The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-08-26

ia'orltc expression Win the ifreurefh-
able orators, who are wandering up and down
the land trying 10 sow dissatisfaction and
create dissensions among the people, is that
the erich are growing richer and the poor
poorer" The so-called national greenback
party has been built up by cry against "the
money power" which has been characterized
as ready 10 deyour every unfortunate wight
within lis reach. II was IN that chord that
/ the irredeemable speakers at the recent green
back canp-meetng in this city tuned their
harp, Plenty of work for the industrious
at good wages and larger prosperity
throughout the nation than is being enjoyed
by any people OH the earth. give the lie
sluare.y 10 those bald-faced assertions, and
: the masses refuse longer to be- hoodwinked.
N the west this "horrid money power
instead of crushing the life out of the peo-
/ pie" and grinding them to atoms, has built
! thousands OF miles of railroad, established
tens Of thousands of manufactures, opened
up millions of acres of land for cultivation
and aided in the erection of thousands OF
fine churches and school buildings. But for
the "blackhearted money suckers" there
would not be to-day in Michigan one mile
OF railroad where there are now ten miles
and Lansing. instead of being the hub oil
ladiating railroads, would probably have
communication with the outer world through
the old stage coach 10y way of Jackson or
over the old Ramshorn to Owosso. To-day
Boston for 50, and the "grinding money
power" is al the bottom of it. Yes, our
greenback friends will say. but this comes
through passenger rate war, and the COM
panies viii make up for all this by some
future arrangements. The very fact of there
being accumulated capital in this country
which seeks investment, will prevent any
grinding despotism on the people for any
great length of time.
This j. shown in the matter OF freight
rates. From carefully preserved statistics in
relation % the business of the Lake Shore
& Michigan Southern railroad from Buffalo
10 Chicago We find that there has been a
gradual dropping in its carrying prices from
! 1854 down Ia the present time. In that
! year the average rate of freight per ton per
mile over this Line was 3.j1 cents. In 1864
| il stood at 2.S3 cents in 1874 Mt lis cents,
and in 1879 it was only ga of cent. In
| 1873 Commodore Vanderbilt obtained pos
session Of the line, and il has continued in
his family ever since; yet, with all his reputa-
ton for grinding the people and making the
rich richer and the poor poorer" the rates
OH this road have fallen from 1.33 cents il
1873 90 % cents in 1879. The rates on the
Michigan Central. Detroit, Grand Haven *
Milwaukee show reductions in but little less
| proportion. These low rates have been
brought about by this grinding money
power" which is simply the accumulated
earnings of the past scattered through mil
lions of hands but willing TO be concentrated
and used by others for reasonable returns.
II logically follows, then. that the orator,
newspaper, or party which tries to break
down financial confidence is an enemy OF the
interest. OF all the people.
No one can truthfully deny the general
prosperity of the people of Michigan and
, croakers point to other sections, especially
the great citie-. where "the poor are being
ground 10 dust by the rich nabobs." The
: poor laboring men of large cities unquestion-
ably have hard struggle to get daily bread
! Tor themselves and families but are they
/ getting poorer is the question to be decided.
! II we take New York as an illustration we
lind that during the last three years the in
crease Of wages has been very marked for all
classes of labor. In 1873 brick layers earned
from SIP to So per week, now they receive
from SIS to S27, and are striking for more
The wages of carpenters and the other trades
have gone up in nearly like proportion,
While the pay has been raised the cost OF
living has not increased in the same ratio
Bread is sold for the same price now IA in
1878, beef costs from two to four cents more
per pound, but dairy products, potatoes. tea
codee, and sugar are less now than then, and
coal in the eastern cities is considerably low
err In the light of the above facts the man
who makes sweeping charges against people
who have seen hit TO earn something through
hard labor, and save it by economy and self
denial. sets himself down as either SANDER
er or a simpleton. Turn to the capital city
and it will be seen that never was labor more
generally employed or at better wages. Car
penters and painters who received last veal
S1.756t2.00 are getting S2.25@ $50, and
bricklayers and masons, who received 500
0r2.Jo now earn $3.oo.-Lansing Republican
According to the report of the American
Iron and S~el Association, the increase il
The manufacture of iron i'm this country fo