The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-04

boastfully says, at this time our country
is the most prosperous on earth. What
are the evidences Of this marvellous
Do they consist in the fact
that we had nine thousand failures last
year and that the number will be great
er in the current year as shown by the
commercial agency of Dun and BarlowF
Do they consist in the fact that our peo'
pie, according to Sherman himself, are
more heavily taxed than any other peor
pie on earth Or in the further fact
that the volume of taxes is greater than
the volume OF the currency given to the
people to pay them and conduct their
business? If these be not the evidences
of the prosperity to which Mr.. Sherman
refers, perhaps he regards our country
as being prosperous because 5000, 900
of men, women and children, capable
and anxious to labor are without EN-,
ployment and without bread. But II
none oil these be the evidences OF Mr..
Sherman's imagined prosperity perN
chance he supposes the American peoN
pie to be prosperous because the amount
of taxes and interest paid upon their
debt, public and private, is greater than
the total amount of their income.
This singular assertion Of prosperity
made by Mr.. Sherman while the coun'
try is afflicted by general ruin and woe
recalls the incident of the tyrant Nero
playing a waltz upon his fiddle while
u ONO ,yae in flames
What Does Mr.. Sherman Meant
Can it be that he intends to force act
ual and avowed bankruptcy upon the
country Has he come to the conclu'
sion that the public and private debts
which rest upon the people cannot be
be paid, and that he desires to force the
catastrophe of public and private repu-
diation at the earliest day?
'sThe Shaking of Of Burdens"
Does he propose an edict similar to
that of Solon, known in history as "lhe
Wise" by which relief was given to the
people of Attica, whose condition was
much similar to ours now? We are told
bv the Greek historians that thNe oil
garchs, the aristocrats of that country
had, by one kind of legislation and ans
other, succeeded in concentrating IN
their own hands the bulk of the wealth
of the whole State, and that in accord
ance with the laws of that country, when
the people were in debt, mortgage pilN
lars of stone were erected all over the
land bearing the name Of the debtor and
the creditor and the amount owed that
while the olgarchs owned the bulk ofthe
property, the whole burden Of taxation
was thrown upon the people; that star
walton, murmuring and discomfort eX>
isted throughout the entire country, un-
til the people were driven to the verge OF
general revolt. 1t was then, as we are
told, that the oligarchs, who were most
sagacious as we'll as most greedy men,
contemplated with awe the impending
storm which threatened to burst over
them, and rendered to Solon an absolute
dictatorship under the title of Archon,
He refused the office and declined the
responsibility, saying to the oligarchs:
ut is impossible for me to give relief to
the people, and, at the same time, give
satisfaction to YOU" The murmurs and
the suherings of the people became
more intense, when the aristocrats again
went to Solon and begged him to assume
absolute authority, and pledged them
selves to abide by such measures as he
in his wisdom deemed best to adopt.
Thus urged and thus pressed, Solon at
length consented to assume absolute
power, and as means of relief to the
people and of security to their oppress
sors, promulgated law canceling all
debts, and causing the mortgage pillars
to be removed from the land. But he
did not stop here. He prohibited the
sale of the debtor or of any of his FAM
lily to the creditor in payment of his
debt,
AS a means Of further relief he re-
duced the amount of silver in the
drachma, which coin was the unit of
value, ~ per cent, so that 73 drachma
were equal to a hundred before this
change had been made. And the histo-
rian tells us that this reliefrestored pros.
perity at Attica, and that peace and good
will were re.established among its citi'
zens.