Evening journal., 1912-09-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Pathetic Explanation Of a
Curious Political Fact
BY Holland.
BY Holland.

The late Thompson H. Murch was
elected a member Of Congress from
one Of the Maine districts in the Con-
eressional election Of 1878. The
choice Of Mr. Murch was perhaps the
most conspicuous feature of that
election He had been for years a
iourneyman stonecutter in the quar-
ries Of the coast of Rockland, Maine,
which was his home town. lie be-
came locally prominent as a leader
Of organized labor. and he gave
strong support to the Greenback
movement which gained such strong
support to the Greenback movement
which gained such strong hold in the
State OF Maine in 1878, 70, and 80,
the only New England State. curious
ly enough where greenbackism devel-
oped any marked strength.
For many years Eugene Hale had
represented this district in Congress
and had gained an innuetal position
as leader OF his party in the House
OF Representatives. That this jour
neyman stOnecutter should have been
able TO defeat so prominent aud in
| tuential "A Republican as Eugene Hale
was regarded as the most important
single incident OF the congressional
campaign Of 1878.
met Mr.. Murch at his home at
Rockland, about two weeks after his
election, and I asked him TO what he
attributed the amazing strength Of
the Greenback party in the state Of
Maine.
This afternoon / shall be able to
give you an object lesson explaining
the growth of the Greenback party
here he said.
About the middle of the afternoon
Mr.. Murch took me 10 a sort of mar
ket place I'm the little city of Rock
land. He pointed to several wagon
loads of what appeared to be cement
barrel slaves. BY the side OF tho
wagons stood men and women whose
every appearance indicated poverty.
Mr.. Murch summoned ono of these
men and said 10 him:
How much are you getting for
your barrel staves2'
The man mentioned sum-the
seemed pitifully small.
There are hundreds who like you,
get ont cement barrel staves all along
the banks of the Penobscot river, are
there not?' asked Mr.. Murch.
There are a good many; ! never
counted them. / guess several hun
dred is right the man replied
Have you any other business?"
Murch asked.
Nothing but raising potatoes and
othei things to keep the family alive" "
How are you paid for these barrel
staves?"
We'll, we get about ninety per cent.
Of the pay in orders on the store, and
We are lucky If we do not have to
take our entire pay i'm that way"
do you think that If the govern
ment adopted the policy of issuing
greenbacks there would be plenty of
money so that you could get your
pay Ia money instead of orders?' said
/ NJ Murch.
"Of course, if there was plenty OF
money TO go round, as the Greenback
men want Il, we could sell our slaves
for money The reason we have to
take store orders is that there isn't
money enough to go round now"
How much do you make in the
course Of a year?"
well, it's a pretty good year if
one family can make and bring to
the market here two hundred dollars
worth of barrel slaves. One man
once made three hundred dollars
worth and he thought he was rich"
you get about twenty dollars in
actual money, then, for the years
work?" fiiwM
81 guess that's about right" said
the man.
"Now," said Mr. Murch, turning to
me- you can understand why such a
large proportion of the voters of the
State Of Maine joined the Greenbacb
party. for all over the State in the
rural districts the toilers have to take
most OF their pay in store orders"
Copyright, 1912, by K. J. Edwards
All rinhtg reserved