People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-07-29


passed by Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth,
Chattanooga, Mission Ridge, Atlanta,
the Wilderness, Richmond and Get
tysburg- passed them all and
we were still alive; the Union army
saved and the flag honored through
out the whole earth.
Without a star cut from its blue
field, what glorious day it was and
how we'll life did seem to us worth
living then, didn't it? | never have
seen the sun shine with the same
brilliancy as it did then in my life,
nor has life ever seemed to me so
well worth living as it did that day
The memories rush into our minds
long gone by, still within our grasp,
and now with all these sacred memo
ries rushing upon our minds, I want
to ask this audience some plain ques-
tions. [ believe in the old method
of teaching by questions and
answers, and am going to ask this
audience some questions and will
answer them for the purpose of prov
ing before your minds the exact con,
dition of the country to- day. How
many people had we in the Northern
States when the war closed? Let
me say that no man can fail to un-
derstand this upheaval to-day if he
answers these questions | am going
to answer. How many people had
we in the Northern States when the
war closed? Less than twenty five
millions of people, but call it twenty.
five millions for the sake of round
numbers. How many people in the
South at the close of the war? Less
than ten millions, but call it ten.
Thirty-fve millions all told, both
North and South.
The next question | want to ask is
this: What was the financial con-
dition Of the country when the war
closed, in the Northern States? Why
[ have one hundred witnesses to- day,
men who were alive and engaged in
business at that time, and who tes
tify with one voice that the answer
| will give now is the correct one.
You never knew in your lives since
as good times as there were then.
Times were proverbially good, the
price of all products was high
money was plenty and the people
were out Of debt and were paying
for what they bought in cash. That
was the rule.
Now, what was the condition of
the people in the South? Why,
they were trodden down by the two
armies; their property was de-
troyed; they had nothing left but
the water, and the air, and the land
they didn't even have fences upon
their plantations, for you, comrades,
will recollect we always took the top
rail, and they were Inundated be-
sides. The prosperity that I speak
of was confined to the Northern
States.
The next question I ask is this
Where was the money that was in
circulation when the war closed :
Was it confined to the Northern or
Southern States, or distributed
among both? 1t was all up North
it was among the 25,0OO,0OO of peo-
Pile; the South had no money
Whatever money we had, whatever
kind we had, was evidently in circu-
lation among the Northern people,
the 25,000,000.
The next question I ask, and I will
try and make this plain, what effect
did the close of the war have on the
money in circulation in the North
Let me illustrate it. Suppose [ have
in front of me here to-day two
reservoirs of water; the one on my
left twice as large as the one on my
right; the large reservoir filled full
the small one empty. Now if !
should take down the partition wall
between these two reservoirs, what
becomes of the water? A portion
of the large reservoir flows out to
fill the vacuum in the small reser-
voir; that leaves less in the large
one. When the war closed the
North was the large reservoir and
the South was the little reservoir.
When you pulled down the bar
rier that separated the North and
South, what became of your money
up here? A large part of it had to
flow out to rehabilitate that country
in the South. That left less money
in the North, didn't it? How many
people in the South had no money
Ten millions. Four millions were
black and had never known what
wages were had never known any
thing about the possession of dol
lar except it had been given them
There were ten millions of whites
and blacks down there. Now
want right here to remark that the
worst mistake lady or gentleman