Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-10-10
PATRIOTIC FARMERS.
Whenever Danger Threatened the
Country They Have Rallied
to Its Support.
HARD TIMES AND THE CAUSE.
Employment OF Labor in Mechanical
Industries and Not DECEASED
Money is Needed,

Whenever danger threatened our insti-
tuition the farmer has always rallied TO
,he support of his country. There is
good reason in this, in the fact that he
owns the broad acres of our territory and
= so identified with our institutions that
,,rotect him in this ownership that his In
tarcst is necessarily of a character to
wake him the safe conseryator of our
Governments pcrpctuity, prosperity and
.nnor
In the present campaign we arc con-
'rontcd by an issue that affects every
lass Of our citizens. hence. there is an
interest in the outcome more intense than
in any campaign since 3 One reason
for the manifestation for so much inter-
est is the fact that the country has been
suffering from an unprecedented period
of depression and is earnest in its intent
10 secure relief. Among those who la
nor none have more reason for COM
'llaint than the farmer. Prices OF his
products have been low values OF land
and stock have continued to decline,
,ntil discouraged and disheartened,
Gcmagogues seem 10 believe him ready to
,.cccpt any promise that they make, but
he fact Is, and better still, he is ready to
review and discuss fully the merits of the
propositions offered. The proposition
that has been urged paramount to all
others, is the free and unlimited coinage
Of silver.
There never was a more deceptive
oroposition, one more startling in its
fleets and results and one that would
,,n more disappointing should it become
, practical fact. Ii is advocated by
men having a pecuniary interest at stake,
acked by n combination of capital un-
lualed by any that has ever attempted
- control our government since the day
f the slave power. The silver NINE
,wners of the United States, skilled in
,~tJlitical mancuyering, have organized
themselves into a syndicate for the pur-
a,;se OF forcing upon the country, with
ont regard to consequences, the free II
unlimited coinage of silver.
The magnificent scheme was outlined
ny Mr.. Bryan in his Madison square
speech when he said: AT the present
zine and under the present law, a silver
Iollar when melted loses nearly one-half
its value. but that will not be true when
we can establish a mint price of silver
md leave no surplus silver upon the
market to drag down the price OF sill
yer bullion" and then TO show the pos
,ibility of cornering silver and forcing
t to a price satisfactory to mine owners,
we cannot even expect all of the an
EUdl lTbtlI'l VI 4" 'b'"
China. japan, Mexico and other silver
using countries must satisfy their annual
iced from the annual product: the arts
viii require n large amount and the gold
standard countries will need a consider
able quantity for subsidiary coinage;
we will be required 10 coin only that
,.hich is not needed elsewhere, but If we
stand ready TO take and utilize all of it,
,thcr %nations will he ready to buy at
ar price we fix
This is the silver miners scheme as
outlined by Mr.. Bryan. The people are
invited 10 loan the resources of this gov
,rnmcnt to n silver syndicate in order
hat it may he able by taking al the
silver that is offered 10 the world 20
,s.I the price and compel other nations
. pay hat price. This is worse, than
tree and unlimited coinage, yet IT is the
o,ly wa. MR.. Bryan says whereby the
,'rite of silver can be maintained at
'9rity with gold. The magnitude of the
>cheme and their audacity in attempt
ing it's execution challenges admiration.
INT the American people are accustomed
10 investigate the claims of parties and
iIen. They want to know for themselves
he why and wherefores, if some trcat
'ndical change is proposed. That they
will thus investigate and Judge for them
selves is evidence that they are quail
fled for sclf-governmcnt.
That present conditions are hard, cs-
lccially among the farming class. every
one admits. There is undoubtedly a
,7use for this abnormal condition. The
silver advocates attribute the existing
oppression To the decentralization If sill
ar, 1.-THE crime of 1879 as they desig-
tate the suspension of coinage of silver
collars in 1873.
They fail to show how that legislation
reduced prices: they simply assert that il
lid. They fail also to show why prices
continued to decline after coinage of sill
yer was resumed in 1878. They ignore
uil the facts of development. the large
md unprecedented production of farm
eoducts and especially the Improbable
~tiyision of labor. The building of new
railroads and the opening of vast terri
cries for cultivation are entirely ignored.
During the years 1S1S-19 and so it is
known that over 100000 mechanics left
10 factories and shops of New England
and the middle and older Western states
- locate on the lands in Kansas and Ne
l'raska and the DakotaS. These all be-
: Imc active producers instead of consum-
rs of farm products.
What we now need is Ia reverse this
of affairs and secure less PRO
+" Icers and more consumers of farm pro.
ultcts. IL by any way we can do this, we
viii have accomplished something prac.
cal in correcting the ills our farmers
~ - 'N"i' W - ~ IltlItt nv
which this may be accomplished. n RENE.
~ that il not only practical but per-
Tanent and far reaching in its effects.
There is a well established principle in
political economy often referred Ia Inv
= riterr that the greatest creator of
ealth is the greatest possible division of
!, Dor Previous To the election of 1899
rader the operation of the Republican
icy of protection, we were struggling
f., realize our benefits of this principle and
w. were rapidly overcoming our ndverse
nditions ny increasing the demand for
''rm products. The interest which tho
movement of labor has in protective Ju,
p lies in the effect which the movement
= labor has upon the supply and demand
: agricultural products. IL is imnossiblc
- maintain u proper division of labor.
,ccpt we produce the largest amount of
.anufactured goods possible within our
n territory. Open our ports free and
Rlow our markets ~ be. supplied by the
r.Glufacturers of Euronp and Tim afoc, /