The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-01-24

all over the United States. This little Job is to
be done in twelve months. 1t is to give employ
ment to millions OF idle men, and relieve all
poverty &C., &c.-the same old story, 1t is
curious to see such thing in print anywhere in
this the next to the last decade OF the nineteenth
century. The writer does not see that bis $780,
10000, to be spent in one year, would not give
81. so to over one million Of men, without reckon
ing the cost OF material, but the incapacity to
make SO simple q calculation does not restrain
him from calmly undertaking to settle the for
tunes Of the whole American Nation And it is
not pleasing to think that, wild and crazy as he
is, the Supreme Court of the United States has
declared that Congress has the power to carry
out just such schemes, IL it should choose to do
so''
1t is curious to note that a great
journal like the N. Y. Times can make
such blunder in figures. $5O0,OOO,-
900 would give $500 or a years
wages to 1 100000 men-instead of
$3.50. The Financier replies:
OF all asinine criticisms this certain
ly "takes the cake" But between
you and ourselves, the Times is mad
because we recently accused it of a
we'll known fact; that of stealing for
eign literature in the shape Of stories
instead OF paying a few dollars to
help along home talent. That is,
they let the English paper do the
paying.
All right, fire away, old man, make
just as big an ass of yourself as you
see fit; it will amuse the public and
increase the friends of that journal,
"curiously named the Financier.''
Considering that this latter news
paper has been in existence nearly 26
years, it is somewhat astonishing
that the Curious Times has just
discovered the fact or theremarkably
curious name we bear.
Yes, we did say in our last issue,
and now repeat it, Gin view OF the
tight money market, 80 per cent. be-
ing offered for call loans week before
last, we recommend the issuance OF
$5OO,OOO,OOO in greenbacks; and
during the coming twelve months
expend it in macadamizing our
country highways all over the United
States
And we said "that such an act
would relieve poverty and employ
millions of men," and this we repeat
in spite of the astonishing display OF
mathematical knowledge OF the
Times.
We did not say, however, that
poverty was to be relieved for the
next four hundred thousand years;
neither did we say 100000 men
could be employed at $50 per day
for the entire months; and further
more nobody but an ass would have
so misconstrued our phraseology.
Men may be hired for month or
six months, and any one locality
should need but a fraction of year
to complete it.
5000, 900 laborers might be direct
ly employed a part of the year for
the mentioned sum; and what does
the Times suppose these laborers will
do with 5OO.OOO,OOO? AS it does
not seem to know we will inform that
journal.
They will spend 80 per cent. of it
for the necessities of life; 5 per cent.
may enter savings banks, and 5 per
cent. may be for indulgences.
Such a sum put into general circu
lation among all classes of trade,
would cause demand for clerks and
employees in prodigious numbers;
business would begin to assume some
thing of the proportions we saw at
the close of the war; and for the time
being, poverty would he relieved. No
man willing to work would be with
out it.
Then see what this $500, OOO, 900
that costs the people nothing, would
do toward the general improvement
of our country in creating first-class
wagon roads. Is there a man in the
United States that does not consider
that this Nation is terribly behind
the times in it's highways?
England is made q comparative
paradise, by this excellent feature,
and why should we not have first
class roads as we'll as England?
Would $500, 900, OO0doit? Itwould
go part way, and if not enough, We
now say, make the sum 81 600, OOO,-
600 and the period two years.
In making this recommendation to