Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-11
The Evening Session.

| The evening session. which was devoted
! entirely TO speeches on Alliance principles
and matters, was called TO order promptly
at $50. W. l.. McGaughey OF Austin, Land
| commissioner Of the state, was introduced
| and spoke as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS AL great periods OF
| prosperity in a nations history have prime
causes that can be reverted to as evidences
/ of such prosperity, and vice versa, all OPP
/ pressiye times in nations history can be
! traced TO md!administration, brought ABOUT
either by wickedness or class oppression
There is no great effect without great
! cause. Equal justice TO all, exclusive priv
| leges TO none. Let US look at our country
/ from 1S41 to 1850
Then the people were happy. Plenty
/ abounded in every frugal, Industrious
! household in our broad land. Then the eX-
/ penses of our government ran mp 10 only -
! per capita, or $40 per family; now 1t IS SO
per family eight times more now than in
1860. Ii is true that great changes have
/ come, and our expenses are naturally
/ greater, but not eight times greater. Has
| our circulating medium increased III pro-
/ portion! No, then we had $50 per capita III
| circulation. Now We have less than -
| actually out among the people. 1t Is true,
more money is out of the vaults OF the ma
I tOnal treasury, but one-haf IS held Us I
| reserve and is locked up III state treasures.
etc, leaving not enough at ordinary times
to say that we have money upon which all
wealth is based. We We're happy people
then.
Tho merchant and town people came to
/ the country to borrow money.
l remember when nicely -dreSsed men
would ride out. take supper. Cnat pleas
antlv, partase of frugal meal, notice the
children, make US nice little presents; be
| agreeable generally till after supper. Then
our good mother would get the key 10
fathers secretary. Notes would be signed,
the money cOun ed, re turn trip TO town
made and TO one knew except the family Of
the business transa elton. Eight per cent
per annum was all that was asked. All
prospered. Happy days.
No wonder our fathers occupied seat
near the altar. No hOrlid dreams of forced
sales OF property under the sherifl's ham
mer. No Tam O'Shanrer races for dear
financial existence
On, the pity OF Il man in debt His sleep
is broken his dreams hear no sllvery
rustic of angels wings. no unGGlating calm
of the pillow Of peace, but Nightmares and
horrid specterS with long gaunt fingers
probing an empty pocket-book with threat
ening gestures. Oh, the unhappy debtor,
After night of unrest and mental
anguish he wakes tired and i'll, unfit for
human coInpanionship. He scoldS his tired
and emacated wife, slaps his half clad child
whips his sunken-eyed horse and Ior"etS
his God. Is this man crazy! Ought he TO
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 Suprenely happy as a ma
ton. No mortgages on land. no battle be-
tween capital and labor, no strife between
classes. From 1850 to 1860 farming wealth
increased 1015 per cent per annun, or lob
do,
we not take the lesson ana profit by itl
Please indite that in your memories for
future reference, for by comparison alone
can we arrive at Just conclusions. To lie
plain, the farmers of the United States in
1880 paid taxes on 49, ,5i3,42l worth OF
realty. IN 1860 the farmers paid taxes on
81, Us. 045, 007 over double Wonderful in
crease in rural wealth 103 per cent in de-
cade. Unprecedented prosperity! Fellow
citizens, there was cause for tbs pros
perity.
The manufacturing interest increased
per cent. All industries of every kind
hourished. No industry of any kind came
under 50 per cent during the era of pros
pcrity from 1850 to 1860. We were the
happiest people in the world | cannot find
where one single farm was on mortgage
record. Money was plentiful and cheap,
and il was worth 100 cents III all markets on
the dollar.
Now, if man succeeds in any Legitimate,
honorable calling, is it reasonable 10 sup
pose that he viii quit that occupation and
try something in which he has no expe-
riences 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 al down in some untried crop. say
buckwheat or beets3
Take lesson right here. We Were once
money for all legitimate purposes Let US
examine our present condition, compare II
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
wrlnkled brow present. Have you any
money! The last harvest of cotton was I'M
mense. Millions came to our sunny South
land 10 move these millions of bales Of cot
ton. Where is that now' Echo answers,
in hollow tones, Where!
We made 100 600 bales of cotton last
year, worth so per bale, amounting 20
the enormous sum of $500. O0O. coo oue-third
of all the money now in the United States
Where is that $500, 600 gone Why are
there not more Alliance men here to-day.
Because they have no money to pay the ex-
penSeS of the trip
Seventeen millions are said by StdtiSticiaDs
to be our share of the billion now in circu-
state, but it is locked up in banks, put away
IN half-worn stockings and III your state
treasury. Seventeen million out among the
people | doubt that we have half that
amount now loose. That reminds me of q
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, Can't YOU
congratulate the entire administration
Your treasurer has every dollar of the
states money, your attorney general is
winning laurelS daily for your state. The
siding and switch case has returned over
i,0O0,e0 acres of land to your school do
main. Why not congratulate all!
The governor has gone back on us. -
That reminds me that we have the rich
est cheap land in the world and on forty
years time. II produces more wheat than
Prussias alluvial plains, but it only brings
20 cents per bushel: cotton is only worth =.
cents per pound. How significant There
is cause for all these woes. Can We find
it, We will See.
Every man of nearly every profession
and calling will agree that something is
wrong somewhere. All will say We
haven't money enough to meet the pressing
demands Of our increasing business and oui
increasing means for business The
banker says not enough OF money: the
merchant says not enough. The farmer
cries, truthfully so, not enough. Every
congressman from Texas says, give the
people more money. What kind of money
Like the old maid who wanted to marry
come anybody, Lord-any kind is better
than none. Give us all the gold we dig up.
Give US all the silver dug up in the United
:. trflA is