The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-10-17
Bob Ingsr.olI on the Finances.

that would offend the prejudices of the
best or worst of US, and everybody
should read the unique production:
We have had in our country a msg-
nificent imitation. We have built with
in twenty-five years some 75, 900 miles
Of railroa1, and in order to build that
we spent about s., 900, 600, 600. Well,
there was work for everybody. We
had everything growing, and there was
prosperity all over the land. Every
body worked for verybody-every-
body wanted to employ somebody else.
In the meantime the war came upon
our hands, and in that we spent S10,-
900, 600, 600. For what? To build up2
No; to tear down and destroy. Every
single, solitary dollar that was spent
was wasted by US. Bu', as a matter
of fact, we didn't spend the money
we only agreed to. We scattered all
over the country certain notes which
we sgreed to pay, and we have not got
them paid yet. In my judgment it
did not take as much patriotism to put
| down the rebellion as it will take to
pay the debt. A man can be brave for
few minutes when he is right In the
line Of battle, and when he looks and
sees that nobody else runs. 1t is COM
paratively easy to do that, and be shot
down at the post of glory. 1t is COM
paratively easy to die for principle.
But it is mighty hard to live for it. II
is hard work to get up at 4 o'clock in
the morning and work until the sun
goes down, and do that for life.
say we spent all of this money, and
we had what they called prosperity,
and while that was going on the young
men left the farms, and said they did
not want to be farmers. They said:
''We won't farm it; we will go to the
city," Every man that could get $500
worth of goods on trust became a meT-
chant. They wanted to be dentists,
lawyers, Notwithstanding that there
was no work in. When they could
not do that they would start an insur-
snce association. Then they sent their
agents all over the country to get your
property insured, to get your life il
sured, and every moment you would
have the picture of coffin thrust in
your face to see if you wouldn't insure
And those agents would come and sit
down by you and talk about your last
struggle with that monster-death.
They got certain share of the premi-
um, and they insured anybody. They
insured consumption in its last hemor-
rhage, and the money flowed into the
society. AS soon as the fellows began
to die the company closed its doors.
Then they had fire insurance comps-
MES. The agents of these also had
share of the premiums, and l tell you
that for six, eight or ten years they
would have insured an iceberg in per-
ditIon. Then the merchants filled all
the cars and all the hotels and bars
with runners and dIummers. Every
man that you met had three carpet
sacks filled with samples. And in the
meantime we had theb ankrupt law, so
that every man who couldn't pay his
debts might take the benefit of this law.
Then it all went to the clerks, etc., of
the courts. never heard of anybody
getting more than per cent. on any
claim in my life.
All at ence-in 1S73-there came a
crash, and the brother that had staid
at home and worked on the farm saw
in the paper that his brother, who was
president of life insurance company,
was q yagrant and vagabond. He
read, too, that the railroad had failed,
| and that it was IN the hands of a re-
ceiver, and that its bonds were as
worthless as the first autumn leaves
that grew on this earth. Then he be-
gan to think that he was doing we'll
l.. 6. To- Al
who cultivate the soil are to-day the
richest, on the average, of any class of
men GGGder-saaFr flag Then We got
hard times. Everybody who had a
mo- tgage as an adornmenSNto his prep
way rU gDsH-~~S.- Now they say the
prosperous times again-is ID In 60
in debt. Suppose L bought farm for
$4,000 and gave my note for 1t; and
then bought horsts AMI wagons and
gave my note; and then l bought a
piano for Mary and gave my note, and
sent James to school and gave my note,
and they all run year. What mag
nifcent time l could have for that
year. Then when they came around
and wanted me to pay the note, would
say, 81 will give you little notes for
the interest, and let them run another
year." What splendid time 1 could
have for another year. Finally, when
they come and say they have got to
have the money, what would you think
if l were to say to them, ~ never had
a better time in my life than when
was giving those notes. All that is
necessary for universal happiness and
peace is to let me keep right on giving
my notes." say to them the reason |
of hard times is because they have lost
confidence in me. They say the reason
they have lost confidence is that I have
not got the money.
Now, it is precisely the same with an
individual that it is with the govern
ment. l say here to-day that every
farmer ought to know that he can't
make something out of nothing. The
United States government can't make
money. 1t can make what it calls
money. 1t has not the power to make
it; 1t has the power to make you take
it. In other words, it has the power
to make every creditor take it, and NO.
body else. If you go to buy bushel
of wheat and you have, got "fat"
money, the man can say, 81 will take
81 in gold for that wheat, but want
50 if you pay in fiat money" How
are you going to prevent him2 The
money you have got is good simply be-
cause it promises to pay. Now it is
proposed to have money that We will
promise not to pay. If nonsense can
go beyond that, cannot conceive the
route or path that it will take. Then If
Congress says you must take it, Con-
gress must fix the price of everything.
It must fix the price of wheat; it must
TX the price of making a speech in q
lawsuit; it must fx the price of every
article, or else 1t cannot make its
money good.
But some gentlemen say that Con-
yress has the power to make money.
md want to ask them one question;
want you to think about it: If this
government has the power to make
money, why should it collect taxes
rom US Why don't they make it
nd let us alone9 If this government
an make dollar or a thousand dollar
ill just that quick [slspping his hands
ogetherl, why should they make US
abor day and night, and make Us pay
axes to support them II the gov
rnment can make money, let them
make it and let US alone. But, in
tead Of that. this great government
ONES up hers into this county with
be bayonet and compels you to pay c
axes. 1t is like the ocean trotting 4
II ~