The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-03-04
TAKEN FROM CENTURY"
Some Good "Pointers" Cleaned from q
Pluto Magazine.


j. R. Dodge has an article in the
of Century on The Discomfort
the Farmers" He acknowledges
that the last straw" came last year
when farm products found their lowest
level at Liverpool The purchase of
wheat in India with silver and its sale
in England for gold. gave an advan-
tage to the Eastern empire [rather to
the money fakirs = Express] which
brought out all its surplus grain. u
The most impulsive ana aggressive
sought relief mainly in political action.
in increase of monetary circulation,
destruction of national banks. free
coinage of silver, the issue of bonds at
a nominal interest on security of crops
and lands, and similar measures for
cheapening money and making it
abundant in every mans pocket not
after the manner recommended by
Franklin.
There's where the man shows his
ignorance says the Chicago Sentinel
Franklin made special pllgrimages to
England to plead with the besotted
SOSCA nAAOAG AOU W l1hO dW dJ OuT pa
per money founded on land values.
The principal cause of the revolution
was England's brutal destruction of
that money.
The writer inclines to the peoples
side and says all that he dares of the
truth that he has, Only half truths
rubbed down with brick. sand-pa-
ha
those aristocratic magazines. So the
article is not of much value. But here
are few passages that imply more
than they express:
The sub-treasury plan Of the Alliance
IS form of crop mortgage by the gov
eminent at two per cent instead of ten
to twenty naturally growing out of
the prevalent and ancient custom of
crop liens and therefore more popular
even in the South than government
land mortgage.
They are beginning to object to the
exemption OF taxation on large
of real values OF real property owned
by religious and charitable organiza-
tons; and are keenly alive to the in
justice advocated by many in cities of
concentrating all taxations upon farms
and town lots. that the increasing pro-
portion of personal wealth the bulk of
the property of millionaires may
escape taxation altogether.
Many deplore the old-time policy of
giving Western lands to foreign as
we'll as to native settlers, and espe-
cially that which enables wealth to
monopolize the best lands at nominal
prices, and the encouragement OF rail-
road extension by loans sufficient to
build the roads and land grants worth
as much more.
They dislike the rebates and special
conditions by which favored operators
can crowd the multitude of freighters
off the track.
They regard prevailing rates of in
terest established when money was
dearer than at present as too high.
On the Pacific the people hold and
the states affirm. that the water be-
longs to the state and goes with the
land; that it cannot be seized by indi-
vidual or corporation, monopollzed
and doled out to cultivators for a
price
Farmers realize their dependence
upon the railroad as a highway to
their markets. while Directing to SUBJ
mission to the power of the highway
man.
In the arid regions without crops
or people, roads have been extended,
even paralleled. not by aid OF local
money. which may not exist but by
funds from the East and from Europe.
It is held and believed that in many
instances this money is. turned over to
construction companies who make
large profits on small mileage.
The price of franchise and con-
struction. blackmail and ALL is then
capitalized. and the public is taxed in
perpetuity to pay interest. through in
creased freight charges, on the fruits
of such cupidity.
1t is discrimination. tergiversation,
favoritism, individual injustice. that
are deplored and CONDEMNED, far more
than the average rate of compensation
demanded by the service.
Another cause of injury to agricul-
ture. Farmers of thoughtfulness and
acumen realize as the cause and basis
of most Of these evils and of others
not here enumerated. the disposition
prevelant among all classes to live
without work. Ito live by their wits"
The numbers living by speculation
are large in every city. There is no
form OF property. personal or real.
that escapes their attention. In real
estate, city lots suburban acres, mill
SITES water privileges; in country
realty, farms, forests orchards and
gardens; mining properties, quarries.
petroleum wells natural gas; in per-
sonal property, shares and bonds in
railroads. banks gas and electric
light works. patents and manufacture
ing plants; in these and in multitude
of schemes impossible here to enum-
crate. for organizing. promoting and
booming values real or imaginary.
speculation is rife.
1t is by such devices. in all the
walks OF business. that the city fathers
amass SO much of the wealth they
leave their children who follow in
their footsteps avoiding and despis-
ing labor, and helping by precept and