The Portland daily press., 1869-09-18

an
interview between Senator Sprague and a
gentleman connected with the Providence
Press. The abstract of Mr.. Sprague's "yiewsn
will be remembered by our readers. If the
fellow from the Providence Journal referred
to the interview with Sprague we should not
be surprised
We well understand that, after the ed
itorials in this paper, nothing so much deserves
the attention OF mankind as the movements
OF Mr.. Pratt. 1t is not from any want OF
consciousness of his own importance that Mr..
Pratt has Tor some time past been minding
his own business. In fact his business is
the business of the universe, and it is only by
walking in the footsteps ofthe great Traveller
that the world can get on. This is the reas-
on why Mr. Pratt walks alone. There was
a time when he was followed by a crowd.
similar in size and character to that which
gathers around the monkey and the organ.
But there is no longer any desire to see Mr.
Pratt. Let no one therefore accuse him of
affecting obscurity because people no longer
Know nor care where he is.
We can assure our readers that he sometimes
takes his ease and hence as we were trying
TO disentangle our thoughts this morning, a
friend relieved us OF the hopless task, by saw
ing he had just come in from a night ride with
Mr.. Pratt
After giving us some account of the route
which, like that of many travellers, especially
at unreasonable hours, was a little indefinite,
he proceed to relate the conversation.
Our friend said to Mr.. Pratt "You are
commonly called the great Traveller, but
l suppose that does not imply that there is
anything you don't know,
Certainly not said Mr.. Pratt.
II hear, Mr.. Pratt, that many men are say
ing that they don't mean TO make any goods
which they can't sell. There are Others who
say that they have not so much money as
they want, and cannot get it,"
II have long seen," said Mr.. Pratt, 'that it
would come to this. Unless some plan can
be devised by which people shall make goods
which nobody will buy, and people can buy
goods who have no means to pay for them,
we shall all be ruined. 1t is precisely this
plan which have proposed. 1t is so original
and profound that it is not readily apprehend-
ed by the common mind. But when carefully
medltated by great intellect, 1T is clearly seen.
1t comes TO this: Government must furnish
capital to those who have none. As things
are now managed, those who have money will
only lend it to such persons, and upon such
terms, as can be agreed upon. Upon my
plan, you see at once that money will only
be loaned to poor people" =.
"Has this plan, Mr.. Pratt, ever been propos-
posed before?"
sYes," said Mr.. Pratt, "by Jack Cade. But
he was made an objective point 10 attack, and
was antagonized by certain great families and
defeated"
"What will be the result of the present sys-
tenn Mr.. Pratt ?'
81 have pointed it out many times" said
the Tarveller. "It is this: Those that know
how will succeed; those who do not will tail.
1t is just as certain as that Pharaoh's tat cat
tie were to swallow up the lean kline of his
dream" ...
al thought, Mr.. Pratt, it was the lean kline
who eat up the fat ones"
at may be so. My knowledge of the Holy
Scripture is not derived from reading it. But
you will see at once that if it contains any
such statement as that, it is wrong, because
it is contrary to my idea, Ihaye had doubts
about the wisdom OF Moses for some time
He belongs to great family, and was selfish
and corrupt"
"Are there many people, Mr.. Pratt, who
try to do business when they don't know
how?"
"To be sure," said the Traveller, espec-
tally the kind of business which l alone un-
derstand. am regarded as the highest class
of aristoracy, and so are all who are engaged
in the same business. Hence the great strife,
among mankind, to attain the dignity which
we enjoy"
''It must require, Mr.. Pratt, skill and atten-
ton to succeed in your business"
"Yes," said Mr.. Pratt, success is certain
1. When a,man has plenty OF capital and
knows how much he has got;
2. Employs good workmen who do their
level best;
3. Has the best machinery and promptly
adapts all new improvements.
Ii a man can -tsIssf1age-t@4--xaAl@-
economical use of material and power, 1t will
be an ADVANTAGE. This do, and nobody else
does, for want OF the power OF 'aualy tical and
sythetical reasoning Men quite as able as
any in the State, have-failed, from sheer ignor-
ance, in spite Of unusual aptitude and bless
ed intelligence"
Il wish you would explain that, Mr.. Pratt"
Il shall not. You must reflect upon sub
jects as they are presented to you. Many
men have read Dantes Inferno who have
never seen the Cranston Print Works. saw
those works spring out of nothing"
Il do not wish to be personal, Mr.. Pratt,
but l have heard that you created Rhode Is
land"
'That is so," said Pratt; "when my mother
came here there was neither money nor re-
ligion in Rhode Island. How religion was
developed L will explain at another time.
But the money was made by the people who
were associated with my father,' and founded
a DanR, not upon the ordinary prlnclple known
to bankers, but upon the magic Influences of
promises to pay"
"Then l am to understand, Mr.. Pratt, that
the financial value Of a man who deals with
bank. is measured, not by bis money, but by
his promises to pay?"
Yes" SAID Pratt, !'money pervades the uni
verse; and hence if a man wants to pay his
debts, it is the same thing as if he cou.d do ii.
This was well understood at the South be-
fore the war, according to well-known say
ing, in that country, that where a man had
given his note, the debt was pail"
SLOW can people fail to see this, Mr.. Pratt? ?"
"In my case," said Pratt, Il was led to
study from a desire to know something. All
that l know got at in this way. The result
is that make goods, my agent sells them to
a jobber ON long time, and the jobber sells
them to a retailer on shorter time. This nov
Ell process l discovered, and by means of 1t
brought about an exchange OF the goods of
the manufacturer for as much money as they
will bring"
When Mr.. Pratt arrived at this point, he
kicked our informont out of the wagon.
We have taken down the conversation, and
our ideas are now as clear as usual.