The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-17
AMONG RAILROAD MEN.
Topeka Secretary of the Rail-
road Y. M. C. A.
Takes Up the Cudgel For Free
Silver,
As Against the Railway Age Which
He Says is Using Coercive Meas
ures to Whip Railroad Men
Into Line for Gold.

Mr.. F. NJ. Robinson, secretary of the
Railroad Y. NJ. c. A, in Topeka, sends
the following open letter to the state
Journal, which is addressed to the Rail
way Age:
Editor Railway Age, Chicago:
Dear Sir; This association has at
intervals been in receipt of circulars,
pamphlets, etc, of a political nature,
which you desire to be distributed
among the railroad men at this place.
After a close perusa1 of the same, I
have come to the conclusion that, in
representing a Young Mems Christian
association, whose mission is in aid
ing and advocating the truth, cannot
comply with your desire for the follow
ing reasons:
First-The matter contained in the
circulars, etc, is evidently of a cOercive
nature The purport of their contents
is obviously for the purpose Of restrain
ing the reader from using his judg-
ment by indirect threats of a reduction
in wages and of a probable cut in the
number of men employed on all rail-
roads, in case of the success of the
candidates of a certain political party
at the coming election.
SecOnd-The arguments resorted to
are nearly all as a whole, misleading
and unfOunded.
I have in mind the text of your latest
effort, in which you make reply to an
alleged correspondent who asks; How
is the value of the present silver dol
lar maintained p" You say that there
is an actual gold dollar coined and to
be had for every silver dollar in circu-
IatiOn.' This is a statement so ridicu-
1Ous and unfOunded that in no case was
it given utterance to in the national
house of congress, where it could have
been refuted by men who had the facts
and statistics before them.
If you will please refer to the United
States treasurer'S report of July 1, 1896,
you will find that the actual amount
of gold issued and in stock is 1857 ,931,
S23, while the amount of standard sill
Yer dollars is quoted at 430, 790,041. TAX
ing your statement for granted, there
would be but $137, 141, 1872 to back up
S42, S1S, 1S9 worth of gold certificates and
$733, 454, SAB in treasury notes and ma
tionaI bank notes, leaving nearly $780,,
900 900 in I=per money unprotected.
That part Of your statement which is
misleading is that in which you fail
to recognize the silver certificate which
represents silver dollars, and therefore
by the rights of law enacted are the
same as silver dollars.
Another misleading feature is that
the reader might infer that silver
money is redeemable in gold by law,
when the fact is that the law now nor
never did exist that could be honestly
construed that way.
I am indeed sorry that so valuable a
publication as The Age could be in
duced to take a hand in this kind of
work, but SO long as it does we can
not countenance it in this association.
We recognize the present political
controversy to be purely a matter of
education, and consequently are will
ing at any time to aid either side by
distributing arguments from the re-
SpectiVe points of view. but we cannot
and will not lend our aid in what might
be termed dirty politics" am yours
truly, f. NJ. ROBINSON,
Acting Secretary.