Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1875-10-22
THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.

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The present condition Of France and
iermany presents some anomalous fea-
lures. In the Spring OF II France lay
bound and bleeding at the feet Of Ger
many, and ransomed her life by the
promise to pay five thousand million
francs TO her Teu,onio conqueror. Then
q the fair land of France was impover.
ished and subdued. Her lilies trailed in
the dust; her beautiful Empress was a
her Emperor IN exile on En-
glish soil; her Wanted military proves
shattered, and ruin and desolation ap.
parentiy imminent. The warriors OF the
Rhine sung TIE Deums In Berlin, pre-
pared to receive and Germanize Alsace
and Lorraine and the first installment OF
that vast sum Of money due from the
conquered TO the conqueror. All luis
four years ago. To-day France is pros
porous, out OF debt. with atreasury over
flowing and an aggregate export OF man
nfactures far exceeding the imports.
Germany is, on the other hand, the
present theater of financial chaos. Her
credit is shaky. her expenditures in ex-
cess OF her income, with considerable
foreign indebtedness and people far
from prosperous or contented. Here we
have the conquered and the conquerors
changing places--at least in all the attri-
butes OF peace and in the short period Of
four years. The fact 80 anomalous is
easily explained. The French went to
work with industry. frugality, providence
and fair degree OF push. took up the
Government bonds among themselves.
paid semi-annual instalments to Ger
many, sold Germany their manufactured
goods, kept on making and saving and
paying off their debts, till to-day they
stand as a people the most prosperous
and as nation the most solvent on the
face OF the earth. On the other hand,
as In ancient Rome SD it was in Ger
many. The French gold demoralized
them. Speculative extravaganza, idle
dissipation and reckless financial man
agement wasted their substance and theil
spoilated treasure, and though to the
victors belonged the spoils, to the van
quished accrued the credit. The brightly
tinted and roseate hued bubbles that
foated 80 airily throughout Germany in
70 and rs are bursted, and thousands
born and reared in comfort and even
affiuence are reduced to destitution
and the money paid to Ger
many is to- day back again IL
the hands of the frugal French
There is a little moral TO all this ant
though during the short and tremendous
struggle in 20 We in America looked OF
in regret to see the waste OF blood m,
treasure on the Rhine there is now
lesson to be learned FROM the resulting
effects of that two months campaig
which changed the map Of Europe. Th
from the veins of France was injecte
into the German body polite did n
good as it added nothing to the produ
tive power of the people, the men an
women, the corporeal organizations thi
make that vast mass Of humanity o
whom country depends for standir
and existence. That vast amount
money but inflated prices and inflamt
avarice without enhancing its transfer
possessors. 1t flowed in, but only
flow ont again through inert and ope
channels to those who better know no
to use 1t. As we said there is prof
able lesson in this matters for us. F,
the last twelve months opposing coui
sells have been heard throughout Il
land and the windy warfare is not y
done. Among all the crude essays al
fedgeling ideas put forward in relate
to the nations wealth and the best for
of the circulating medium. we rarely s.
the benefit of industry or frugality incu
Gated. The press treats learned
OF shadows and ignores the su
ject. Without labor, industry al
thrift it's useless to expect pro
perity; as with individuals SO wi
nations; while millions sit with foldt
hands there can be no general thrift
material prosperity, and this question
paramount over all others. The examp
OF France and Germany proves tn
'tis mt always the nation that has Il
most money that is the wsalthisst. TT
wealth OF nations lie in their people.
their labor and its legitimate fruits.
they labor wisely they build we'll and re
substantial profits; if they labor for U
worthy objects and with unworthy
sires the result is correspondingly dis
trous, and at the present juncturs
words of the gang boss" less talk q
more work have national and m
important significance.