Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-10
gave about $500 of new mortgage for
Al IN nf old

koSC oOOut VSsoV VI y" VIZ
81 90 of old.
It seems to me that the country could
not change suddenly from q q hun
dred cent standard dollar to a fifty
three cent standard dollar without
making a great deal OF trouble. All
the savings-bank depositors, and the
people who hold life insurance policies,
fire insurance policies, and all old PEN
sioners would have to take what would
amount to fifty cents on the dollar; and
there would be a great rush of credi-
tors to get what is due them, before the
slump would come, and that would pro-
duce q great general smash.up in bust
ness. Manufacturers and merchants
would be in q bad fix, because the banks
wonld call in their loans, which only
run sixty to ninety days, and their Gus
toners would delay paying their bills
If possible, until they could pay them
in cheap silver dollars. The factories
would have to suspend, and q whole lot
of people would be thrown out of work,
and they would eat less food, and the
result would be that the prices Of all
farm products would fall. l talked with
the grocer and butcher in town, the
other day, and they said it would sur.
DTl6C iuc W hlOW llOW AAAOA Co0 POORlO
paid for meat and groceries In hard
times than they do in good times. II
several millions of men are going to be
breakup which would result from com.
ing down to a so cent dollar, We farm
ers would suffer q good deal before
things would be Strengthened out again
and got to running smoothly. 1t APP
N - .n, hot ,ryho< 1ittln xu0 rninn@
by paying off our mortgages In cheap
silver, We would lose two or three times
over in the decreased demand Of our
farm products.
It seems to me that great deal more
hurt would follow to all sorts Of bust
ness from the changing OF measures OF
value, than would happen II we had q
law passed changing measures OF
weight. What confusion 1T would make
if Congress should enact that 30 pounds
should be a bushel OF wheat instead OF
so pounds. Now just imagine how
much trouble there would be TO every
body who had contracted TO buy wheat
or deliver wheat. There would be no
end of loss, until we got settled down
to using the new standard. Or let US
suppose that a law should be passed
that . ounces SlOulu No pOuIlu OSOtE-
dupois, instean OF Is ounces, and that
everybody who agreed to buy OF sell
any kind of stuff that is weighed on
scales would be obligid to call 8 ounces
a pound, no matter what the loss might
be. To make a law that about SO cents
worth of silver should be a dollar would
| be a great deal more unfair, and 1t
would work a great deal more disturb
ance and hardship, in my opinion.
In fact, | have concluded that honesty
is the best policy on this money ques
ton. We had good times when We had
the same gold standard Of good money
that we have now. If times are hard
now, it must be owing to something
else than the money question. l have
made up my mind that / am going to
vote for Mckinley this year, and that
the best way to get prosperity is to stop
this agitation about cheap money and
get things settled down and running
smoothly.
Your affectionate brother,
WILLIAM.