The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-09-11
OPEN MILLS AND MlNTs.
Mai. McKinIey's Latest Epigram Should
Be Slightly Revised.

Be Slightly Revised
1t seems as if the poster was destined
to cut considerable ice in the present
campaign. A few of the first of the |
series of the republican national COM
mittee's new posters were put up in |
Kansas City recently. The poster is a |
big affair and wonderfully suggestive.
The picture represents, On one side, the |
United States mint with Mr.. Bryan |
standing before it, ushering in John
Bull, John Chinaman, Senior Mexicano |
and the rest, with truck loads of sill |
yer. Against that is a great vista OF
smoking chimneys and Maj. Mckinley
ushering crowds of men and women
into the open factory gates. Below are
printed the words of Maj. Mckinley:
IT think it is far better to open the mills
of America to American workmen, than
the minis of America to the silver OF the
world
At the top, in large black letters, is
the caption: The Real ISSUE" which
would seem to indicate that the poster
was gotten up before the delivery of the
opening campaign speech by Mr.. Har-
rison, who explicitly contradicts Mr..
McKinley's contention that the tariff
is the supreme issue in this campaign.
The answer to Mr.. McKinley's plati-
tude will readily suggest itself and it
runs something after this fashion:
Many of the factories of the United
States are closed and many more are
running on short time, not because there
is any scarcity of raw material, or capt.
tai, or laborers, nor because capitalists
are not anxious to realize profits upon
the capital, but because, owing to the
decrease in the purchasing ability of
the farmers, there is no demand for
manufactured articles And if all the
idle men in the manufacturing centers.
could be put to work in the factories,
the goods produced must lie unsold in
the factories, unless the price of ag-
ricultural products are raised, SO that
the increased income of the one-haif
of the population dependent upon agri-
culture renders them able to purchase
the manufactured goods thus produced.
These prices can be raised and this i'll
come can be increased by the establish
ment of bimetallic monetary system
and the free coinage of silver at sixteen
to one and in no other way. The free
coinage of silver will at once increase
the price of wheat and cotton, etc, etc
about 66 per cent.
But Mr.. Harrison. in his New York
speech, 'essayed to laugh this PROPOSE
ton out of court and answered it, once
and forever. He said:
1.-The silver men make a strong appeal to
the farmer. They say it will put up
prices Well, in a sense, yes. Nominally,
| yes; really, no. If wheat goes up from 50
cents to $1.20 the price has been increased
| you will say; but if the price of every
thing else has gone up in the same pro-
portion a bushel of wheat won't buy for the
| farmer any more sugar or coffee or farm
| ing implements or anything else that he
has to purchase. If that dollar won't buy
for the farmer any more or be better
| dollar than the one We have now where
| is the good to anybody Of introducing these
| fictitious prices?"
Mr.. Harrison must have breathed this
sophism through his GRANDPA theirs hat.
His contention is fallacy and will not
bear the light of investigation. Let us
see: Authentic official statistics very
.conclusively prove that in most of our
best agricultural states the leading
staple cereals, cotton and many other
agricultural products are produced at a
loss, or, at the best, without profit.
That is to say that they have to be sold
at prices which do not repay the cost
OF production, or at the pest, barely SO.
Most of the farmers of the United
States, even those whose farms are not
mortgaged, receive no interest what
ever upon their capital invested, but
simply are reimbursed for the cost of
production of their products and, by
'dint of the exercise of the most rigid
economy, bordering on p;,rsimony, are
able to buy a few groceries, and such
other food as they cannot raise on their
farms, and scanty supply of clothing
OF the cheapest quality. They all, of
course, must pay their state, county
and school taxes, while those who have
mortgage interest to pay, can pay it
by pitiful self-denial and practically
doing without whatever cannot be pro-
duoed upon the farm.
Now cor Mr.. Harrison's proposition.
| First, consider the farmer who is out
CT debt and manages, bv rigid econ
.omY, to stay out of debt and buy mis-
erably inadequate supply of groceries
end clothes. Assume that the annual
product of the farm, in excess of his
home consumption, is $500, which re-
pays him cost (expense) IF production,
pays his taxes, repairs and replenishes
his supply of tools, etc, and buys him
n seanty supply of groceries and cloth
ing. Prices of his products are raised
66 per cent. and he receives $500, or $3.50
more than he does now. What matters
it to him if prices of sugar, or coffee, CT
anything else that he has to purchase,
have also gone up &C per CENT? The in
crease is clear gain to hnn and is that
much groceries, clothing and manu-
featured articles which he could not
now buy at all, TO matter how cheap
in price they may be. Is it not clear
that Mr.. Harrison's proposition is moth
ing but speeious sophistry? Does not
this gain in purchasing ability repre-
sent $2o0 in groceries and manufae-
tured articles at present prices which.
in his present unfortunate condition,
Our farmer is not able to buy at all?
AS to The farmer in debt-his case is
very slightly different from that of the
farmer out Of debt. The My difference
is that whereas it now takes a certain
quantity of products to .ealize suffi-
Gent number of dollars to pay his in
terest under free coinage it would take
only three-fift as much, so that, in
addition to the $3.50 increase in his net
profits he would reap the use of two