Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1890-06-26
PRESENT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.

from the truth by the many side Is
sues switched in by the opponents OF
the legislation sought by the Alliance
and Industrial Union. It has taken
years of struggle and toll against an
unyielding and relentless state of
affairs, to bring the plain people to
an awakening sense of the hopeless
ness of their position, and the almost
unanimous uprising, and demand for
legislation for the people as body
as against favoritism for the few.
Nothing but the fierce struggle to
stem the increasing tide toward pau
perism and bankruptcy; nothing but
closer and closer economy practiced
to hold on and over till better times
should come and the final awakening
to the fact that better times could not
come and were not coming until they
were made to come by an intelligent
discernment of the causes of the dis
astrous times, and an intelligent
remedial Legislation.
We do not pretend to say that we
have naturally any more perceptive
faculties as class, than our more
favored citizens of the weather. East,
nor that any greater benevolence
actuates our actions than would theirs
were a: :ie e in a similar situation. We
recognize the fact that the adherents
of single gold standard are citizens
OF the same country as ourselves.
That the spectators, and bankers of
Wall Street, are also Americans.
That we mean no disrespect to
bond holders, and mortgage owners
as men and fellow citizens we
speak of them as the money power"
wall Street." ''Shylock" and other
pet names chronicled in our literature.
1t is not because we are so much
better than they that we insist upon
a Legislation more just and equable
than that, that has characterized the
acts of congress, 10 these many years.
Were we money lenders instead of
borrowers. were we bond holders in
stead of bond givers, were we Shy
locks instead of Antonios then I'M
doubtedly we also would have kept
quiet, and slyly chuckled as our
bonds and our mortgages, our gold
and currency, and the purchasing
power of our incomes was doubled
and quadrupled 1t is human nature
to want to get something for nothing,
to double our receipts, with no cor
responding equivalent for such re-
ceipts. So think not that we lay
claim to any greater virtue than be-
longs to the banker and the capitalist.
Stern necessity has compelled us to
open our eyes, and We see the la
mentable results following prejudi-
cial legislation.
We demand equality, as far an
opportunity for the lender as for the
borrower. Should we, because we
have the power, SO legislate that
equally unjust enactments should be
made in favor of the debtor class as
have been made in favor of the mon
eyed class, such enactments could not
stand because injustice and wrong
can never be concealed. they belong
not in the attributes of the Creator
nor will He allow them to remain in
His universe. But based as we be-
lieve upon the eternal principles of
right and justice and equality we
make the demands for legislation
that will enable debtor to pay his
debt in currency of the same value
as that which he borrowed, and not
over twice or thrice that value, that
will enable the creditor to be paid IN
a currency of the same value as that
he loaned, and not one whose pur-
chasing power has been diminished
by two or three. We believe that a
general distribution of the wealth of
the country IS far preferable to its
boarding IN the hands of few, and
abject poverty of the many.
We believe that the United States
should be nation of homes owned
by Its millions of citizens, and not an
aristocracy of landlords and herd of
mental tenants. We believe that the
general good is paramount to individ-
ual wishes, we believe that the gem
eral intelligence, the general pros
perity and happiness of people are
to be sought and legislated for. than
that any individual class should be