New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-30
NINE QUEER QUESTIONS.
LEADER WHO BADLY NEEDS TO GO TO
SCHOOL.
WISE REPLIES BY ROSWELL @. HORR ON GOLD
THE TARIFF, PROTECTION. THE CURRENCY
BANKS. RAILROADS. MILLoNNRES
AND TRAMPs-AND MORTGAGES.
(From the Weekly Trlbune)

pounded by leader of the Farmers AIiIdHoo
party who lives at Severy, Kan. Inc queS'onS
are far too long 70 De published in full, ana IL
would take TOO much space to answer all oil '''cSo
wonderful inquiries will, however, copy num-
Der Of them and answer them as 90 on ~
begin with, he says
al IL takes SAL 900 900 to pay the Interest on our
gold bonds each year. and if we DIG only @2-,oVoo'o
OF gold each year. how vii! we nave any eo'U wv "
base our money on ~ 49,.
In 1890 there was mined in the tnltcd States
q little more than $32, 100000 of gold, ont II ~
had been only $l0,00000O 1t would h"No n,'U
no difference in the answer TO this question: Inns
Alliance leader seems 10 forget thaU we nav ~
the United States to-day in circulation anu !" r,'
Treasury little over S7OO,OOo,ooo Oh soiu. ="
also seems ~ forget that the BONDS OF ''' "i,,'
States are now mostly held ana oWh'u W ''
,,ooule Evino in the United States, and wheh the
interest on the bonds is paid to our own Pcopr "
does not in any way either destroy Uhe e"iu VI
take il out of circulation as money ainons o'i wv"
people His question seems to imply 'ha' o'''S
time one paws debt with gold coin such PoN i"oi'
annihates the coin, whereas payment oil ue"'N 10
simply one method OF keeping the com III oii
ton. So long rs we can keep all the Sou nv" i"
use in the United States in cnculatiol' a"" az "'
silver TODAY over $500, 900, 600, we have plenty
of
money The coin is needed for tie purposes Oh
redemption and the problem is to retain as iiiuoi
of it as possible in the United States.
PAYING DUTIES IN GOLD.
Another question is. why was the exception
clause mt on the srecnbacks?" What he means
il this: why did Congress, when IL mace 'ne
greenbacks legal tender for all public ana private
debts. except the payment of duties on lor'ish
imports?' .ho
or course the exception was engraved on 'he
back of the greenbacks because the law so pro-
vided Congress passed such law because WYNN
IL did so out country was engaged III a 'errioie
civil war; our credit nearly ruined ana IL
was almost impossible to borrow money VI any
terms The only way in which the uoNerHinen'
could float its bonds at all was to make the prici
pal and interest payable in com Even Uii'n II
had to promise large rate OF interest Ill oIuVi ~
obtain the money which was required lor 'ne
,,sooss;tes If tbe Government Congress saw lit
70 demand that all people importing goo"S In'o
the United States should pay the duties IN CON- SO
st.. .b Treosurv might have coin with which
to meet the interest on its bonds Inc arranse
ment WIS the very best which could be MADE
1t that time.
The Arrangement was, Of course, expensive 10
tho Nation which was compelled to pay large
interest, but that payment was necessary 10 save
the life of the Nation. The policy was success
ful. and no patriotic man will to-day Oiaihe OoH-
eress for a moment for the honest enor' Which
il made to put down the Rebellion ana save 'lc
Nation. Some people think that II no Such ciauSe
had been added to that law greenDacks "oul"
have remained at par. l do not believe IL. nor
can see how any sane man can so believe lhe
exception was wise one.
WERE SALARIES DOUBLED?
81
"Why were salaries doubled curing ii
Grants Administration
Tbis question il indefinite ! never knew that
the salaries of officials generally were doubled
during Grants Administration Or any other Inc
salary of the President was, however. raised from
$4,000 10 $4,000 a year. and that was SIMPLY
because, owing TO the growth OF the country ana
the expense attendant upon Executive du'les' II
was felt that $4,000 year was none 700 much
for the President Of 80 great nation. oeH'Ne
the increase was wise one, ana sIn fuly sa'~
fed that we pay the President 30 more than we
should. Even at the present rate, the salary Is
far less than that of the Executive OF any other
frst-class nation in any part of the world.
In my Judgment the PRESIDENTS salary Is 10
higher in proportion, when one takes into account
the responsibilities and duties of the office, than
the salaries paid to private citizens in private
MLLIoNAIREs AND TRAMPs.
Apain. this Alliance leader says: 1t is said
that in 1860 there were only two millionaires in
the United States There are now $1,000. In
1860 there were no tramps in this country. There
are now over 100000. Why is this?
II there were only two millionaire in the United
States in 1860, the fact has escaped my observa-
ton. Nv memory is that there were good many
times that number. Does this leader think there
are 81 900 now? Well, there are not shall
have something specific and definite to say on that
subject al an early date. will only say now that
If there are 81 ,000 il is plainly evident that TINS
country has been increasing in wealth enormously
within the last thirty years and that there cOuld
be no more brilliant telling proof OF what Pro-
lection has done for the United States. Million
aires are not possible except in country where
the wages paid to labor are so high that there Is
general comfort and prosperity and resulting
high state Of civilization among the people, where
the people at large can afford TO buy freely OF
manufactured goods and the best food, and where
the lively exchange Of commodities requires great
railroads and steam vessels TO carry the products
Of the people and a great mercantile class 10
exchange them do not know how many mill
ionares there were in 1860, but ! do know that
his statement about tampsT is in no sense true.
What can the man mean by stating that there
were no tramps mo people out OF employment
i'm this country in 1860? There We're never more
people out Of employment in proportion to our pop
ulaton than from 1857 to 1860, ana wages for
those who did work were fearfully low lived
then and worked then, and know what am say
ing Why does he state that there are to-day
ever 100000 tramIs in the United States? There
is not one word Of truth in that statement. As a
rule, the people Of the United States are to-day
well employed and receive good wages There
are few out of work, no doubt. For people
who are willing 10 work, however, there is plenty
TO he done in the twenty one Northern States IN
this Union in which have travelled during the
last two years ! admit that there is now and
then walking delegate, who goes about the coun-
try retailing such trash as this, who is not trying
-. a.u.Linn Tor himself IN do who is not