The Washington herald., 1910-01-02

elected State printer Of Iowa when I was
twenty-four years old, lucrative Office
that I held for three terms, and that per-
mitted me to pay my debts and 10 have
something over.
Silver Craze Next.
"Greenbackism being dead and times
again being hard among the farmers, the
minds OF Unsound thinkers turned to
silver. First we had been urged 10 make
money out OF paper that was worth
nothing; now we were asked 10 open the
minis to silver that was worth only half
as much as gold In other words. we
were to declare by Law that bushel of
oats was equal IN value TO a bushel Of
wheat
zone day an intelligent farmer came to
my office and handed me a copy of Coins
Financial School, a paper-cOvered book
written In 1894 by William Hope Harvey.
The farmer had been to Chicago with a
load OF cattle and had bought the book
on the train coming home.
IF that book tells the truth. he said.
there has been a good deal Of dishonest
Work done In this country. If the book
doesn't tell the truth. It should be an
swered'
1.-THE farmer was d sober-minded man
and Republican. but I saw that the
virus of free silver had got into his
blood I started to read the book, but
found it so ridiculous that I abandoned
the job. Later my brother spoke of IL.
saying that it was being read throughout
Iowa: that it was sold on every railroad,
and that il was doing serious damage to
common sense in all directions He sug-
gested that 1 read it and write a reply
7 wrote six chapters in six days and
brought the manuscript to Chicago A
Sound-money League was printing docu-
ments and l took it there
oh the secretary said, we have re-
ceived dozens of replies to Coins Finan-
cial School" All have been referred to
committee and the best one will be
accepted.
Book a Campaign Document.
Il left the manuscript In the belief
that it would be rejected. To my surprise
it was printed. The book sold pretty WELL
and I received a respectable sum Of
money in royalties. Mr. Mckinley was
nominated for President the following
year, and the Republican committee used
the book as a campaign document"
You were made Director of the Mint
IN 1895" / said.
while in Chicago with the manuscript
of my book I was introduced to Lyman
j. Gage. president of the First National
Bank. After Mr.. Gage became Secretary
of the Treasury, he wanted some one
who could clearly, and at length answer
the great number OF letters that came
from ali parts of the country containing
inquiries about the silver question So
he spoke of me to Mr.. Mckinley. Years
before. had prepared an article on the
protective tariff and the trend of prices
that had been copied by other newspa-
pers and used by Mr. Mckinley In some
Of his political speeches. He remembered
me- therefore. and at the request Of Mr..
Gage appointed me TO be Director of the
Mint. I remained in Washington until
1907, and until I was elected president of
the Commercial Natidsaal Bank"
"Win business in this country continue
TO be good for a long time to conner" I
asked.
Currency System Weak.
1T seems so to me-, Business was
never on a sounder or better basis. Our
unscientific currency system is the only
thing we have to fear"
What is the matter with the currency
SYSTEM l inquired
I'VE bankers say that it hasn't any
elasticity. which means that the supply of