Willmar tribune., 1900-06-06
The Monetary Problem.
"A FARMERS POINT OF VIEW.
The Money Question as an Intelligent
and Observnnt Missouri Agri-
ssE culturist Sees 1t. #,


). #& %
& Seeing request in your paper from
sS.," of Franklin county. Mo-. desiring
information on the financial question
from a farmers standpoint, conclud-
ed to write a few lines in that direc-
ton, says a subscriber to the Journal
of Agriculture. We do not claim to
possess knowledge superior to our
brother farmers in this respect, but
have often heard said the financial
question was so deep and intricate that
the common people could not under
stand it. We think different. All we
need to know is what money is and it's
uses, and from whence it's supply
should come.
s% Money is simply measure of values,
or medium of exchange, that COM
merce can be carried on in all it's vari-
GUS branches. Money has been termed
the ''blood of commerce. So we see
how important it is to have supply
sufficient for all demands; and as me-
tallic money has been the basis OF all
circulating mediums since time i'm
memorial, and gold and silver circu-
lated side by side in all civilized ma
tions, we see no good cause to drop one
and retain the other, as cheap money
is the desire of all that earn it by labor,
that is the greatest amount of money
in return for the least amount of la Dor.
We think there are but two classes
benefited by dear money in this or any
other country-people with fixed sal
aries and the money lender-all others
are far better off when money is cheap,
and there is no better way than the
one proposed by bimetallism. Gold
and silver admitted to the mints on an
equal footing discharging the same OBJ
legations debtor making choice of
which is to be used), accompanied with
paper money issued by the government,
irredeemable (unless mutilated, then
to be reissued by the government).
payable for all demands public and
private. I am one of those who think
it impossible for metallic money to
supply a medium to carry on the trade
of the world, hence the absolute neces-
sity of paper. currency; and, if fur
nished from the proper resource, by
the government-that means the peo-
pie that compose the governmental
would be far better than any metal
money and much more convenient, and
in the course of time would command a
premium over all other moneys, for
convenience sake if nothing else.
How could we have better circula ting
medium than that backed by the pro-
ductive capacity of SO,CCO.O00 of peo-
pie? the most intelligent. get-up-and-
go-ahead people on the globe. The
most serious objection we have to the
Chicago platform is the redemption
clause in the money plank or financial
plank. When we acknowledge that a
thing is to be or must be redeemed we
acknowledge it's inferiority to that
with which it is to be redeemed. So if
the redemption clause of the last dem
ocratic platform be stricken out, we
see no good cause why all working peo-
pie cannot unite on w. J. Bryan and
give him the largest popular vote ever
recorded in this country.
|A ASs.AA SopAC A ~ VI
When the leaders of gold monomet-
allism bore down the young Ajax
from Nebraska. with threats, predic-
tons, prophecies. with unlimited
money. with desertions from our par
ty, and with soothing promises of
"internationa bimetallism." they
thought the battle over and the ''sil-
yer craze" forever killed. But they
may learn from their own platform of
1892 that "the American people from
tradition and interest favor bimetal-
lism.'' The people now see clearly
that they We're buncoed in 1896 with
false promises, and now. feeling bold.
the administration, by it's plant con-
gress. dares to proclaim it's purpose
ito more firmly establish the gold
standard" We welcome the gage of
battle. We believe this compact mi
nority will come back to the Fifty
seventh congress a compact majority
and will so demean itself as to be a
triumphant party on the democratic
platform of 1885, Congressman NJ. f.
Benton, of Missouri.