Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-16
The Evening Session.


entirely 10 speeches on Alliance principle
and matters, was called TO order prompt,
at $40. W. L. McGaughey of Austin. lanc
commissioner of the state. was introduced
and spoke as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: All great periods o
prosperity IN nations history have prin,
causes that can be reverted to as evidences
OF such prosperity, and vice versa, all Oh
presSlve times in a nations history can bt
traced 10 maladnlinistration, brought about
either by wickedness or class oppression
There IS no great effect without great
cause. Equal justice 10 all, exclusive priv
leges TO none. Let US look at our country
from 1917 to 1860
Then the people were happy. Plenty
abounded in every frugal, industrious
household IN our broad land Then the ex
penseS OF our government ran up TO only 3
per capita, or $40 per family; now il Is sSa
per family, eight times more now than IN
1850. II IS true that great changes have
come, and our expenses are natural '
greater but not eight times greater. Has
our circulating medium increased IN pro-
portion! No, then we had so per capita IN
circulation. Now We have less than 50
actually out among the people. Il is true,
| more money is out OF the vaults of the ma
! tional treasury. but One-half is held as 4
! reserve and is locked up in state treas urics,
| etc, leaving not enough at ordinary times
to say that we have money upon which all
wealth is based We were happy people
then.
The merchant and town people came TO
| the country to borrow money.
] remember when nicely dressed men
| would ride out. take supper, chat pleas
| antly, partake of frugal meal. notice the
children, make Us nice little PRESENTS be
| agreeable generally till after supper Then
| our good mother would set the key to
| fathers secretary. Notes would be signed.
| the money coun ed, a re turn trip to town
| made and no one knew except the family of
the business transaction. Eight per cent
! per annum was all that was asked All
prOspered. Happy days.
No wonder our fathers occupied a seat
near the altar. No horrid dreams of 70 red
sales of property under the sherif's ham
| mer No Tam O'Shanter races for ar
financial existence
Oh, the pity of a man in debt His sleep
is broken-his dreams hear no sIivery
rustic OF angels wings, no undulating calm
of the pillow of peace, but Nightmares and
horrid specterS with long gaunt fingers
probing ali empty pOcket-booll with threat
ening gestures. Oh, the unhappy debtor,
After night of unrest and mental
anguish he wakes tired and i'll. unfit for
human companionship. He scolds his tired
and emaciated wife, slaps his half clad child
whips his Sunken-eyed horse and fOrgets
his God. Is This mau craZy2 Ought he 70
be sent TO the asylum for safe keeping. No
he ought TO be put in the calaboose for not
using every feasible effort in human power
to bring back the halcyon days of our
fathers
Then we were Supremely happy as ma
ton. No mortgages on Land, no battle be-
tween capital and labor. no strife between
classes. From 1850 to 1850 farming wealth
increased l073 per cent per annum, or 1903
pcr cent in ten yearS-oyer doubled. Can
n r.prI h,vjt
Please indite that in your memories for
future reference, for by comparison alone
can we arrive at Just conclusions. To be
plain, the farmers Of the United States in
1886 paid taxes on s3,27l ,515, 42l worth OF
realty. In 1860 the farmers paid taxes on
S6,6i5. Us, COZ, over double. Wonderful in
crease in rural wealth 1903 per cent 70 de-
cade! Unprecedented prosperity! Fellow
citizens. there was a cause for this pros
perity.
The manufacturing interest increased
per cent. All industries OF every kind
fiourished. No industry of any kind came
under so per cent during the era of pros
perity from 1850 to 1850 We were the
happiest people IN the world. l cannot find
where one single farm was on mortgage
record. Money was plentiful and cheap,
and it was worth 100 cents in all markets on
the dollar
Now, if . man succeeds in any legitimate
pose that he will quit that occupation and
try something in which he has no expe-
rience! If he should make all the money he
needs by planting corn and wheat, have
everything around him that heart could
wish, would it not be very foolish for him
TO sow all down in some untr+ed crop, say
buckwheat or beetS?
Take lesson right here. We were once
happy, once prosperous, out of debt. had
money for all legitimate purposes. Let US
examine our present condition, compare it
with the past and learn a lesson for life.
No sane, reading man can congratulate
himself upon the condition of our country
to-day; Hard times is read in every
wrnkled brow present. Have you any |
money! The last harvest of cotton was i'm |
mense. Millions came to our sunny South |
land to move these millions of bales of cot |
ton. Where is that now2 Echo answers, |
IN hollow tones, Where
We made 800, 600 bales of cotton last |
year. worth s45 per bale, amounting TO |
the enormous sum of $500 COO, 900, one-third |
of all the money now in the United States.
Where IS that $500. 600, 900 gone! Why are
there not more Alliance men here tO-day2 |
Because they have no money TO pay the eX-
penscs of the trip.
Seventeen millions are said by statisticians
to be our share Of the billion now in circu-
latiou. There is more than that in the
=
IN half-worn stockings and in Your state
Seventeen million out among the
people I doubt that we have half that
amount now loose That reminds me of
conversation that was had while the farm
ers held their great meeting at Waco.
An old friend of long standing congratu- |
lated your humble servant on his success in
the land Office. l asked him, Cant YOU
congratulate the entire administration?
l our treasurer has every dollar Of the
state 5 money, your attorney general is
laurels daily for your state The
siding and switch case has returned over
l,UOO,NO acres of land TO your school DO
nam. Why not congratulate ALL
he governor has gone back on US
l nat reminds me that we have the rich
est cheap land in the world and on forty
Years time. 1t produces more wheat than
t'rusSla's alluvial plains but it only brings
1O cents per bushel: cotton is only worth Z
'ents per pound. How significant There
S cause for all these woes. Can we find
Il We will see.
Every man of nearly every profession
,nd calling will agree that something is
wrong somewhere. AL will say I'VE |
lavan I money enough to meet the pressing
lem ands of Our Increasing business and our
Increasing means for business" The
BANKER says not enough Of money; the
merchant says not enough. The farmer
'fes, truthfully so. not enough. Every |
congressman from Texas says, give the |
people more money. What kind of money,
Ike the old maid who wanted to MARY .
ONE anybody, Lord-any kind is better
nan none. Give US all the gold we dig up |
i've US all the silver dug up in the United