The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-04-24
Written for the woRKIxsMAx's ADvoc
STOCK GAMBLING.
BY SAMUEL LEAvTTT.

Street -Nesxrs Putte CGiie lcaiting for
castOmers.
Putte-"Ah there comes my bothersome
cousin Daniel | wonder what imperti-
nence he will get of now" II he does not
admire our business he might stay away.
"Well, Daniel, have you got the country
safe
Danisl-''It will never be safe until the
people let such fellows As you know that
you have got to 90 TO work to get an hon
eat living"
Putte-''You are uncommonly sour this
morning have you got on hand lot Of
9. G. and ! c. that you bought at par 2"
DAniel-"NO; but 1 came down on the
Avenue ID cars, and got thinking about
the way you keep she people hived there.
Putte-"What have TO do with the way
they live, any more than your
Daniel-"ws Eho protest continually
against the existing social and commercial
regulations, and do all ~e can to
change them are not responsible for the
miseries of the people. Bat you respecta-
bic conservatives, who come on the street
to amass fortunes, by tossing from one to
another the stocks that represent the life
labors Of millions Of producers, and then
get square with your consciences, by tink
ering at the petty fashionable charities,
are the men really responsible. You peo-
pie who bolster yourselves up, and humbug
the common people with the idea that
charity can take the place Of justice, are
only delaying the victory Of the latter. 1t
is true of this country, as the author of
The Girl Of the Period, says Of Eng
land Things have gone too far in
England now for private charities to be of
much use What is wanted is A thorough
reorganization Of society, % that the dis
tributiOn Of wealth and knowledge shall
not be So partial as it is. And this the
workingmen must get for themselves by
combination So long as thsy allow you
fellows TO absorb and consume three
quarters ~ In products Of their labor,
and help then to exc out a subsistence
from the other quarter, by doing out your
charities, as merclful favors, they viii make
no progress.
Calle-'' Well, Daniel, if remember
right, you are sensible about one thing.
You say that We stock gamblers are no
worse than those who gamble with grain,
cotton, oil, coal, etc.
Daniel-"No worse in kind-only in de-
gree. The produce gamblers are handling
materials that are Of actual value, and
they are sometimes useful in bringing
those goods where they will do the most
good. But not only is the trading in
stocks in ninety nine cases in hundred Of
no real use to any one, but also a large
part of them represent fictitious values,
watered stocks, etc"
Putte-But a large part Of our business
is pure brokerage Of investment stocks,
such as New York Central, Harlem, Della
ware and Lackawana, Panama, etc. We
help a great number of widows and or
phans, and solid old gentlemen to safe in
vestments. Then there is the Government
bonds, we do good deal with them
Daniel-''Yes, that is a righteous, good
investment. Those Five-Twenties bought
by the million in war times at 40 cents,
and now the 1862's, which must be paid in
gold BY 1882. are up to Sl.2O. That's a
lovely wsy TO visit :he sins Of the fathers
upon the children Nothing like war
debt funded in gold bonds, with gold in
terest for that. Fortunate widows and
orphans, whose wise male friends were on
Wall street, picking up such chips ss those
a dozen years ago. l wonder how many Of
them are widows and orphans Of common
soldiers who did the fighting that made
the bonds worth what they are g.
Putte-" Easy over the stones, Daniel
! You do rather rub it in about the bonds
and guess if many of you crack brains
get to talking that way the oftener the
Secretary OF Treasury calIs in $50, 600, ,0OC
worth Of Eive-Twenties and gives US the
hard gold for them, the better. (SnesriDe
and rubbing his hAnds). Nothing like
getting the revolutionists used to seeing
the supremacy Of the laws maintained, my
boy"
Daniel" There may be more in thaI
name 'revolutionist' that you give us than
you imagine. don't think that this pso.
pie il going to submit tamely to the quad
ruple payment Of the war debt. Ana III
tell you another thing. / believe that the
next war that our politicians and mer
chants bring us into will have to be paid
for by the capitalist class month by month
while it il IN progress, instead of beins
pu. in long bonds, for the torment and
oppression of future generations.
Putte-"Well, never mind that non
sense, I'm for biz. You just bring me I
point on some stock, by which we car
clear o thousand dollars. I'll furnish tbs
margin, and give you o quarter of the
profit. know you will be glad enough
to get it, at least your wife will. III war
rant she rue the day she'll married 9 crack
Drained philosopher.
Daniel-''ThiDk what you please. Blu
all the points you will get out Of me vii
be pointed remarks. II my family evel
lack the necessaries Of life, which fortu
u8teAy nns uc*0f yot OcguEEwu, ~ Will y
because some Of your sort have more thar
their share of the Injuries"
Putts-" Fudge sail in with your littl'
savings on this rise Of stocks After nj
their talk about the rise being purely tn
result Of the machinataons Of spscalssors
believe all kinds VI stocks that have 10
any baais Ut ali are going Co. rise and sta,
mp. We've got past the bard timeA and
the Wall street men-who are the sharpes
In the world-ars the 6rst to see il. Th'
speculative stocks that We have put up ar'
going to stay mp, and hring The sesady ols