The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-09-30


Mr.. HOAR. And more than the whole
country had when the Constitution was
framed.
Mr.. INGALLS,. Yes-and as the SEN
ator from Massachusetts well observes,
and 1 thank him for the suggestion -
much more, many times more than the
entire wealth OF the country when it was
established and founded. Four hundred
persons possess 100000 each, 1000
possess $35,0O0,O00 each, 1000 possess
$2,O0O,OOO each, 5000 people $1,O00OOO
each, making total of 1000 people who
possess $36,250,000,000.
Mr.. President, it is the most appalling
statement that ever fell upon mortal ears.
1t is, so far as the results of democracy
as social and political experiment are
concerned, the most terrible commentary
that was ever recorded in the books of
time - and Nero iddes while Rome burns.
1t is thrown off with laugh and sneer
"as the froth upon the beer" of our
political and social system. AS 1 said
the assessedyaluation recorded in the great
national ledger, standing to our credit, is
about $50, O00,000,000. Our population is
81, 100000; and by some means, by some
device, by some machination, by some
incarnation, honest or otherwise, by some
process that cannot be defined, less than
two thousandth part of our popula-
ton have obtained possession land have
kept out of the penitentiary in spite of
the means they adopted to acquire it) of
more than One-half of the entire accumu-
lated wealth of the country.
NOT THE WORST.
That is not the worst, Mr.. President
1t has been largely acquired by men who
have contributed little to the material
welfare of the country, and by processes
that | do not care in appropriate terms
to describe by the wrecking of the for
tunes of innocent men, women and chill
dren; by jugglery, by book keeping, by
financiering, by what the Senator from
Ohio calls Speculation" this process
is going on with frightful and constantly
acceerating rapidity. The entire indus
try of this country is passing under the
control of organized and confederated
capital More than fifty of The accessories
of life today, without tUhich the cabin of
the Turner and the miner cannot be lighted
on his children fed or clothed, have passed
absolutely under the control Of SyndicdteS
and trusts and corporations composed Of
spectators, and by means of these com
binations and considerations competition
is destroyed, small dealings are rendered
impossible, competence can no longer be
acquired; for it is superhuous and unnec-
essary to say that if, under system where
the accumulatiOns distributed per capita
would be less than $1,000, $1,000 persons
obtained possession of more than half of
the accumulated wealth of the country, it
is impossible that others should have a
competence or an independence. So it
happens, Mr.. President, that our society is
becoming rapidly stratified, almost hope
lessly stratified, into condition of super
fluously rich and helplessly poor. We are
accustomed to speak of this as the land
of the free and the home of the brave.
u tUiU soon be The home of the rich and the
land of the SLAVE,
1t is no wonder, Mr. President, that the
laboring, industrial and agricultural classes
of this country, who have been made in
telligent under the impulse of universal
education, have at last awakened to this
tremendous condition ana are inquiring
whether or not this experiment has been
successful and, sir, the spectators must
beware. They have forgotten that the
conditions, political and social, here are
not reproduction of the conditions I'M
der which these circumstances exist in
other lands. Here is no dynasty; here is
no privilege, or caste, or prerogatiye;
here are no standing armies; here are no
hereditary bondsmen, but every atom in
our political system is quick, instinct, and
endowed with life and power His ballot
at the box is the equivalent of the ballot
of the richest Spectator. Thomas Jeffer-
son, the great apostle of modern democ-
racy taught the lesson to his followers,
and they have profted we'll by his instruc-
ton, that, under a popular democratic
representative government, wealth, cul'
ture, intelligence, were ultimately nc
match for numbers.
JUST BUT JEALOUS.
The numbers in this country, Mr.. Presi.
dent, have learned at last the power OF
combination, and the spectators should
not forget that while the people of this
country are generous and just, they are
Jealous also, and that when discomfort
changes to resentment, and resentment
passes into evaporation, one volume Of
a nations history is closed and another
will be opened.
Mr.. President, the cotton product Of
this country, believe, is 100000 bales.
Mr.. BUTLER. Seven million bales.
Mr.. INGALLS,. Seven million bales,
am told The transactions of the New
York Cotton Exchange are 100000
bales, representing transactions specula
tive, profitable and remunerative, by which
some of these great aocumulations have
been piled up, an inconceivable burden
upon the energies and industries of the
country. The production of coal oil,
believe, in this country, has averaged
something like 100000 barrels in a
year. The transactions of the New York
Petroleum Exchange, year by year, aver.
age 2,000,000,000 barrels, fictitious, simu
lated, the instruments Of the gambler and
the Spectator, by means Of which, through
an impost upon the toll and labor and in.
dustry of every laborer engaged in the
production of petroleum, additional diff
culties are imposed. 1t is reported that
the coal alone that is mined in Pennsyl.
vania, indispensable to the comforts Of
millions of men, amounts in its annual
product to about $40,0O0,0O0, of which
one.third is profit over and above the cost
of production and fair return for the
capital invested. That is Speculation,
Mr.. President, and every dollar over and
above the cost of production with a fair
dollar of that fifteen or sixteen millions, il
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