People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-14

policy which / have but briefly out.
lined, and these results may be
gathered up and expressed in the
statement that for thirty years past,
in this great republic, dedicated in
blood to human liberty and the
rights of man, the erich have been
growing richer and the poor poorer"
A million tramps, homeless and
hopeless wanderers, trudge along our
highways and gaze despairingly over
illimltable areas of unused land,
monopolized and withheld from set.
Element by the Spectator, the syndi
cate and the corporation, for the
sake of the ''unearned increment"
that deep and ineffaceable stigma
upon our craftsmanship and civiliza-
ton. For the tramp no flower
blooms, the grass does not grow, and
Mother Earth, with her generous
bosom affords no nourishment. A
fugitive and vagabond, no human
sympathy follows him as he flies
from the face of his fellow man, only
to find rest when crime forces him
within prison walls or the grave
opens to receive his wasted and
wearied body. But the tramp is
fortunate in at least one respect-he
has found his way out of the cities
into the country, where beggary
may prolong his useless existence.
Thousands of poor in our cities are
ess fortunate. 'sIn New York 49,
600 working women are so poorly
paid that they must accept charity,
sell their bodies or starve. In one
precinct twenty-seven murdered ba-
bies were picked up, six in vaults"
In California girls are paid wages
ranging from SLIP to $1.90 per
week. "In the sweating establish.
ments of Chicago" says the Sociolo-
gic News, ''the wages paid girls and
women range from 81 to $5@a week,
dishonor or death being made ne
cessity." The same authority says:
''The average wages paid street car
drivers in Ohio is $1.53 per working
day Of twelve hours and thirty-fve
minutes. The average pay of men
in street car stables is $1.37 a day,
working eleven hours and quarter.
In the Pennsylvania mining
regions the minersl receive $178.40
year. Out of this pittance they
pay to the mining companies for the
novels they occupy 40 per cent of
the value of the howell"
But here is another picture. There
are 100000 mortgaged homes in
the United States. In the last de-
cade tenant farmers have increased
in number In Kansas more than 20
per cent and more than IL per cent
in Ohio. Texas alone had, a few
years ago, 66,465 tenant farmers,
leading all of the producing States
except Illinois.
I have alluded to the decline in
prices. This will strikingly appear
from the following comparison of
prices by decades
From 1860 to 1870, average price of wheat
per bushel, $199
From 1870 to 1880, average price of wheat
per bushel, 81 80.
From 1880 to 1885, average price of wheat
per bushel, $1.07.
Price at this time 80 cents.
From 1860 to 1870, average price of corn
per bushel, 96 cents.
From 1870 to 1880, average price of corn
per bushel, IS cents.
From 1880 to 1889, average price of corn
per bushel, As cents.
Price at this time, 80 cents.
In 1870 wheat brought $12.76 per
acre; in 1890, $500; loss per acre,
$4.16. Corn brought in 1870,
$18.75; in 1890, 1913; loss per
acre, $10.02. Rye brought per acre
in 1870, $19.75; in 1890, 1925; loss
per acre, $12.18. Cotton brought
per acre in 1870, $32 in 1890, 1896;
loss per acre, 1894. In like man
ner it may be shown that there was
loss on barley of $12.57 and on
oats of 1919. The aggregate loss
on these crops will run up to many
hundred millions, but falling prices
and shrinking values only affect the
farmer, the laborer, the artisan, the
producer and the worker. The
bondholder still clips his coupons
and draws gold from the treasury,
the banker to the same pleasing per-
Torrance adds the taking increased
usury and the manufacturer still
holds his clutch on the market by
means of the protection against COM
petition, which compliant govern
ment gives him. As a result society
is rapidly dividing itself into two
cIasses-the very rich and the very
poor. Look at this statement, COM
piled by most accurate and consci-
entious statistician, of the wealth of
the United States:
200 people are worth, S 1000, 100000
400 people are worth, 1900, 100000
1000 people are worth, 5000, 0O0,00
$500 people are worth, ,250,000,000
1000 people are worth, 1000, 100000
90, 900 people are worth, 10000, 000,000
81, 100 people are worth $36, $50, 100000