The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-09-02
HON. JOHN W TOMLINSON
Talks About the Rise in Wheat
and Its Cause.
ITS RELATIONS WITH SILVER
A Word About Recent Political Action and What
Will Be Done BY Next Springs Con-
yention in This State.

Mr. John w. Tomlipson has returned
from his summer outing in the Tonnes
see mountains
Besides being a lawyer of ability and a
man of high personal character, Mr.. Tom
linson has been a great student of the
financial question in politics. He is
chairman of the democratic silver COM
mittee in the state. This committee has
representation in every county and Mr..
Tomlinson is at the head of the organic
alton
Than he probably no other man in the
stats has made more thorough study
of the financial question.
With an Age-Herald representative to-
day he was talking about the recent rise
in wheat. He referred to the fact that
some of the gold or bust newspapers
in the country are claiming that the re-
cent rise in wheat explodes tbs demo-
cratic argument made in the last cam
paign that the volume of money regulates
prices, etc.
"All this hue and cry in the gold pa
pers." said Mr.. John w. Tomlinson,
'tabout tbs rise in wheat refuting the
democratic argument that the volume of
currency regulates prices, amounts to
nothing. The democratic argument made
in the last campaign was based on the
general average of prices Of all commo-
dities through series of years, and not
on the price of one particular thing
for one particular year. Sauerbeck's
table of prices, cited by the democrats,
also Bakers and Secretary Morton's,
showed that wheat, during some years,
brought a greater price than it is bring
ing now To refute the democratic argu-
mint, 1t would be necessary for them to
show that the general average Of prices
of all commodities and labor has not
fallen since 1873. This they cannot do.
The fall has be=n more than 30 per cent.
Instead of refuting the arguments
made in the last campaign" continued
Mr.. Tomlinson, "our opponents, by citing
tbs rise in the price of wheat as an evil
dence of prosperity admit that rise
in value brings prosperity This is what
we contend; that the free coinage of sill
yer would increase the volume of money,
and that would increase prices as every
man who knows anything at all about the
science of money comedies.
Eyes, our opponents argusd against the
benefits of rising prices; yet now they
ola nt.1ir Ia ric in, !, aat
is a special blessing to the laboring man.
When spoke at Mobile last summer a
number of questions propounded to me
ard The other speakers printed on a cir
cular were scattered Through the large
audience, and cine of them was in sub
stance: IF the free coinage of silver would
as,,se the price of all commodities, tell us
how this would benefit the wage Garner
whose wages would mot be increased?
The answer, of course, was that his wages
would be increased proper ionately; THAI
the same law which increases values
would increase wages. Now, would
like for those who propounded that ques-
ton to me, to now tell the laboring man
nOW III IL pSibSuueu ny tHle Use III WHS'tiL
alone, without HIS wages beirlg advanced
I would like them also to tell the farmers
what will put up their wheat in the years
ITO come, when there will be mo short crop
in countries which are our competitors in
foreign markets..
What about the fall in the price of
silver" asked the reporter.
1.-THE fall i'm silver said Mr.. Tonllin-
son, f'cannot be the result OF overproduc-
ton. I'm the year 1896 the production of
gold and silver I'M the world Cat the coin-
age valsu az the ra taioa Of 16 to y was ex-
actly the same, namely, s215 900 900 cach
it cannot he attributed 20 better facilities
in mirfng, as that would apply to gold
ALSO and who says gold has declined :?
If the production theory is correct tins
Klondyke ought TO cause god 10 &C down,
oughtn't it? The fall in price is because
those who now control the great govern
ments of the world not only no longer per-
unit silver to be coined into legal tender