The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-10-23
The FARMERS FRIEND.



Reducing the Wages of His Help.
Farmer-I reckon this free silver's
about the best friend of us farmers
that's come our way since the war. AL
lowing Bryan's elected all right this
year, / calc'late I'll be worth nearly |
$4,000 more next year than now.
Farmers Wife-Nonsense, Harve! /
don't believe silver's going to make
folks rich. One'll have to work for a
living if Bryan's elected just as hard as
if he isn't.
FL don't deny but what your heads
level there, Jane. Some folks will have
to work harder, but it won't be us farm
ers. Well come out on top with free
silver. That's sure's shooter.
F. W.-What crazy notions in your
head now, anyhow? D'you think farm
ers are smart enough to make laws
that'll take money out of other folks
pockets and put it into theirs?
F.-P'raps not, but they're going to
try it. I s'pose You don't see how free
silver'll help us, but do
F. W.-If you'll take my advice you'll
not bother yourself to death trying to
get rich by free silver. I'll warrant it
won't work as you calc'late.
FIJI tell you one way it'll help
| me, Jane. You know that if we got
free coinage we will have silver dollars
worth bout so cents-same's Mexican
dollars now.
F. WI thought Bryan said that sill
ver'll be worth just as much as gold
when we get free silver.
| Eyes, that's what he says in the
east, SOS ne won't scare the mill hands
and savings banks folks too much. But
he don't talk that way out here, because
he knows that amt what we're after
We want cheap money, SOS prices OF
wheat. corn and pork'll betwice as high.
same as in Mexico.
F. W.-Supp's'n' they are? Wouldn't
you have to pay twice as much for
clothes and groceries and everything
else you'd have to buy? If you got
two dollars instead of one dollar. you'd
have to spend two dollars instead OF
one dollar. It'd be as broad as it is long.
If that's the way silver's going to make
you rich, you'll never get rich.
F.-But wouldn't have to spend two
dollars for every dollar l spend now.
You know, we have at least two hired
men the whole year. and three to i've
more from April to November, besides
the hired girl for most of the year. Dc
you reckon I'm going to raise their pay
when we get free silver?
F. WI s'pose So Why shouldn'
you?
F.-Just because I wouldn't have to
P'raps afterayear or SO I'd give 'em two
or three dollars more month, but moth
ing like double what they're getting
now. / calc'late I'd save between $500
and ST 900 in wages-not quite so muci
on John and Dave, because they boart
with us, and of course the price of some
of the things they eat would go up. bu
I'd save bout half on my day hands
who live and board at home. That
how figger it, and it's 'cording to tn
!; opinion of Gov. Boies and other biz
silver people. They say farm wages j
too high for profits and that silver'l
, bring 'em down.
+. Wand so that's why you're TO
[ free silver. Harve Grimes; want to chea
YOUR poor hired hands out of half thei
, waces, men who now can hardly keel
: their families out of the poorhouse!
, thought it was them Wall street shy
} locks and goldbugs you're after wit
, your free silver stick and that your
5 trying to square accounts with ther
r rich fellers, but it seems
e F.-Hold up there, Jane! Free ST
). yer's going to save us bout $1,000 o
: what 1 still owe on that $4,000 mor1
1 gage. Who d'yon think'll lose that?
i +. WI don't care who'd lose i
r 'Tain't right to cheat anybody. but
wouldn't say word so longs it's some
body who could afford to lose 1t, bu
: when it comes to cheating your poo
e neighbors it's time to put stop to
J. / don't care if you never get that othe
r farm paid for. guess we won't starv
on this old farm. I'm going to tie
: John and Dave and all the others jus
q how free silver will hurt them. an
r I'll get them all to vote against Bryal
4 The idea of such farmers as you tryin
to elect Bryan to cut down the wage
: of your hired menl I'm ashamed
t you, am!