The state chronicle., 1891-08-20
little respect for the 'sancient land

little respect for the "ancient land
marks
But who is trying to teach us? l |
heard Col. Polk with great deal
of pleasure not long ago. I listened
earnestly to him. l sought instruc-
ton. What did he say? He was
very eloquent in portraying the
evils, of the times, (but every school
boy knows them,) but did he under
take to show how his plan would
remedy these evils if so, / failed
to catch it. 1t is true he told us
that there was scarcity of money
in the United States (and this is
true) and he told us that if money
was plentiful like it was after the
war cotton would sell for what it
did then, (and this is not true). In
the first place cotton was very
scarce after the war. There was no
manufactured cotton and the sup
ply of manufactured goods was very
scarce. Cotton was as consequence
high. Now there is an enormous
supply of cotton and of cotton
goods.
Again Col. Polk left us under
the impression that the quantity of
money in the United States is what
controls the price of cotton. The
truth is, of course, that the price is
affected by the quantity of money
in the world rather than by what is
in our country. The price of cot
ton it fixed in the markets Of the
whole world, and while / do not
doubt that an enlargement of our
currency. would in some degree
raise the price it certainly would
not very materially affect it. Again
supposing that the Sub-Treasury
should raise the price of cotton
would not this be done by aid of
government, and when the govern
ment makes one man pay more for
what he buys than he would have to
pay without the intervention of gov
ernment is not this class legislation!
Again, l call your attention to
: the fact that the principle of inertia
is very powerful one, both with
q men and nations. This principle
has kept gold and silver as the basis
Of the worlds currency for centuries
OF course this does not make it nee
t essary always to keepit so +; but the
, point | make is this: Ifany change
is made where will it stop? A
q present you propose to stop will
: certain agricultural products. Yol
7 say this will give enough money
a 1t may give you enough but ther
the iron manufacturer might wei
v say, Il have not enough and l wan
: to put my iron which has cost M
more than | can sell it for in tn
- warehouse and draw eighty pc
cent. of its value out until sue
;, time as can sell it for a fair price.
q What answer could you make t.
: : him? You might say to him, 'Oh
y you are rich enough and you ca
:, = stand it, But then his employee
- would come up and clamor for i
7 alleging, and truly too, that if th
- iron-master shuts down they mu:
starve for the reason that they ca
n do nothing else. Upon this pie
20 you would have to yield and so
:, every other class in the countr
:. until the whole business of tt
:. country would be one vast war
house. What then?
is Why simply this: When tt
" farmers have achieved their prese1
t. demands they will disband. | kno
hv you do not believe this-I kno
,;s that it rather vexes you to hear
of said, but it is a fact nevertheless
at Large numbers of the people sea
Of tered over a vast territory may
as brought together and kept togeth
lv for short time under the pressu
mt of adversely and for a specific al
on definite purpose, but when that sk
he cifc purpose is achieved or when
tb temporary prosperity comes they
,os to pieces inevitably and certainl
40 When this time comes, as come
I'D will, the favored classes wv
nd always keep combined, being few
L ofncp q