The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-06
years of fair citizenship in

period of twenty years of fair citizenship in
New York, should open banking house again.
how many prudent people would there be who
would place their deposits with them and trust
them implicitly Ward ana Fish would be
entitled to the immunities of citizenship, but
one would be bound to have implicit conf
dence in them. Or suppose, reader, that you
had. for a quarter of century, intrusted your
affairs in the hands of one who should in an
hour betray your trust steal your property, and
by force attempt to burn down your house and
devastate your lands. but, failing of the worst,
should, when conquered, become fairly good
citizen for twenty years, would you be likely to
intrust him again fully with all your affairsE No
one acts thus in his own business affairs. If he
did, his merchant and banker, and butcher
would very soon make him feel their Indifference
about his account. This is just now the situa-
ton In this country. We are not always careful
to apply prudent business rules and principles
in the choice of servants Of public trust; but
when we do not, we cannot escape the inevitable
consequence of destroyed onfdence of the great
classes who are essential factors in the
general prosperity of the country. Twenty
five years ago political party, trusted
for quarter of a century, betrayed the country,
stole its property tried to destroy its integrity,
in its work took the lives of thousands of Its
citizens, and entailed a burden of debt which it
Will require the saving of half century to wipe
out. By the grace and generosity of the loyal
people of this country, the party that embodles
these betrayers of trust is III power. and let it be
noted that it required the votes of all the States
in rebellion to do this, and that it not the
vote of confidence of those betrayed that brought
it about Now, one of the chief and greatest
factors entering into the of this most sim
gular, seemingly at least, periods of business
depression, has been stated. Majorities, made
up of those chiefly engaged in the work of be
trayal and national disruption do not and will
not superinduce public confidence.
But this is not all. This condition was followed
by most persistent effort in the direction of
free trade by that same party. Those whose
capital was invested in pursuits most to be
have acute memory of the history of
like periods and of the resultant disasters Of it,
Hence we piled up in the great money center
of New York more millions of idle dollars than
ever known TO be there before. Frightened at
the situation, the mines and the factories are
depleted of operatives, waiting to see what will
be the result of this homogeneous condition of
things. We have, as results of this, about 8 O00
600 OF people without the usual means of earn
ing subsistence and the reduction OF 30 per cert
OF the wages Of 3, 000 900 more, the equivalent of
over g. 900, 600 out of their usual employment,
who are dependent on daily wages 1t is readily
seen that this is equivalent to the withdrawal OF
the trade of about 5 000 900 of people. and there
fore under consumption of $500, 900, 600 of the
staple productions of this country. We have
here, briefly, an outline of the chief factors ELI
tecing into the causes producing the present
condition Of trade.
we are Giad 10 note that tnefe are SlguS Oh d
better understanding and more confidence. and 1T
must be said that this promise lies in two
phases of the situation:
l. That the real causes of the depression will
have borne fruit in turning the Democratic tide
away from free trade notions in the next Con
greSs.
3 That the United States Senate shall remain
Republican, and stand a barrier between the
reactlonary elements in power, and disaster.
One thing is very plain. The classes at the
head of all great industries, and whose con
fdence in public affairs essential to prosper
ltv in this Nation, have not yet exhibited any con-
fidence in the situation. The hope Of the future,
under tho present administration, is that this
depression and disaster may turn the thought
of the people, and those in power, to the real
causes, and cause the golden wedge to be search
ed out and put away. c.