The morning call., 1890-05-20
MAsoUERAD1NG as rae PEOPLE

The arguments against the proposed Gov
eminent bank to advance money on farm
produce are well stated in the following:
When the Government begins to take charge
OF cotton, wheat, corn oats and tobacco il will
go on and In lime bacon, pork, beef, butter
cheese, lard, hay and all other farm products
Will demand of the Government TO take their
surplus and advance them 80 per cent on it, and
in periods Of manufacturing and mining depres-
sion iron, steel, wooden and cotton goods VIII de-
mand TO be deposited and taken care Of and
money loaned TO their owners, and so Will coal
and ores and lumber. II this policy is adopted
II must apply TO all, and the power OF those in
terested in these products VIII compel the Coy
eminent to extend its paternal care TO them.
That is just the flaw in class legislation.
What is conceded to one must be conceded
to all classes. 1t is probable, if the truth
were known, that there is less demand for
legislation of this kind than appears at first
glance. There is no law which forbids
three men from meeting in a corner grocery
OF in a country barn and calling themselves
the people. They may announce schemes
in the name of the agricultural community
or OF some other class in the community.
An example Of the manner in which a
community may be misrepresented is af-
fOrded by the publication in New York
papers of petition said to have been
signed by 1600 citizens of San Francisco
asking relief in consequence of unprece-
dented bad weather. People in this city
had some knowledge Of the person who was
most prominently connected with the petit
ton, and only laughed at its statements.
The temporary distress occasioned by a
longer period Of enforced idleness than
usual was relieved by local contributions,
which set thousand or more men at work
in the park. There was no occasion for an
appeal to the people of other States. Yet
an appeal was made, and in a sense in the
name of the community. The Eastern
papers which published the purport of the
petition could not know how little ground
there was Tor the assertion that thousands
OF people were starving in the metropolis
of California. Very likely many people
who read the petition, without taking the
trouble to investigate, jumped at the con-
clusiOn that there must be some mistake in
the reports about the agricultural resources
of California, and perhaps many who had
intended to plant their home on this side
of the continent thought it better to wait
awhile. A good deal of mischief may be
done in this way. Our influence in Con-
gress is impaired. for it is not worth while
j.
Capital which was drifting in this direc-
tion to establish labOr-consuming indus
tries is arrested in its course; for city
where, in The months Of April and May,
thousands Of workers are reported to be
out Of job is no place to start new enter
prises.
1t is hard to say how or where cure for
the evil can be found. 1t is the privilege
of DR.. Wiley and his Falstaffian brigade,
as it was the privilege of the three tailors
oil Tooley street, to speak in the name of
the people at large; nor is it clear that they
can be held responsible for the Indirect mis-
chief they do. Persons who care about
aseertalning the truth can easily satisfy
themselves that in a city where every one
is decently clothed and shod. and the appli-
cations for relief at the benevolent societies
are fewer in proportion to population than
in almost any Eastern city, there cannot be
much distress. But few people feel inter-
est enough in the matter to take the
trouble to investigate. The mischief-makers
and the demagogues have the field to them
selves,