cents.
"We-l,'h he sn;d, Mr.. Crisp had said
that this was true. and it was claimed
by several OF the silver leaders, but
that he did not believe it, I informed
him that it was true. O1e OF his com-
m.tsee pulled his coat tail and told him
it was right, that it rose about thirty
or thirty two cents. Then Mr.. Richard
son said, May be it did
Il asked Mr.. Richardson about the
price Of products; whether it would
not increase the price of products to
have free coinage Of silver. He said
that our interests are not with the
farmer exactly. He said that he had
never believed that laboring men in the
cities who worked for fixed salaries
were identified with the farming eIe
ment. He said that he did not think
that the working men in the cities
should ally themselves with the farm
ers, that it was to our interest to get
our products as cheap as possible, and,
the other hand, to hold our wages
up; that he had been Unidentified with
salaried laboring classes in the COM
mercial world for a number of years
and studied the matter from his stand
point, and that he honestly believed
that u interests were seperate and
distinct from these Of the farmers.
Il then asked him il it was not a fact
that where the farmers Of the country
were prosperous and happy and money
plentiful we did ut finQ all lines of la
Dor IN the ame condition.
He did not answer this, but bowed
and thanked ua, then excused himself,
Il find the working classes about 90
per cent. for silver that I have talked
to" continued DIR. Simmons, after he
had finished his account OF The visit of
the committee. II belong to several
organic 2tione that is, / am iden-
Tilted with several in a business wsV,
and L have seen them poIled several
times, and invariably it was a declara- !
tion for silver. 1 believe the working |
of Atlanta are in favor of it,"
Il am surprised, said another we'll !
known w~orkingman yesterday, that
these gold people are just beginning to