Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-10-30
SOME PERTINENT ENQUIRIES.
A Few Plaiu Facts for Farmers, Mechanics
and Laboring Men.

A Few Plaiu Facts for Farmers, Mechanics
and Laboring Men.
Mr.. EDIToR.-Mr. Bryan says that most
of the farmers have mortgages ON their
farms and that the free coinage of silver as
set forth in the Chicago Platform If carried
into effect will cause so much of that
money to be put into circulation that the
farmer will be able to pay off his mort
cages.
Now take it for granted (until Nov 3rd,)
that the Chicago Platform is carried into
effect.
have a mortgage upon your farm paya-
BILE in gold or in money at its legal value
to-day, l see money is about to depreciate,
and consequently when you get ready to
pay off the mortgage get deprecated cur
rency. What am 1 going to do As soon
as 1 could 1 would demand payment Of
that mortgage and would do so at once, as
would all other mortgages and if pay
ment could not be made l would
forclose before money became cheaper
Why Because, for instance to-day the
mortgage if worth say $1,000 in six
months or year would be worth $780,
and would be out just $40 1 could not
stand this so upon the mortgage becoming
due 1 would demand payment and would
not renew except was paid in money,
upon the expiration of the mortgage of an
equal value as when given, this is plain.
If have in my bin to-day 1000 bushels
of potatoes worth 81 600, and L see that in
three months or six months that they will
be worth SO cents a bushel or in all $780,
would sell Immediately like any other
sensible farmer because l could not afford
to lose $40, and does this not stand the
same as to the man who deals in money
and lends on the mortgage
If free coinage of silver is thrust upon
market silver will go up and gold will
come down, the price of goods will go up
and consequently wages will go up.
The price of silver, if so much is thrown
upon the market and it is inflated, will not
cause the price to rise any more than if
the market was flooded with potatoes
would raise the price of them.
How would gold come down Instead
we would be flooded with a silver currency
and England would Immediately take all
our gold at its present rate, and. as all of
our national debts are payable in gold we
would need two or three silver dollars to
pay one of the old debts.
Suppose the price of goods go up and
take 20 bushels of potatoes to market and
get 800 a bushel, on my way home 1 must
buy barrel of flour and pay $40 for it in
stead of So as when potatoes were worth 81
a bushel, where is the gain ?
If the farmer is to get double the price
for his produce must not the grocer, the
merchant and all others who sell get the
same proportion for their goods to offset
this
VIII wages go up 1t has been plain
fact that wages never rise as fast as any
other commodity. No man will raise the
price of his employee for fun, and not un-
is less he compelled to.
Now if the price of produce goes up, say
the farmers potatoes go mp to s. a bushel
the storekeeper sells them at an advanced
price. the laboring man must necessarily
buy be he must live, now the question is
will his wages be advanced sufficiently to
allow him to buy as freely as before, if not
how can he eat as much, how can he do as
much work if he can not have enough to
eat. VIII the farmer raise his hired mans
wages from SIS month to $50 if he gets
double the price for his produce Win
the farmer pay twice the amount of taxes
then as he does now If it takes two dollars
to make one Of the present worth VIII
the Government officials work for half
pay then
Take the railroads, their bonded in
debtedness is payable in gold, their fares
are paid in silver at 50 cents, their freight
in SO cent dollars, the State compels them
to carry passengers at 3 cents per mile.
VIII more people travel VIII more
freight pass
When how is this bonded indebtedness
to be paid The fact is plain. 1t must
come out of the employees wages for it
must be paid, and no other source is open
from which money can be obtained. A.