Omaha daily bee., 1890-09-17
Van WYckat Pierce.

PIERCE, Neb., Sept. 16.-[Specal to The
BEE. l-Ex.Senatcr q. II. Van Wyck de-
hvered the address of the day at the Pierce
county fair this afternoon. There was
large crowd in attendance. Among other
things Mr.. Van Wyck said;
Your gathering is not only for pleasure and
social intercourse. but also for Improvement,
to determine the best treatment of the soil,
to secure the greatest product to improve
the stock by breeding and feeding, to save
labor by machinery.
Still the most important object, and which
has the least of your attention, is the return
in money for all your toll of hands and anx.
ety of mind. Here you encounter dark
and unknown land, which the lowly railroad
manager, the polished option gam bier, the
financial slightof-band expert and the
smooth-tongued operator bids you not to
enter Tkis they claim as their domain They
meet you at the border, graciously take
your grain hogs and cattle, pay what suits
their pleasure or greed, always but little be-
yond actual cost of production, while they
become mllionaires. Every year your con.
ditiou becomes less prosperous. You evil
dCntly are not Of those who believe borrow
ing money at per cent a month and placing
mortgages on farms is evidence Of thrift and
enterprise.
1t may not be very consolIng that you ara
in part the cause of the present depression,
by neglectiug the discharge of your poll teal
duties. The only benefit from this reflection
is to impel you to do something and at once.
Elect a legislature which viii make an hon.
est and effective uSury law. one that Will for
felt principal as well as interest and make its
violation criminal Offense. Let the peniten-
tiary ''gates aiar'' for those who commit thd
crime of rObbing their fellOwmGn by usuriOuS
interest. Then wiring the water out Of stocks
and bonds of the railroads. running through
this state, control them by fixing rates that
willmSure fair dividend on the actual cost.
These things can be accomplished by the next
Legislature and will give present relief.
Increase OF money, either silver or legal
tenders, to the necessities of business, may
not be so readily obtained but Commeuc e now
by eecting representatives to congress who
can secure u circulating medium unless
they are at the same time taking
greater concern to secure millions TO
the silver owners without the cost
of q dollar to them-n fact, Iegislating an in
crease in the price of that metal The de-
mands of the people for more currency were
of little avail except as pressed by the exer-
tiOn of the silver syndicate, and then only to
enhance the market price of silver bullion.
Without the pospect of certainty of gain to
them the silver bill had never passed.
Had congress desired merely to benefit
the people, that was more effectualy accom-
plshed by issuing grCenbacks which were
equal in value to gold, not tiuctuatiug rs sill
ver declared constitutional by the United
States supreme court, but that would not add
millions to the silver syndicate.
You want something practical and now
mere theories of farOff execution will be o Z
no avail for present emergency. Don I
wait with the fond expectation Of the govern
ment lOauing money TO every person at per
cent per anuum, You may start of with tho
proposition of granting that favor specially
| to producers, but before becoming a Law IL
| will embrace the entire people, This is far
! away vision, for it Will be necessary to secure
the lower house OF congress, the senate, tho
| president, and finally the su prene court. To
| benefit the present generation is the pressing
| need. 1t will require years TO control the
| government TO tho extent OF even taking pos
| session Of a bankrupt railroad for which IL
| furnished tho means and credit 70 build,
| openly plunderiug the people By cXtortioEate
| rates, bidding defiance to the claims of gov
| eminent while making princely fortunes for
| its owners.
Let us then provide for the stern present.
| Comforting fancics will give pleasing thought
| while they last and we fear that will oe as
brief as the eXhilirating fumes TO the opium
| smoker, who, during the dream, enjoys the
| elixir OF all the happiness of the orient II
will answer aS preparatory condition for
| the coming millennium gl0ricS or the Oedtltudei
| of Bellamy. But we want something for this
generation. Let US first gather what il
| within reach.
While seeking to wrest from banks tho
! special privileges congress grants let US cast
| INC llOlf Oul u OIl ONl NNt7 ~ ILAdHE4Lli !
the state laws 50 that money shall not u
| wruug from the people before it can be used,
| apparently for the ONLY purpose Of allowing
| ths state treasurer TO do what the United
| States government IS lug-giyiug certain
| banks, not all banks, special favoH, where by
| the banks mako thousands and the state
I treasurer makes thousands beyond his salary,
and the people frequently paying per cent a
| month.
AL this is within reach. Why not do itl
| Except every party, no matter how newly
born, is willing its own friends II in oftica
shall help the work OF plunderiug the people.