Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-03-16

1
two metals for monetary purposes
The paper currency of the world to
day is $4,000, 900, 900 in excess of all the
| gold and silver coin of the earth. AL
the gold and silver coin in the world
is not sufficient to supply the people OF
Europe with a circulation of S35 Del
capita; and, if Europe were so sup
| piled, the other nations of the earth
would be left without dollar of me
tallic money. Notwithstanding this
fact, it is contended by the gold-stand-
ard advocates that silver, which con.
stitutes about s. 900, ,OOO, 900 or half OF
this amount, can be dispensed with
and the whole burden rested upon
gold, without economic disturbance
and the wholesale robbery of the pro-
ducing and debtor classes. The in.
debtedness of this country is many,
many billions, and to pay it the pro.
ducer must raise his product and
change it into primary money, or its
representative; for in such money are
all exchanges effected and balances
settled. If the 81 ZOO, ,OOO,O 900 of gold
coin now in the world is to be the only
primary money of the earth, then the
debtors of the earth must ali strive to
buy it with their products, for the pur-
pose OF paying their debts; and in the
scramble occasioned by the great de-
mand and the limited supply, more
and more products will be offered for
the dollar. In other words, the gen
eral level of prices must continually
fall. dollars get dearer, and property
cheaper.
In this connection it should be re-
membered that if the people of the
United States were to-day all made to
depend npon the actual existing busi-
ness conditions of the present, 500, 900
would be added to the dependent list
within week. This is prevented by
the $150,OOO, 900 annually paid out by
the general government to the heroes
of the late war. What does the pres
ent condition of this country promise
to those who, in future years, must
face old age, sickness, and decrepitude,
and depend upon what they are now
saving?
Examine the present facts and con-
ditions without being biased by party
name, or warped by prejudice, and
make this examination inspired by
duty to yourself, your country, and
posterity.
When you have examined all the
facts, as would a righteous Judge or
juror, then all the Free Silver Repub-
licans ask is, that you do what your
highest sense of patriotism shall die
tate.
Such an examination, if carefully
made, will disclose that which impels
the unemployed and restless to public
meetings, where they listen to the
surging of popular anger, which ap-
peals to them as picture of their own
sufferings' 1t will disclose the mel
ancholy condition which wounds the
it provokes accents of anger and tears
of sorrow. 1t will show you picture
of existing society full of life and
beauty, but in whose depths, between
sybarites without faith and love and
nomad millionaires, whose religion is
self, and whose god is gold, and who
squander in Bradley Martin and Van
derbilt balls enormous fortunes, heed
less of the victims of misfortune, are
wedged the heroes of labor and pro-
duction, the victims of an economic
financial and industrial regime, that,
mindful only of methods to concen.
trate wealth, takes no heed of the prin-
cipal factor that produces it. 1t is a
regime that looks upon labor as a
species of merchandise, the price of
which should have no other regulation
than the sum offered and the sum
asked, and not an American, but a
worldwide market; regime that re-
fuses to consider the returns made
upon the labor performed d and the ne
cessities of the masses who toll.
Its rule seems to be to augment cap
ital and reduce labor; to make those
who work machines auxiliary ma
chimes s-worthy of no more considera-
ton than the machines they work.
BY such a system and the free COM
bination of wealth, the formation of
trusts and com mbinations, all for tapi-
tai, there has been brought about a
condition that matches Ro 3espierres
and Marats; conditions which agitate
the lowest pas ions of the human
heart; passions which in the popular
connections, strikes and labor wars
come to the surface, to be thrown in
the face of government as testimony
of its crimes of omission and commits
sion.
AS Free Silver Republicans, we dc
not represent majority vote in Kan
sas, but we do represent an independ-
ent vote that will throw its force foI
bimetalism and against trusts, either
through its own organization or by as
sisting others who have a common
faith with us.
Aside from these questions, We
know that no party loses SO much by
violence, incompetency and excess al
1 4 4 L. =