Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-09-29
Are the Germans Wrong in Want
ing Our Bonds

Are CQ0 NIGTIuduS w IOuS Ia w duGs
ing Our Bonds
Not bit oft No shrewder, thrift
er people, in matters of money, exist on
earth. Our Jersey and New England
people are frugal, industrious people,
but they cannot save money like the
Germans. All Germany is a great
savings bank. 1t is true that their
working men are not SO rich, on an
average, as our working men, because
they don't get more than one quarter Of
the wages of our men. But German
can save money, and he knows when it
is safe. Now these shrewd, thrifty
Germans want our bonds. They want
them by millions. They turn aside
from the great beggars of the world in
Europe, and come to us Republicans.
They treat the notes of Napoleon and
Joseph and Macmillan with contempt,
but want to discount all the American
notes they can get. The London Times
says this is all wrong-that the Repub-
licans in America are all bankrupt, and
the Germans must be crazy to slight
English and French beggars, and go
begging, themselves, to America. Are
they crazy? We asked Poor Richard
what he thought about it. "Why,"
said he, chow can they be crazy, when
they are doing just what I did little
more than a year ago, when [ put my
little savings into Government six per
cents? Now just see what | got by it /;
just count up. 1 have received six per
cent in gold, which averaged 100 per
cent in currency, making IL per cent
income. Now, to-day, my bond is
salable in the New York market at 10
per cent premium. Put these together
and to-day I have % per cent for one
years use of my money. What do you
think of that? You know, as we'll as [
do, that there are thousands Of people
who did this, and to-,lay they have q
per cent. on their investments. Why,
I saw Miss Jones, our school-mam, go
to the bank and buy $500 bond.
How she got the money don't know,
but these Yankee schoolmistresses are
| frstrate hands at taking care of them
elves. Well, now, count up, If Miss
Jones sells her bonds to-day she gets
$500 safe, and she gets $40 clear gain
Can you sharp fellows down there in
William street do any better? You
know [ told Mr.. Smith, the banker, my
ideas about that, and he bought 5000
six per cent. bonds, and you see he got
LOO for the use Of his money | met
him the other day, and he said, Poor
Richard, you are right ] begin to
think, the Government can take care of
itself, and US too. For my part, mean
to buy some of the Dos. The rate
of interest is high enough, and in three
years they will turn into six per cent.
bonds again eyes, Mr.. Smith, it is
right, on the money side +; but, it is
right on the country's side too. Help
your country, or it can't help you.
Now, I say the Germans are not only
right, but they would be right if they
got half that interest. They cannot
make quarter. of it at home" So
thought Poor Richard, and we think.
When we think of the German opinion
of our situation and our financial
strength, we must remember that they
are far better judges of our strength
and condition than we are, or our
enemies are. They are lockers on, at a
! great distance. They have none of our
enmities or prejudices. They can
examine the facts disinterestedly. They
do; and the result is verdict that the
American Government is stable-its
ability and integrity in meeting its
final aial engagements unquestionable.
This verdict, too, is founded on series
of facts which are unimpeaehable, and
we'll known to every intelligent Ameri-
can. Take two or three of the most
important: 1. The United States
doubles its population each twenty-five
years. The population of the country,
which in 1850 was twenty-three mil
lions, will in 1875 be forty six millions.
But the rebellion says some one. How
much has the rebellion diminished the
strength of the United States ? Take
this astonishing fact, that if all the
Rebel States had been sunk in the
Pacific Ocean, the United States would
in 1874 have population equal to that
of the whole in 1860. In other words,
fifteen years will supply the total loss
! of the eleven original Rebel States