The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-07
ANSWERS MCCORMICK.
J. 7. Simpson HOltOn Agent Of
The Harvester Company
Replies to a Circular Issued to
Agents.
Politics and Harvesters Mixed Up Ir
a Most Interesting and Edifying
Manner.

! Holton. Kan, Sept. THE following
rather interesting correspondence ap-
pears in a local paper here:
Holton, Kan, Aug. "a, 1896.
E. K. Butler, General Manager, Nc
| Cormick Harvesting Machine Com
| pany, Chicago, Ill:
Dear Sir:-Your esteemed favor of
the 18th inst is at hand, in which you
/ say: We have never been so at a loss
to lay out our plans and work for the
next season as we are at this time. II
we felt sure the election would go for
sound money and reasonable prOtec-
ton, we should push ahead with our
manufacturing. We have had the larg-
est business of any year in our history,
our works are empty 1t takes every
hour of our capacity to supply our
trade If we thought the country
would go for unlimited coinage of sill
yer, We should not wish to run our
shops for more than One-haf their ca
pacity- We do not know of any
better way to get reliable information
in advance than to ask each one of our
1900 agents for their honest expressions
upon the great issues before US, and
their best judgment of how the vote
will probably stand as near as they
can estimate in their respective COM
munities.''
Before answering your inquiry per-
init me to congratulate you upon the
prosperity which you have enjoyed the
past year, during which you say you
have had the largest business of any
year in your history Such being the
case, would it be impertinent if 1 were
TO ask why do you now need more
''prOtectiOn2' If, as you say, it takes
every hour of your capacity to supply
your trade, is not your establishment
now large enough and strong enough
to stand on its own merits? And why,
permit me to ask, should you not wish
to run your shops for more than one
half their capacity if you thought the
country would go for unlimited coinage
sumo to advise you in this matter; but
the thought has occurred to me that
since everything which enters into con-
StructiOn of your matchleSS harVeSterS.
and especially the item of labor, is
cheaper now than it has ever been be-
fore during the existence of your COM
pany, and since we are assured by
those who advocate the gold standard
that the free coinage of silver would
result in an imitation of prices, the
manufacture of your goods at the pres
ent low cost thereof, to be sold next
year upon an inflated market, might
not be a bad speculation. Surely if the
result of the free coinage of silver will
be to place a fictitious value upon all
commodities, your machines, manufac-
tured on the present basis of low wag-
es and sold at inflated" or fictitious
prices resulting from free coinage of
silver, would net you greater returns
than if you wait for the imitation of
prices before manufacturing the goods.
/ do not infer from your letter that the
manufacture and sale of harVesters
would cease altOge &ler should we have
free coinage of silver. presume that
Providence would continue to bestow
upon our fields the blessings of sun
shine and of rain, and that generous
Mother Earth would therefore continue
to yield bountifuI harvests of grain.
The demand for harveSters would there
fore continue notwithstanding the free
coinage of silver. But should you and
others cease the manufacture of reap
erS the consequences would be dire in
deed. In case of such public disaster
it might even be necessary to employ
part of the great army of homeless IN
employed men, reinforced as they pro-
badly would be by your own discharged
WOrknen, to harvest our grain with
sickles. But to some of them, at least
the inconvenience which the farmers
would sustain from deprivation of your
without some corresponding benefit
But suppose on the other hand that
the single gold standard men prove
successful in this campaign, and that
we continue to do business upon the
present bond basis: Then, according to
your idea. if I understand you Alright
it is safe to continue the manufacture
of harVesters without reduction of your
present force of wOrkmen. Viewed
from either standpoint, therefore, it
might appear to some people of jealous
minds that a discharge of one-haf of
your WOrkmen only two months before
election, was, as has always been the
case with other manufacturers. intend
ed merely for the purpose of deceiving
or bulldozing voters, an act of which
you, of course, would not be guilty
] T. SIMPSON.