The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-02-23
CONGRESSMAN I.EETz 0p ONO.
A Forucg "dold Bag" Gives His Rea.
sons for q Change Of Heart.
copyrighted By the Mcclure News Bureau
CncAco. Feb. 20. 1899.

said 90 me:
III used 10 believe in the single gold
standard, and think my speeches In
favor Of that policy were rs strong rs
the gold side Of the financial question
could have been presented. Hut was
wTonx, and a. socn as I was convinced
Of the fac; | honestly confessed my cr- :
ror ia NV constituents. and tried 10
show them tie light also. Tina, sue
ecsded the returns in my district, Last
tall, will show. The Democratic par
Is viii win on the issue 0! bimetallism
in 1890. for we are now assured that
it Is going to remain true To the prinei-
pics euuncIated in is platform Of
1896"
What are your reasons for such a
positive StaiemenI:" asked.
"The producers Of tho raw wealth
Of this nation" be answered, "num-
Der over jj per cent of It's voting
strength. Dimctallism would directly
benefit each and every producer OF raw
material. The only link IL the chain
that Il missing. then, Is such yigor-
uus campaign e iucaiiun and reason
ing that the truth will be bruugh. home
TO them 30 clrarly that they will be
able to grasp e."
Taking tie iIrmeu," sid, las
representing the largest class Of ra7
material producers, will yol explain
tine direct benefit to them Of rcmonc-
tizing ,ilver'"
Certainly; ami this ciasS is very
good example 10 use, a., by the last
census reports, the farming vote repre-.
cents 5.i9 Of the entire vote OF the
l;Hh,d States" I've rcj0ined. "lIi-
meiallism should find its strongest and
most loyal advocates In agricultural
communities, not only for the inherent
justice Of the proposition but because
IL appeals TO their self Interest. The
gold standard advocate agrees with the
bimetallist that the price Of agricul-
tural prodacts would bc very material
IL enhanced by :hc reconciliation Of
silver. Lest some gold standard farm
CT should dOa5; THE hisi premise lei
me refer him TO the speech made by
benjamin Harrison, ex- President, In
New York City Aug. %, 1896, and
alss to that eminent authority, Mr..
Marshall. financial editor Of the great
gold standard organ, the New York
Sun.
"Thc next question that naturally
ariscs l., would the farmer be benefited
by receiving larger price for the pro
ducts Of his Industry The bimetallist
contends that he would, while the
monomeiallist insists that he would not
Now, then, here {. the point Of diVcrg.
ence between lAs honest reasoning men
Of the two great parties, and I am 60
ing to try 10 make the matter clear.
| All producers OF wealth and handlers
Of Il IN iis various stages Of distribution
seek To increase the eXchangeable pow
er OF that wealth. The farmer, who
produces corn. wheat or cotton. to sell
for money, with which 10 ony other
ncecssliies of life aud with which TO
pay hia debts, asks all the uioney he
can possibly get for these products.
There are two great principles Tegu-
lating and governing tho price for
which he iE able 10 oJta!B---one Is tho
amount of corn. wheat and cotton pro-
iuccd IN the world. and the other Is the
amount Of money governments mann.
laciurc With which TO buy them. 4
large world yield of corn and wheat
lcsscns the prize. A large world stock
of money increases the price.
40 illustrate the latter proposition.
had the anticipation Of Kloadike gold
seekers been tcalized By the addition
Of four billions Of gold dollars TO the
money stock Of the world. the produc-
ers Of corn aud wheat would have had
Jonble the world stock Of gold money
bidding for their crops, and prices
would have been enhanced in the Same
degree as prices would have been In
creased had there been a half crop and
the supply OF money remained the
same. The supply Of money should
be sufficiently large TO afford the farm
, or reasonable profit In return for the
products Of his lshor. The aver
rye prices Of corn aud wheat should
have been 30 yer cent higher, fer ths
last twenty years, Than they have been.
Thai additional Pfi;ss 7=S;;'.. 80: base
made nhllionaircs out Of auy Of item.
II would hsre enabled many thousands
II them TO pay lheIr debts and save
their homes, who arc today bankrupt
and homeless. fin,ctallisB, as !. ex.
listed prior to 1878, woald have added
TO the material wealth Of tho farmer
during tie past twenty years Oi dcpres-
Ion snd falling prices"
why hare not the farmers been
unanimous for bimclaillsm, since II
would 50 rebound TO their beuciiiP" !
asked.
lie replied, "They have listened TO
the sOpbiariss nj politicians who talk
atnut sound m' ney,' The national
credit, 'ses mo, cy,' etc. The farm
ers should remember that sii 0fiicc
holders and oihcfs, who have Hxsd In
com, .. arc benefited by the increase I
purchasing roner Il the dollar. They
get az amouut ita,cd ana fixed BY lsw.
and the more corn. wheat and cotton.
ard ether lrodreis Of labor that this
fixed amouu, Of rroney viii buy. the
greater the advantage TO The purchaser
az disadvantage al the seller. The
snluai salary Of William McKinIcy OF
s5o,c will buy double The amount
Of the produces Of labo: uaSrr the gold
standard, than the salary of Willlsm
Jennings Bryan. OF the same smoHtt
would have boaght snder himesallism,
had he been elected President In 1896.
| Farm products enter lmrgeis into de.