The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-09

A day or two ago the MORNING NEWS
called attention 10 some of the incorrec'
statements made by Mrs. Lease, the Kansas
woman who delivered an address at the
Georgia Chautauqua in the early part u
last week, and pointed out that sucu STATES
ments do a great deal Of HARM o7'ause
they mislead the people ana
make them disconnected. If reported
correctly Mrs. Lease stated tha1 the
amount of currency in circulation was
only S. OF par capita According 10 tne
! s,cratsrv Of the Treasury, the amount Is
s2s 81 mar capita. Mrs Lease also stated
tbo, che circulation in 1856 was S54 per
cspita. The treasury report SHOWS tnas
,her. never was any such an amount II cir
cuI..ion. The greatest amount that was
arar in circulation was S24 10 per capita.
and that amount was In circulation Jan.
! last Mrs. Lease attempted to show that
there had been q great contraction OF the
currency. and that the hard times from
which the farmers were suffering were due
to H. Her argument would have failed
utterly had she stated the truth relative to
the amount Of currency 10 circulation.
But Mr.. ingalls,, WHO also delivered an
address at the Georgia Chan;auqua last
week, ought not to make misleading state
ments. He has not the excuse OF ignorance.
He describes himself as a Statesman out Of
job" IT, as he asserts, he is a statesman,
he ought to be familiar with the history of
the country. If he undertakes to instruct
the people he ought to keep as close to the
truth as be can.
In a recent address he said: NINETY years
ago in this country the richest man was
George Washington, our first President
The estimated amount Of his wealth aggre-
day that scores of men have annual in
comes that largely exceed that Of the
richest man in the country ninety years
ago. One man, at whose touch everything
seems TO turn to gold, has monthly reve-
nue. larger than Gen. Wsshington's total
wealth. At that time, ninety years ago,
there was not a millionaire. a tramp or
pauper In the country. Most of this great
transformation has occurred within the last
forty years. To the great mass OF the peo-
pie life is but hopeless toll that prevents
them from seeing wife and children by day
light and leaves them an old age OF hope
less mendicancy." Mr.. Ingalls, boldly as
serted that there we're no tramps in the ooun-
try in Washington's time aud he sought to
leave the impression that the condition
of the common people was much better then
than now. While it is not the purpose
nor the desire Of the MORNING News to APP
prove the accumulation of vast fortunes.
and while it docs not hesitate to say that
the ownership of SO large share Of the
wealth of the country by few persons is
inimical to the public welfare, it questions
the statement of Mr.. Ilgalls that the ma
terial condition Of the masses was better 10
Washington's days than it is at
present. The Sun Of Thursday
published a letter which contained
the following: There are, to be sure,
greater individual fortunes to-day than
there were ninety years ago, but it is
equally true that the condition Of the work
ingman has correspondingly improved. The
pay Of the mechanic and the laborer is so to
100 per cent. greater; their hours Of labor
are fewer, their opportunities for self-im-
provement, for acquiring homes, for ac-
cum1lating wealth are multiplied enorm-
ously. And, proportionately to the
population, there were more tramps and
there was more pauperism ninety years ago
than now. No able bodied man to-day is
tramp or a pauper unless from choice.
There is work for all. The demand for
laborers exceeds the supply. All through
the east farmers are Offering $500 TO $500
per year, with board aud lodging, for farm
help. and through the agricultural regions
OF the west fears are expressed of serious
loss in harvesting the enormous crops
through lack of hands"
The writer of the foregoing letter is prob
ably much better Informed than Mr.. Ingalls,
the condition of the working
people ninety years ago. He has taken the
trouble to inform himself about it, and Mr..
Ing Ais probably did not. 1t looks as if the
latter, In order to strengthen the point he
was making, ventured a hap-hazar1 asser-
ton, not caring whether it was true or not,
but expecting that no one would question
its truth. II this view is correct it is prob
ably good thing for Kansas
that Statesman ingalls, is out
of job. Perhaps there would
not be profound regret If both Mr. Ingalls,
and Mrs. Lease should confine their plat
form efforts TO Kansas, where reckless asser-
tions appear to have brought about rather
chaotic condition Of affairs without having
benefited the people.