Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-03
LETTER FROM EX-GOv. ST. JOHN.
MARSHALL, MICH, Aug. %, 81

G<DIIOR
Just now, the gold-bugs, with an exhibition
OF idiotic glee that verifes the old adage, tina
ignorance is bliss, are asking advocates Of fire.
silver to tell the people "why silver is goin!
down and wheat going up" To those VIII
think for themselves, instead of letting thel
party think for them, there is nothing eithe
funny, intricate or mysterious in the solution o
this question.
The facts are that, notwithstanding ours i
one of the greatest silver-producing countrie
on earth, the Republican party, aided by tn
bourbon Democracy, has,, for quarter of
century past, done all in its power to decry sill
yer, aud destroy confidence in, and respect for
the white metal, thus gradually lessening thu
demand for it., and finally closing the mint:
against it, excepting the small amount used TO
subsidiary coins. Thus, the demand being de
creased, the price has gone down, until to-day
the bullion in a silver dollar is worth only d:
cents.
This outrageous treatment of one of oul
great sources of wealth has given England {
protection of one hundred per cert in the Liv
erpool wheat market over our own people.
You ask, How? Why, simply in this way:
England closed her minis to free coinage O.
silver several years ago, but continues to coin
at the governments option, on its own &C.
account. She can now buy the amount o
standard bullion in one of our silver dollars fol
AZ cents. She takes that bullion home and
coins it into MONEY, and by this process she
makes over 100 per cent. profit. With this
coin at its face value she buys India wheat
which, with at least 100 per cent. advantage
already gained in handling our silver, she lays
down in the Liverpool market in competition
with the wheat grown in our own country
Our people cannot enjoy the advantage thus
given England in handling our silver, for the
reason that England, as we'll as our own coun-
try, has closed the mints against them.
The reason why wheat commands present
prices is because the crop in foreign countries
is very short, and in India, it is almost an ell
tire failure, and millions are starving for bread.
The reason "why silver is SO low, while
wheat is so high" is because there is no wheat
in India to be bought by England, and, there
fore, England has no use fer our silver; hence,
the demand is cut short and the price goes
down. When India has wheat to sell again,
the price of our silver will 60 up, and oul
wheat will go down.
The remedy for this disloya discrimination
in favor of England, and against our own PEG.
pie, will be found in free coinage 16 to I. Then
the bullion in silver dollar will be worth 1oc
cents, and that is what it will cost England
thus restoring to our own people the advantage
that England is now using against us.
With short crops in all foreign countries,
were we not measuring values with two-hun-
dred-cent single godstandard dollar our wheat
to-day would be worth So per bushel.
JOHN P. ST. JOHN
We also quote portion of a personal letter
to the editor by Governor St. John, written at
Lansing, Aug. 8th:
Ny DEAR FRIEND:
am nearing the close of my campaign in
Michigan, and it has been remarkable one.
! began Aug. 5th, and my audiences have av-
greater enthusiasm and more intelligent, de-
termincd people III my life. All the talk OF
the g. o. p. press about the "great wave OF
prosperity" except what comes from the re-
cent squirt in wheat, is fraud and sham In
view Of the treatment of President Andrews,
Of Brown University, and the injunctions
against the peaceable strikers, and Judge Will
lians' recent order forbidding any interference
by Kansas authorities with the Connecticut
Mutual Life Insurance Company, the ques-
ton of HUMAN LIBERTY is fast becoming the
IL