People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1896 — A BUSINESS MAN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A BUSINESS MAN.

Here Is a Merchant Who Investigated For Himself and Knows What Is the Matter. One of the most encouraging interviews on the mopey question was that recently made in Chicago with Frank H. Cooper of the great dry goods firm of Siegel, Cooper & Co. of Chicago and New York, and known the world over. Mr. Cooper has just returned from a trip to Europe, and to a newspaper jpan he expressed his opinions op the financi: _ ue as follows: ..m yet somewhat on the fence, but I can’t see anything but good to result from the free coinage of silver. True, it will benefit the mine owners; it will also benefit the miners; give them work, and benefit the west It will give the farmer money; it will make better prices for 'farm products; it will make the farmer a buyer in our markets. “Times can be no worse than they are at present Our currency is not expansive enough for the demands of the people. France has S4O per capita of money in eirculation, and its people are prosperous and happy. We have but S2O per capita. We need more money, and free silver coinage will put an end to business stagnation. “Our factories are closed and our artisans and mechanics are out of work. More money will make higher prices, better demand for goods and a revival of prosperity. “Goods and produce are too cheap because people have no money to buy them. The depreciation in prices on some lines of goods has been more than 50 per cent in the past six months. Can merchants and manufacturers stand this? x “The Wilson bill that reduced the tariff on goods about 10 per cent, except on wool, which is made free, is not the cause of all the hard times.” “Do you think that putting back the old tariff would cause a return of prosperity?” “There are many ways to view this matter. The poor and the middle classes pay all the taxes. I believe the multimillionaires should pay their proportion. I believe in a graded income tax as a partial panacea for the ills we have fallen into. “With free silver the price of wheat and corn would enhance in value at once. Dollar wheat for the farmer makes him look at his clothes. When they are frayed he buys new. He refurnishes his house, if it is needed, find so helps to start the furniture factories going again. It is so in all lines. More money, the greater demand for goods. “A single gold standard would bring prices still lower and more failures and more disaster for the people. It is hard to say whtit is exactly right. -We are partially upon a bimetallic basis now, and that is in a measure oar salvation. Take that away, and where are we? “Contract our currency to sls or 112 per capita, and the result would be such

/ » as no one could figure. Talking of free silver, onr mints could not turn ont over $60,006,000 per year, less thansl toevery inhabitant. Would that flood the country? It would restore prices, confidence' and resuscitate business. That’s about, I think, what free silver would do for us. This question is near to the people, and they are carefully discussing it. We want to take care of ourselves first European countries are able to take care of themselves. ’ ’

HANNA: "HE DIDN’T KNOW HIS BUSINESS.” —San Francisco Examined