The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-01
CITY NEWS AND GOSSIP.
President E~dgerton, Of the Second
National, Talks on Montana's
Financial Strength.
His Views on Silver and tho Prob
Ions Which Disturb Bus
ness.
Northern Pacific and Great Northern's Ell.
forts to Advertise tho states Re-
10 urcss-ssAl Estate Matters.

"Montana is all right" said Mr.. u. D.
Edgerton, president Of the Second National
bank, yesterday. "Timcs have been bad all
over the country the past two or three
month";, but Montana has suffered but little
compared with other sections. And Mon
tana will recuperate just ten times as fast
as the balance of tho country. Gu great
industry il mining, and 10 long as this
continues to be the case, while financial
storms may shake IL a little, their effects
will be felt only for a little while. In my
opinion the great trouble with US as a ma
ton ia our disposition to run to extremes,
and the ease with which every financial
scheme. no matter how visionary. can draw
large numbers to advocate II. ! am heartily
in favor OF free silver coinage, il limited to
American production or if we can get the
European nations to join with ms in the
movement. l believe the opposition in the
east is not 80 much to the simple principle
of the free c0inags Of silver rs it 10
the fear that the country will 90 to
other extremes and follow up free coinage
with the enactment of the views of vision
aries into laws. Another problem which
is disturbing business is the full effect the
present farmers alliance movement will
have on the policy of the United States.
The inanciers of Europe are watching the
movement closely, and until they are sure
it will not be strong enough to suddenly
turn the country upside down, the English
and German capitalists will be ohary about
putting their money in the United States.
In his speech before the recent convention
OF the farmers alliance, Presidents Powers
advocated the loaning of money by the
government to farmers, either without
interest or at a very low rate. It would be
equally as just for the treasury department
to issue rations or 80 many
suits of clothes a year to the
workers in the cities. l know the lot
of thousands of people in the country is hard
but the giving Of bounties will not
remedy this. OF late years it has be-
come the fashion to look to the government
for relief Or help every time an i'll wind
blows. In some cases aid should be given;
but what We, Us a people, need to remem-
Der is that. giving a man health, industry,
gobriety and a correct life will place him
where he will have no need of state or
national aid. Trusts and monopolies,
which are as bad in their way RS the aims
of the Missionaries, should be limited in
their operations. When a trust becomes
so strong that it can defy and Cypress the
the public it should be beheaded. But laws
should be made which would prevent these
combinations of capital ever becoming so
powerful as to require such summary
measures.
.'Ths Argentine Republic tried a scheme
similar TO that advocated by Mr.. Powers.
That country is one of the richest in the
world in national resources. 1t issued or
guaranteed $4,000 600 bonds, secured by
real estate. The country's credit was
good In England and the Eng
lish took most of the secur-
tiles. The banks lof the republic we're.
at the time this loan was made, in a most
prosperous condition, having capitals I'M
ming from $5.000.0O0 to 100000 900, with
proportionately large deposits. You know
the result of the experiment. The invest
ment was a bad one. 1t engendered and
produced extravaganza and idle and luxuri-
GUS living generally, probably because those
who were aided in the first place came to
the conclusion that, if needed, more would
come from the same source, and in conse-
quence did not help themselves. Barring
Bros, one of the most solid financial insti-
tutions in the world, was driven to the wall,
English capital was withdrawn from Amer
lea, and here in Montana we to-day are feel
ing the effects of the experiment. of loaning
government money or h is the same
thing-government credlt-to individuals.
But as l said before, Montana, with her
mines, her herds and her tiocks, is all right,
and foreign as we'll as home capitalists are
beginning to realize that we are not visiol-
aries, but the citizens of a commonwealth
whose prosperity is based OF tangible things
gold, silver, copper, lead and coal, and
ID the best country in the world for money
making, either with or without capital.'
The Northern Pacific and Great Northern
railways are making unusual efforts this
year to acquaint the people of the east with
the manifold resources of Montana. The
latest issue of the Northern Pacific in the
shape of literature devoted to Montana is a
little pamphlet entitled Golden Montana
The first edition is $4,000. and the work of
distribution is being actively pushed. The
pamphlet gives just the information desired
by those who are looking for a new loca-
ton. The mining, stock raising and ngri-
cultural resources are concisely covered, the
climate, as shown by government reports, is
touched upon, while the health resorts, fish
ing and hunting sections and the lands
open for settlement are fully set forth. As
particularly desirable to farmers, the land
department of the Northern Pacific issues a
sectional map. of Montana, which is be-
ing widely circulated, in connection
with other literature relating to
the state, through the middle
west and the east. Besides these two pub.
LEGATIONS, devoted especially to Montana,
the Northern Pacific issues a number of
others, in all of which Montana occupies a
prominent place.
The Great Northern is also anxious to do
a good business the coming year in Mon
tana travel, and recently that road issued n
pamphlet devoted to the resources of the
Milk river valley. Montana as a whole, how.
ever. is not overlooked in this publication,
while in others issued by the same company
the great resources of the state are aptly
sat forth.
The Pennsylvania railroad, also, is doing
something towards drawing attention 10
Montana. one of the routes Of the series of
Colder Gate tours being by way of the
Northern Pacific. and includes a stop at
Helena long enough to give the tourists a
chance to see the CITY. This excursion will
prohahlv ba mado mn ~ paoplo - n,~.