The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-21

Tacoma. Wash, Feb 70, Is
To the Editor: Silver advocates think
II : sufficient answer to the statement
that free coinage Of silver at 10 10 | would
reduce wages to claim that. if that was
So the manufacturers and employers OF
labor would all favor Il. Let us see.
know. as well YOU can know. that
every employer tries 10 secure his labor
at lowest rates. the same As / endeaVor
TO buy my shoes and provisions where
| can get them the cheapest Every en-
ployer OF labor would he glad To bring
about "A reduction in the wages of mas
own laborers: II free silver accomplished
only this. employers. merchants, etc,
would probably favor il.
But the dollar paid the bondholder is
the same dollar paid The wage-earncrs
OF this country and IL We would save
money. As a country. by paying bonds IN
free coinage dollars. the wage-earneJs
Of this country would each and every
one, lose money by taking jheir pay in
these same silver dollars. The pay rolls
Of this country. OF seventy millions If
people. amount TO several billions OF dol
lars every month. If Mr.. Lewis l00-Cent
dollars were paid. instead Of his present
200-cent dollars. think what a fearful re-
ductiCn this would mean in the monthly
purchasing power Of the country. \ loss
Of one-haf, according 10 Mr.. Lewis. in
the wages Of every wagc-earner. Our
home market is now the best market IN
the world. because as whole, We are the
best paid people In the world. Cut down
all wages one-half and you destroy more
than half the value of the home market.
Many more factories would have to dis
continue business AZ once, because with
dollars Of half-value one could not in
dulee in Injuries. The merchants OF Sc
attic. ana every place. prosper when the
pay rolls are big. Cut down the amount
Cne-half and where woulC the merchants
he? In the same boat with the wage
earners. who would have 10 economiZe n
every way in order TO make Mr. Lewis
l00-ccnt dollars supper: themselves ard
their families until they could force their
employers 10 give them enough more Of
these cheaper dollars TO make up wnat
they had surrendered The farmer and
dairyman would fird tnat workingmcu.
on 100-cent dollars. cannot indulge in beef.
butter milk. egss. etc, as when he had
the same number OF so-calied 20-Cent
dollars. The silver coinage At I6 10 1
means ruin to the wofkiueman, the man
UfaCturer. the merchant and the farmer.
The Post-Intellgencer recently had an
interview with Senator Cannon (hy Ca
penterl. Advocating free coinage. ne
said:
with the low wages We can
never compete with the manufacturing
Chinese. You may raise protective tar
If wal, about the United States but the
Chinese can make things 70
cheapiy that she can pay your duties ana
undersell YOU | tell YOU that This Is one
Of the greatest dangers our country has
to face" Further on he said. They can
1.-Two on almost nothing | visited mills
in China where the workneu were paid
- cents "a day IN silver This sufficed 10
supply their families ! saw men making
boilers doing Work for which Is pai1
from Sc 10 Sc per day In our country.
who were getting . cents IN our money
there They did as good work as our
boiler makers. too. Farm labcrerS got
less than 10 cents a day. They don't
know VIVA. luxury is, and they are eco
nomical in he extreme"
Ills visit 20 China confirmed tho seaa-
tors views chat he must meet ;he com
uetstiou Of silver countries by using thcir
own weapon silver. TWENTY-FIVE cents
day Is enough - support the boiler maxi
crs families and what more can he waa'2
our workmen. i they would survive
against Chinese competition. must forget
what luxuriea are. must be satisfied he
cause they are allowed 10 exist We
have gone too far ana * is all mistake.
God never intended th8t the working
classes should &c any dea az Heaven
on this earth. Let trem b3ve something
worth dying FOR That i- Nj CannOu's
idea How does +. strike sou; Is IL pos
sfhfo thai silver 1eynentia. or whatever
you may wish 10 caH g. can continue 20
biind our people 20 tho true iawardn,ss
~ this silver question: T. talk against
monopo.les and h9ndh7lders Sufficient
sugar coating u persuade orr working
men fo swallow the PHI o. 4 reduction
= one-haIf in wages in order that h.
may hold his own againSt SILVER countries
A WORKT>G MAN.