The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-07-21

1ood. But the fact Is, and I ask your
to that fact, that the producing
classes, taking the civilized world togeth-
y, to-day are ground into poverty more
wretched, more degrading, more crush
ing, more hopeless, than at any other
lime in the worlds dark history. That is
! strong statement, but true.
Take, if You please, a moments view
Of the 100 millions Of the producing
classes Of British India. British writer's
tell us, and they are not Greenbackers,
remember-we have testimony that comes
from those the very extreme from us
they tell MS that the drain Of interest
mark that-and taxes out Of the product
Of the toll Of these masses leaves to them
but the barest, coarsest subsistence, that
for few years the drain has gone deeper,
forbidding the replenishing Of the wastes
of the earth, and within four years three
millions Of men, women and children
have died of starvation. What is the
tell me? IA voice four millions.
Ihree-quarters as many people as in
habit your State have died Of hunger and
want in British India. The New York
Herald few days ago gave most dole
full description of the poverty Of the
masses Of the Russian Empire. Ask any
German what the heritage Of German
laborer is at home, and he will tell you,
drudgery from the cradle to the grave,
with bare subsistence, without the
shadow of a hope of anything better. The
masses Of England are living in poorer
huts and are more scantily fed and
clothed to-day than fifty years ago. /
made that statement in Missouri not long
since, and an English gentleman present
stated to me at the close of my speech
that hadn't made it half as strong as
might have done without exaggerating.
The condition of Ireland we all know
kept in state of such absolute poverty
that If the potatoe crop happens to be
poor, then children-now mark-have
you got hearts ?-children cry in vain for
food-go hungry as we'll as half clothed.
If the potatoe crop is cut off, then starva-
ton follows. or is only prevented by char
of Europe, with the exception Of France.
But that is not the dark field. ask
the attention of every person to a fact
that am now about to state. ask you
to study it. The interest-gleaning debts
of Europe are augmented at a ratio that
is absolutely fearful. Their national debts
were reported in 1865 to be l3 billions and
some odd hundred millions in 1880, %
billions and some hundred millions, in
creasing in fifteen years from Ii to %
billions. In 1866 there was interest
ground out of the product of the toll Of
the masses OH Ii billions fifteen years
later interest is drawn on % billions, and
this is steadily increasing. Other debts,
Understanding obligations, are increas-
ing about as rapidly. We will take the
debts Of England as sample. Hel
national debt commenced with the infa-
nous national banking system, which We
have adopted; the most infamous sys
tenn that was ever concocted in the bot.
tomless pit to Cypress men, drawing Q
double interest for issuing the currency
Her national debt has increased until il
reaches three billions, eight hundred and
thirty millions. The obligations which
are held against her railroads by hel
money loaners amount to about three bill
lions. The other obligations which they
hold against the producers amount to eigh
billions. The interest at Al per cent
amounts to 700 millions. Now, what ha,
become Of the product Of the toll of til,
masses, supplemented by machinery, q
rs to leave them in absolute poverty AMI
with q bare subsistence, which at til,
same time goes steadily deeper, wrapping
the sources of wealth, the muscles Of tn,
people of future generations in interest
bearing debt? A few moneyed houses
small class, are piling up fabulous for
tunes. The Rothschilds have their bill
lions. The Earrings are probably mil
lionaires. The property is nearly al
absorbed. The land is wrapped up
There is scarcely an industry, scarcely
piece Of property held by producers tina
is not wrapped with mortgage like
devil-fish, draining the life out, sucking
it out, through interest. Now, look a
that for moment. The power to in
crease wealth has steadily augmented
but the power to drain it into few hand
has increased at ratio exceeding the in
creased power to create wealth, so tina
all these advantages Of machinery an,
the occult forces Of nature are gathers
into few hands, and the masses receiv
none Of them.
il Now, what has that to do with us
Give me your close attention. The sam
machinery which is complete in its opera
tions over the nations Of Europe ha
been fastened on us and our industrie
during and since the war. I will max
that plain. The moneyed power Of Eu
rope looks with alarm as well as greed O.
! our vast resources, our measureless store
of coal, of iron, Of oil, the agriculture
possibilities, on the energy, the educs
ton Of our people, on our multiplyin
machinery, on all our facilities for pre-
ducing wealth. They look with alarr
because if the producers of the countr
retained the product Of their labor the
would steadily rise. They would fill u
the impossible gulf between the nc
and the poor. They would obiterat
{ those lines of distinction which men hav
drawn between the masses and the few
They could not hide this from their ow
serfs. There was danger their powe
! would be overthrown, and they mus
subject to the same sway the resource
| and the productive energy Of our mex