The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-01-10


overcoat for $75 and pair of boots for $12.
It means that now at last everything from
wizened apple on the corner street-stand to
cooking stove, from clay pipe to fur cloak'
from awooden gim-crack that falls into runs
at the first bite of Young America on onri''=
mas morning to a Steinway's piano. mas come
to bear price two and iourth times lis
intrinsic worth. 1t means not only that the
tradesman has become obliged to demand the
same DER centage Of profit on the enhanced
cost of his purchased article, but that the old
land marks Of value have been SO disturbed,
that INSCRIPTIONS dealers everywhere exact
profits, that would burthen their conscieDces
aad ruin their good names, save that the
bloated price-current has overthrown all the
bases of just calculation. 1t means that the
producing and trading classes, finding way
to retaliate upon each other their mutual ex-
actions, and determining to anticipate each
Others extortions, constantly press the scale
of prices upward, till the whole tails With fear
full weight upon the small salary man driven
towards bankruptcy, and the poor man living
from hand to mouth and fearful that bis en-
HANGED wages may drop down to the old scale,
which will be simply starvation or the poor
house.
1t means that for every dollar of the hun
dreds of millions the people contribute to pay
the wages and bounties of soldiers, the cost OF
provisions and clothing and materials of war,
they contribute 81 25, for which they get no
equivalent whatever. 1t means that power
full and wealthy people, who are strong enough
to grow populous and rich in the midst Of a
fearfully wasting war, are not wise enough
nor firm enough to adjust a system of finance,
that shall save them from paying three dollars
for every onethey really need to sexpend,--
profusion of waste tolerable in short, spas
modic convulsion, but ,intolerable and inexcu-
sable in war that has lasted four years, and
may require four years more to round it into
a complete and permanent peace. E1aA
Undoubtedly the great cause Of the appre-
citation Of gold and all commodities which
gold will always buy, Is the public distrnst.
Last year, last August even, there was some
foundation for this distrust. II timid people
insisted upon throwing one half and two
thirds of the government currency which
they had just taken for their wages or their
property into the fire, there was something
in the situation to account for their panic.
Our armies had been defeated, our generals
one after the other had been baffled and out
witted, the conspirators against the govern
ment had exhibited wonderful tenacity Of
endurance, and relieving army under the de-
lusive banner of peace were making promis-
ing diversion in their favor towards the ballot
boxes.
We have changed all that. The rebels have
been driven iuto their strongholds and one Of
their great army corps is virtually annihilated d.
The relieving army has been quietly over
powered, disarmed and rendered harmless.
The end Of the rebellion, and the re-establish-
ment of the nations authority, sovereignty
domain and credit over its entire territory is
so assured, that the most timid, skeptical and
disloyal men do not hesitate to invest money
in its bonds There is no longer any reason
for our lack of faith. We are being duped
and imposed upon by bad men and enemies
who have ceased to feel, and come to affect a
doubt of the public credit, partly TO make
money out of the fears they excite and partly
to help the rebels in their now desperate eff
forts to destroy the government.
Why should we for every dollar we throw
to the grim demon OF war, throw away anoth-
er dollar to the devil of distrust? We believe
the nation will be regenerated and saved, we
have no doubt of it. Let us show onr faith
by our works. With the Union restored, our
vast debt, more than halt of it the result of
our faithlessness and folly, will be but an ele
ment of developing our wealth and prosperity.
Are the obsolete Tears of a knot of evil mind
ed men to counterfeit the faith and hope of a
great people? Prick this monstrous bubble
blown of disloyal suspicioD a
There are two courses now open to US. The
one is the course, by which the powerful CAS-
ses have already indemni6ed and more than
indemniaed themselves. "Vhdt do you ask
to day for goId?" "Ttoo dollars 10 day, not a
cent less" so hoi must be up Nth you.
My cebbdges that were north fpe ceats yes-
terdoy are ten cents today. Let me sec, I
hhinkI may as toeu say taoesUe for loho knoeos
to achGt your pesky gold may jump to-mor-
ron. And SO It goes. You bite me and
bite you. All the buying and selling folk have
long since taken care of themselves on this
principle. g38ely huE saese
The salary men are beginning press the
lobbies of Congress and of the Legislature
for relief The 1920, salaries ask, modestly
enough to be made $4,000, and this must be
done or the responsible employments will fall
into the hands Of scoundrels, who will exc out
fair salary by stealings. Congress imposes
Its per cent tax upon incomes, upon manu-
factures upon sales, upon legacies, upon every
thing. The tax promises revenue enough,
butby the time the tax gets into the Treasu-
ry, the money is not worth half what it was
when the law was passed. What do they do?
Why, add per cent more to the tax. This
process continues. First the trader adds to
MS prices. Then Congress adds to the taxes
Then the schoolmaster, the Judge, the clerk,
tne hahroao conductor, burdened by taxes
and prices gets a lit on his salary. Last
the man with no property, and no Office gets
an addition to his wages, or if worse comes IN
worst gets his enhanced compensation in ,ho
duplicated poor rates. This may 90 on sor
years, and a monstrous load Cypress the ma
ton and distress classes OF the people built
mainly upon, a mere panic distrust. If a great
victory and capture of Lees army should hap
pen, or the rebel leaders should dissolve their
government and tender formal submission,
doubtless goll and prices would come down
with crash. But suppose the victory, none
the less real or beneficial, should be for years
in spreading from state to state the blessings
ofarepnblcan governmtnt. Let the bulk Of
the people return to their interrupted indus
try, and all the wheels of enterprise buzz
again, as they in fact now do, while veteran
army of fifty thousand stand guard over the
desperate forlorn hope of the rebellion driven