The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-05-18
LABOR AND GREENBACKS

war with Spain has ended, and our SOL
diers are being brought back home, lets
also make peace at home so that broth
erly kindness shall characterize our in
tercourse with each other, and that
fraternal spirit shall dominate in the
government of our people,
Economic conditions at home are so
universally unsatisfactory that our peo-
pie are restless and can never be con-
tented and happy until they are prop
erly adjusted. No peace can exist un-
der such conditions, nor indeed, is there
any safety to the commonwealth. We
need first of all better and more right
eous monetary system. One that rec
ognizes the constitutional and inherent
rights of all of our people, and repre-
sents the industry and labor of every
citizen of our commonwealth.
l have read with interest Gov. Fish
backs apologies on our country's mon
eys, and while he is liberal in his views
toward both sides in his retrospect of
the great question, l must insist that
his bimetallic pendulum will not act as
an automatic regulator between the
moneys of our country and many and
varied interests of the American people.
We need not seek relief in gold nor sill
yer, for it is not in them, and therefore
ries of experience the majority of the
people of the world-certainly a major
ity of our people-are in worse condi-
ton than ever before. The present
financial system will not answer further,
and it will have to be abandoned. The
few are getting richer and the many get
ting poorer every day we live. Money
is too high, and labor too cheap to expect
universal prosperity. This must be re-
versed if permanent and lasting good
comes to our people. Give us high
wages for labor and plenty of money to
operate at low rate of interest and you
will See every industry of our land -four
ish, and every individual of our common
wealth prosper. There is no use to test
them further, gold and silver are too
narrow to form a basis for the moneys
of the United States. The world will
soon recognize this fact, and 1 expect to
see all nations demonetize them. Ger
tainly no free people will insist on their
use as money except in SO far as they
are demanded for international COM
merce. But under our Independent
financial scheme they cannot be toler-
ated by popular government. Equal
rights is an heritage of freedom, but he
who expects protection under monomet-
allism, or bimetallism, is hugging a de-
lusion. There is absolutely no protec-
fortunate enough to own gold or silver
mines. Nay, nay, lets away with them!
That special privilege of money metall-
ism, which they demand, forever de-
stroys our guarantee of equal rights, the
strongest heirloom of freedom.
1 care not what has been our expert
ence in the past with these two metals,
they have served their time. We must
deal with the present. The ever pres
ent now clamors for relief and we must
get about our business. Drop these
metals now and give us greenbacks in
sufficient volume to relieve us at once
There is no need to delay but the gov
ernment should act promptly and speed
lily. l cannot understand why / should
object to my neighbor having plenty SO
it takes nothing from me. I ought
really to rejoice at his good fortune. And
to my mind this financial muddle can be
unraveled so that we will all be bettered
and no man injured by the scheme. Let's
fix it, oh, lets fix it, and relieve all this
suffering of humanity Give our brothers
relief; it will cost us nothing, but will
really be to our profit.
We need staple and plenteous curren-
cy in order that we may trade in safety
with each other and have volume suf-
ficient to prevent stagnation in business.
Cheap money so that it can be gotten
kept open-every man employed, and
every industry kept moving. Then will
our country blossom and our people be
contented.
Our present financial system was con-
ceived in equality and born in injustice
to the human family. Any system that
does not recognize the genius of our in
stitutions and comprehend the vast
claims of our American populace, is out
of harmony with the rightful claims of a
free people, and should not be tolerated
by a democratic government. In the
development of all governmental plans
the claims of our weakest and most de-
pendent citizen should be taken into
consideration, and we should have a
money system especially that looks to
the interest of all. We must not allow
a money system to stand that makes
money hard to get, and that is oppres-
sive to the borrower. We must have a
financial system that will enable the
weakest of our fellows to obtain and use
money with a profit to himself and to
the one who loans it to him. No other
financial scheme should be tolerated by