Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1891 — VARIOUS VIEWS [ARTICLE]

VARIOUS VIEWS

On National Issues that Are Exciting Present Interest. How Members of Congress Stand on Tree Coinage and Control of Railroads. and Telegraphs. The Industrial Alliance, of Boston, sent ' out the following questions, addressed to the members of the next Congress; 1. Do you favor government ownership of the telegraphs throughout the country? 2. Do you favor Government ownership of the railroads? 3. Do you favor the establishment of postal savings banks? 4. Do you favor the restoration of silver to the position it occupied before 1873 viz., on an equality with gold as a monetary standard of value? 5. In your opinion, what should be the volume of currency per capita in the country for the proper conduct of its business? Replies have been received from 33. Democrats, 12 Republicans and 9 who are classed as representatives of the Farmers’ Alliance. Some answered all of the questions,'others answered only one or two* To the first question 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 8 Alliance men answered “yes”; 18 Democrats, 6 Republicans and 1 Alliance man answered “no.”

To the second question “yes” was answelled by 2 Domocrats,3 Republicans and 6 Alliance men; “no” by 21 Democrats, 1 Republicans and 2 Alliance men. Fourteen Democrats, 9 Republicans and 8 Alliance men favored the establishment of postal savings banks; 9 Democrats and 2 Republicans opposed it. The silver question the fourth in the series, was answered' in the affirmative by 29 Democrats, ten Republicans and 9 Alliance men. In the negative by 2 Democrats, Messrs. Harter, of Ohio, and Speery, of Connecticut. The last question was answered in only half the letters received, and the per capita amount of currency varied from S3O to $lO6, th< latter sum being the figure mentioned by Jerry Simpson. Amos J. Cummings says he favors ths Government ownership of telegraphs an# railroads.

John J. Robison, of Pennsylvania, writei “I don’t see why the Industrial Alliance dosires to find oat how I stand on any of th« public questions that may come up befor« the next Congress. It will be such a cranky Congress arid have In It so many Democrats that I think I had better keep my mouth shut until I get down there. Otherwise I would be very glad to give you th< desired information.” Walter C. Newbury, Illinois, says on the fourth question, “To the free, unlimited coinage of silver I am opposed. I am in favor of silver as a subsidiary coin, and to the coinage of as much silver oQfull ralue as the country will absorb and no more, and such as the Government does coin and issue under its stamp should be reconvertible into gold or paper money at the will oi the holder at par.” In general explanation he says, “I am opposed to the National Government doing anything the State can do, or the State doing anything the citizens can do.” O. M. Kem, Nebraska, adds to his answer to question 5, “so long as the Government shall use gold and silver as the material from which to coin money it should own all of our gold and silver mines, or to be more explicit, the Government should absolutely control the material of which the money is made.” John H. Reagan, of Texas, writes fully, and makes this answer to No. 1: “Ido not approve of the policy of the ownership ol the telegraph by the Government, but favor the regulation and control of theh rates by the States and the federal Government in their respective shares.” Ha says to question 5: For similar reasons and because of the great power and patronage of the ownership of the tulcgraphi and railroads would give the federal Government I do not approve of the Government ownership of railroads.”