THE BIRDS AND THE FARMERS.

To the Editor of the "Republican":

Most of the political platforms are claiming to favor bimetallism. Some demand it now, others want us to wait until European nations help us to attain it.

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This brings to mind the old fable of the mother bird telling her young that they must leave soon their nest in the wheat fields, as it was time for harvest. The little birds said : Mother, we overheard the farmer tell his sons to go and ask his neighbors and friends to come and help him reap to-morrow." The mother bird replied: There is no danger yet." The next day the little birds. reported that the farmer had sent for his relations to come and help him cut the grain. But the mother bird would not take her little ones away. The following evening they heard the farmer say to his sons : We will come ourselves to-morrow and reap this field." Then the birds left. "Who would be free, himself must strike the blow." When you hear a man say that undoubtedly your claim is just, but that you had better wait and sell him some more produce on credit and wait until he can conveniently pay you and others all together, you will do well to look out for your own interest.

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As a Berkshire farmer I am considering whether we farmers had better now buy and pay for silver bricks to be delivered when England adopts bimetallism.

LENOX, June 29, 1896.

ANSON PHELPS STOKES.

AS BETWEEN SILVER AND GOLD.

AND AS BETWEEN WEST AND EAST.

ANSON PHELPS STOKES OF NEW YORK AND LENOX ARGUES FOR A FAIR HEARING, IN GOOD TEMPER, AND ESPECIALLY SPEAKS FOR SILVER AND THE

WEST.

To the Editor of the "Republican"

In these times of angry dispute over an old problem in economics, it is pleasant to find a leading journal keeping its head, giving each party a fair hearing, promoting kindly feeling between the different sections of our common country and disdaining all opportunity to gain popular applause by abetting partisan strife; saying ever, respectfully and firmly: "Sirs, ye are brethren. The Union is more important than any question of money."

I am glad that such a journal is published near my summer home, that my first reading of the news these lovely mornings is not colored and distorted by sensationalism, hatred, and violent appeals to partisan passions.

One of the most serious of the dangers that threaten our national welfare is the temptation that

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presents itself to politicians to express extreme sectional views when selfishly seeking partisan votes. Many also find it easier to call names than to maintain their cause in fair debate. This spring I have visited most of the States, and I am painfully impressed by the bitterness of feeling that abounds, and which, I regret to say, finds such violent expression in New York and in Massachusetts.

I am convinced that our Western fellow-citizens have no more dishonest intent in their protest against the artificial legislative enhancement of the burden of their debts than have our Eastern citizens in their mistaken demand for gold monometallism.

Is it fair to say that the debts have been contracted on the present gold basis when these debts have been generally continuous, because necessarily renewed from time to time in the currency provided by law?

Is it fair to say that the debtors knew of and consented to the demonetization of 1873? How many of the leading business men of the East can assert truthfully that they knew of and understood then the momentous meaning of that act, which was ostensibly an act of 71 sections to regulate details "relative to the mint, assay offices, and coinage, etc." I was a somewhat attentive student of political economics at that time, and I cannot recollect that the importance of that act attracted my attention.

When the question was raised a few years later as to the effect of that act upon the debts of the country, both Senate and House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution declaring that United States bonds were payable at the option of the government in silver dollars of 412 grains, and the author of that concurrent resolution was later made a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. And afterward Congress elected to accept a lower price for bonds, rather than give up this option to pay in silver.' Is it quite fair to call our western brethren dishonest for saying what Congress and our leading statesmen and greatest constitutional lawyers and other most eminent authorities have said?

The Bible denounces those who "make the shekel large," and who "make the poor to fail.” Lincoln said: "To contract the volume of money before the debt is paid is the most heinous crime,"

etc.

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Blaine said : The destruction of silver as money and establishing gold as the sole unit of value must have a ruinous effect on all forms of property except those investments which yield a fixed return in money. I believe gold and silver coin to be the money of the Constitution. No power

1 As stated in the New York Evening Post of August 7, 1896: "Yes, the syndicate of February, 1895, offered to lend $65,000,000 at 3 per cent. interest if it were payable in coin; or at 3 per cent. if payable in 'gold.' The difference to the government during the time the bonds had to run was over $16,000,000."

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was conferred on Congress to declare either metal should not be money. Congress has, therefore, in my judgment, no power to demonetize either. If, therefore, silver has been demonetized, I am in favor of remonetizing it. If the coinage has been prohibited, I am in favor of having it resumed. I am in favor of having it increased."

Webster said: "I am certainly of opinion that gold and silver at rates fixed by Congress constitute the legal standard of values in this country, and that neither Congress nor any State has authority to establish any other standard or to displace this standard.”

McKinley said: "I want the double standard. I would have gold and silver alike."

Hill said: "I am indignant at the rapacity of the gold monometallists, so reckless of both science and of public opinion. The bimetallic coinage is the demand of a vast majority of the American people. No wonder it made us the party of the silver dollar for eight years. To restore it safely, finally, and wisely is the mission of the Democratic party."

Hamilton and Jefferson agreed in saying that the money unit must rest on both metals.

The Democratic National Convention of 1892 declared: "We hold to the use of both gold and silver as the standard money of this country, and to the coinage of both without discrimination against either metal." The Republican National Convention of 1892 demanded "the use of both gold and silver as standard money."