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3
'APRIL 21, 1905 .
SILVER AND WHEAT
A reader o The Commoner, referring to an
editorial' which appeared some weeks ago dis
cussing the effect of falling silver upon the price of
wheat, asks whether, if the price of wheat goes
down in Liverpool,, it does not go down in India,
regardless of the kind of money used in purchas
ing it. This is a question that is often asked, and
has often been answered. Before the suspension
of the coinage of silver in India the silver price
of wheat did not fall. As the gold price fell in
Liverpool it required less and less in gold to buy
the silver with which to pay for a given amount
of wheat. For instance", when gold and silver were
at a parity at the coinage "ratio, it would requiro
$1.29 in gold to buy an ounce of silver. If that
ounce of silver would buy a bushel of wheat in
India, the wheat in Liverpool must sell for $1.29 in
gold, plus the cost of carriage. When silver fell
to 80c an ounce in gold, then a bushel of wheat
selling in India still at $1.29 would bring In Liv
erpool 80c in gold plus the cost of carriage, and
gold countries had to moot this competition. The
Indian farmer who was on a silver basis did not
suffer by the fall in silver except infosar as ho
bought imports, while the American farmer suf
fered, because his taxes, his debts and his fixed
charges remained substantially the same, while
the value of his crop decreased. When England
suspended the coinage of silver in India and fixed
a ratio of 24 to 1, the Indian farmer began to share
the suffering visited upon gold standard countries
by the fall in silver, although he still had a 50
per cent advantage over the gold standard coun
tries. The act suspending ihe free coinage of silver
in India was passed by a counsel of Englishmen
without authority from the Indian people and with
out consulting either the wishes or the interests
of the Indian people. When Senator Wolcott, one
The : Commoner.
of tho monetary commissioners appointed by Presi
dent McKinley, returned from Europo ho dcclarod
that tho action of England in suspending tho cola
age of silver in India was tho chief cause of tho
suffering that many attributed to tho famine. "
JJJ
APPRECIATIVE FRIENDS
Every mail brings to Tho Commoner office
responses by those who have taken advantago
of tho special subscription offer. It would bo im
possible to print all these responses, but tho fol
lowing will servo as samples:
J. W. Earnhart, Lebanon, Ohio, writes:
"Find enclosed money order for $7.20 to pay for
the within list of twelve subscribers. This list
was obtained In a few minutes' time, so great Is
the enthusiasm among democrats over the prin
ciples advocated by Tho Commonor."
J. A. McGuire, Gllby, N. D., writes: '!Iierc
with find check for $10.20, for enclosod list of
subscribers at your GOc rate."
John T. Tansoy, Albany, N. Y., sends $3.G0 to
pay for six subscribers to The Commoner.
Wm. A. Griffith, Atwood, Kans., writes: "En--closed
find $6.60 to pay for the within list of
eleven subscribers."
J. E. Blattner, Mexico, Mo., writes: "Pleaso
find herewith list of twelve subscribers for The
Commoner and money order for $7.20 to pay for
the same."
J. F. Conner, Albany, Okla., sends money or
der for $7.20 to pay for list of twelve subscribers
enclosed
A Kansas City reader writes: "Herewith 1
hand you list of twenty-one subscribers and
money to pay for same at your clubbing rate."
A. McLean," Bickford, Okla., sends list of
thirty subscribers and money to pay for same.
A New York reader writes: "Enclosed please
find list of 23 subscribers and draft to pay for the
same at your tfOc rato, for clubs- of flvo or imro
According to tho terms of tho special sub
scription offer, cards, each good for one year's
subscription to Tho Commonor, will bo furnished
in lots of flvo, at tho rato of $3 per lot. This
places tho yearly subscription rato at CO cents.
Anyono ordering those cards may soil them
for $1 each, thus earning a commission of $2
on oach lot sold, or ho may soil thorn at tho cost
prico and -And compensation In tho fact that ho
has contributed to the educational campaign.
Those cards may bo paid for when ordored, or
thoy may bo ordered and remittance made after
they havo bc6h sold. A coupon is printed below
for tho convenience of thoso who deslro to par
ticipate In this effort to Increase Tho Commoner's
circulation.
THE COMMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER
Application for Subscription Cards
5
"To""
"15
20
25
"50
75
100
Publisher Commoner; I am Interested in 1
crcnslnjr The Commoner's circulation, and de
slro yon to Bend mo a supply of inbtcrlptlon
cardi. I agree to uie my utmost endeavor to Mil
the cards, and will remit for thorn at the rate of
CO centi each, when sold.
Name
liox, or Street No.,
P.O. State..
Indicate the nutrber of carda wanted by mark
IngX opposite one of tho numbers printed on
end ol this blank.
If you believe the tpaper in doing a work that merits
encouragement, fill out the above cqupon and maUit
to Tho Commoner, Lincoln, Neb.
Failure to Participate in the Primaries the Cause
of Misrepresentation in Conventions
The Commoner has received from Tom L.
Johnson, mayor of Cleveland, O., a letter, one sen
tence of which should be posted in the highways
and in the byways of democracy in order that he
who runs may read. That sentence is: "Failuro
to participate in the primaries as the cause of
misrepresentation in conventions."
Mayor Johnson's letter, written under date of
April 4, is as follows: "I have read the editorial
in Tho Commoner, relative to organization, and
am returning herewith, signed, the primary
pledge. I endorse the plan as wise, and I believe
one that will produce good results. The failure
to participate in primaries is the1' cause of mis
representation in the conventions. This plan
strikes at the root of the evil, and nothing better
occurs to me to do at this time. It is too late
to talk about unwise declarations arid nominations
when the contention is in session. Representative
conventions are hose in which the people take
the most interest in the election of the delegates."
H. C. Bell, attorney at law, Marshall, 111.,
writes: "The democratic party defending demo
cratic principles can win in 1908. The plan of
organization, as announced in The Commoner, i3
heartily approved .of.' You can command me at
any time to do all in my powr to help in this
'work of organization, and in any other work which
seems to be for the good of the country in general
and the democratic party in particular."
James R. Bennett, Jr., attorney at law, St
Cloud, Minn., returns with his signature the pri
mary pledge and writes: "This plan is admirable
and I wish the pledge might fall Into the hands of
'every democrat in the country. After signing it
there is a moral obligation to attend the primary
that would appeal strongly to all democrats who
have signed and mailed it to you."
Frank B. Stephens, attorney at law, Salt Lake
City, Utah, writes: "I talce pleasure in handing
you my primary pledge, and heartily endorse tho
movement as a step in the right direction. No
reform is possiblo unless the individual voter
talces interest enough in his country and party
to attend the primaries, and I believe that every
Voter who is so indifferent that he will not take
. the trouble to, attend a primary .election, should
l)e by law barred from voting at tlie next suc
ceeding election.,'! , . ,
. . A. B. Cioat"e,v attorney at. Jaw, Minneapolis,
tIjMinn., write: ?i, desire to heartily' endorse the
plan ' suggested l)y the primary pledge editorial oC
"March 17. Loyalty to tho party demands all that
the pledge requires, because party management
can bo safely left to none but the rank and file.
Since democracy means rule by the people, the
plan proposed is based upon tho fundamental
principles of democracy. No one, therefore, who
is a loyal democrat, should hesitate to make the
pledge -and I accordingly herewith enclose my
own."
Roy E. Stafford, president of the Oklahoma
Publishing company, which company publishes
The Oklahoman, at Oklahoma City, writes: "It is
scarcely necessary for me to pledge myself to at
tend democratic primaries and contribute my mite
towards obtaining an honest expression of demo
cratic sentiment in the next national platform,
because I will do that anyway, yet I am glad to
be enrolled among tho number who will do this.
The plan is plain, simple and easily carried out,
and ought to appeal to , every democrat. I am
deeply impressed with its feasibility and shall take
an interest In furthering the" same."
Francis G. Newlands; United States senator
from Nevada, writing under date of Washington,
April 11, says:' "I heartily endorse the editorial
appearing in. The Commoner of March 17, urging
all democrats to pledge themselves to attend all
the primaries of- the party between now and tho
next democratic national convention, and to use
their influence to secure a clear, honest and straight
forward declaration of the party's position on
every question upon .which the voters of the party
desire to speak. The source of all party action
is at the primaries, and this fact is too often
overlooked. I trust that the democracy of the en
tire country will not only take up your suggestion
hut will supplement it by urging appropriate legis
lation that will simplify the primary election and
make it more responsive to party requirements
than it has been."
Nathan Cole, Jr., of Los Angeles, Cal., writes:
"Permit me to heartily endorse the plan outlined
in The Commoner for the organization of the de
mocracy for the campaign of 1908. This plan and
the suggestion of a 'primary pledge meets with
my full concurrence. I enclose the pledge duly
signed. I believe in organization of the most
thorough kind and that such organization is al
ways effective is demonstrated by theremarkable
success of 'the silver republican organization, in
the county of Los Angeles in 1896. In that cam
paign, with every precinct organized, weworked
. a political revolution here by carrying tho city
of Los Angeles for Mr. Bryan by a good majority,
the first timo it has gono democratic in a presi
dential election In nearly twenty years. In tho
absence of organization and also Jiving principles,
Los Angeles city and county gave nearly twenty
five, thousand majority for Roosevelt last fall. If
the people of America ever expect to accomplish
great reforms they must speedily get together and
take just such a pledge as The Commonor advises.
John W. Kern, who, as tho democratic nomi
nee for governor of Indiana, made such a gal
lant fight, writing under date of Indianapolis,
April 7, says: "I am highly gratified at tho prog
ress being made In tho work of arousing tho dem
ocratic masses, to the necessity of taking an
active interest in tho affairs of their party, by
attending primaries and conventions, voting their
sentiments, and thereby exerting the great power
they have In the nomination of candidates, and
4 the making of platforms. As expressive of my
views on this subject I give you the following
advance quotation from a speech which I propose
to deliver at tho Jeiferson banquet in Now York
next week, my subject being "Tho Rank and File":
'It wlH be well for tho men who assume leader
ship in tho democratic party to study the char
acter and characteristics of that great body of
men who constitute the real voting strength of
the organization, and to take the rank and file
into their confidence, to the end that they may havo
the confidence of the rank and file. Tho work of
organization In future campaigns must commence
with tho voters, and proceed upwards, rather
than commence in a so-called conference of lead
ers and work downward. If wo would havo victory
tho masses of tho party must be given full oppor
tunity for a fair expression of their opinion as to
issues and candidates, in primaries and local con
ventions, so that the state and national conven
tions will bo composed of men who truly reflect
the popular will. Wo may as well make up our
N minds now that tho day of the "boss" In demo
cratic politics is at an end, and that "gavel rule"
in conventions will be no longer tolerated. The
hope of the democracy is In the people the great
rank and file and if they are to bo relied upon
to bear, the burden of the battle they mut have
the privilege of choosing their leaders, and for
mulating their platform of principles. There nfust
oe. no ULiumyL at vnny Kuvurumuui, wuuuut. vno
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