The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-06-05
Orer.Prodlucii0n VS.. COntraction-The
Remedies Discussed.


production VS.. Contraction-The
Remedies Discussed.
Every body, who is at all posted, admits
that there is great depression in agri-
cultural interests, aud that the condition
of The producing and laboring classes
have been steadily growing worse fol
several years; but there is great differ
ence of opinion between the leaders of the
Alliance and the "powers that be" other
wise known rs the capitalistic and specu.
lasing classes, as to both cause and rene.
dy therefore it becomes necessary for ua
10 look into the matter for ourselves, and
briefly review the situation.
As to causes the Alliance is a unit.
Briefly stated, we believe the causes to
be, first, contraction Of currency second,
powers aud privileges given by the gov
ernment to moneyed corporations and
monopolies, that are detrimental to the
interests of the masses of the people.
Some Of tie opposition admit that there
hss been too much contraction of the cir.
culating medium, but all agree that over
production is the great evil.
But let us see.
The wheat crop of 1889, according to
the U. S. Department of Agriculture,
amounted to 490, 100000 bushels, of which
fully 80 million bushels were exported,
leaving 400, ,560, 900 for home consumption.
That amount divided amongst 65 million
people gives each one 61 bushels to keep
life in him for 12 months
Nov take the corn crop. From the same
authority we find it amounted to 2,112,.
$4,000 bushels. We have in the United
States 164 millions of horses and mules to
which was fed at least $50 millions OF
bushels, and we have over 30 millions oi
hogs and to them We fed 750 millions Of
bushels more and we have 100 million
head of cattle and sheep, and we fed to
them $50 million bushels, and in addition
10 all that we exported rs million bush
els. Add all those amounts together and
take it from the amount produced, and
we find that we havn't quite 8 bushels
per capita for bread, and if each inhabi-
tant eats one pound of bread per day be
will not have any to commence the next
year with. The consumption of other
cereals snot enough to materially change
the calculation.
And the people are not as we'll clothed
as they are fed, over-production of cotton
is an inn possibility. The foreign demand
for our staple products is increasing every
year.
No, it is not over production, so much as
under consumption. And why is ii under
consumption Simply because the Gov.
ernment and the money lords have the
money, our medium of exchange, corner.
ed, and that gives their partners in ini.
guilty, the speculators, the powersto force
the producers to sell their crops on q
glutted market, as soou as gathered and
then they SET back and say to the consul
mer: "You must pay US our price for
keeping it Tor you, and the Railroads
their price for hauling it to you; or you
can starye." When we complain of our
situation they make an advisory board of
themselves and tell US to work harder,
live more saving, don't run to town so
much and make better and larger crops,
and we will come out all right, and behold
when we come to sell our crops they turn
right around and tell us we are making
too much, there is an over. production,
the world can't use all that is made.
History does not tell us of single coun-
try that got too rich, or made more than
its people could consume.
The capitalists and speculators are
set of vampires sucking the very life
blood from the people who are the main.
stay of our country, and the Government
is an alder and abetter of the crime. It
presents, or will not provide for, the free
circulation of money, and thereby clogs
business, makes free exchange Of com.
modities impossible, and prevents poor
man from exchanging his capital, which
is his labor, at a fair valuation, for the
means of giving himself and family a
comfortable living and reasonable edu-
cation, which bountiful Providence gives
him q right to expect
Those of our opponents who admit the
evils Of contraction, propose remedy,
and it is well for us to look at their prop
osition carefully. They say that the
government should give tile banks power
to issue money on State, municipal and
certain Railroad bonds, Will that help
the matter any2 The greatest difficulty,
and we might say evil, about our present
financial system, is the channel through
which money has to come from the Gov
ernment to the people; the way it gets
into circulation. Money is paid out of
the Treasury for Government expenses,
public works, pensiona, for interest on
and purchase Of bonds, or it is National
Bank Currency, which is all loaned. So
you see that it is handed down to US by
the Government through the hands of the
Bankers and "bloated bond holders" and
don't forget that each one takes out his
toll as it passes through. Tt is, therefore,
very evident that if the power should be
given to the banks to issue money on
State and other bonds, it wouldn't help
the situation PARTICLE The amount is
sued and the distribution Of it would still
be in their hands; the very principles re
object to.
Now, on the other haad, look at the
ideas of justice and equity between the
citizens of common country, as express
ed in the Sub.Treasury plan. Il proposes
to issue money directly to the people,
without the Intervention of Bankers or
any other corporation. 1t proposes to
issue money, not on the credit of the
government, but on the necessaries Of
life, the true wealth of the country. 1t
proposes to prevent the speculator from
putting the prics on our products and en-
able the producer to value bis own pro-
ductions, as he has perfect right to do.
It proposes to put all citizens, no matter
how humble, on an equal footing, and
give to no man or set of men the right
and power to oppress their fellow.men.
We urge Alliancemen to understand
the causes thoroughly, and study the
remedies carefully, and we will stand to.
gether as unit for the Sub-Treasury
bill until something better, embodying
the same principles, is offered for our
nonui6 orofson