The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-09-02
HIS STATEMENT UNTRUE.

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1t has been said that the Peoples
party is making an attempt to get
control of the country upon the mis-
fortunes of others. Whether this is
strictly true or not, certain it is that
the leaders are trying to make capital
by gross Misrepresentation. In the
current Arena Senator Kyle, of South
Dakota, writing upon the Pending
Presidential Campaign" says: "We
behold nation rapidly
growing poorer; the concentrations Of
wealth in the hands of the few, and
millions of noble toilers daily paying
tribute" Now the fact of the matter
is we behold nothing of the kind. The
nation is gaining in wealth instead of
growing poorer. And never in history
has the wealth that is being produced
been more widely diffused among the
masses than is the case in this coun-
try today. That fortunes are being
made and wealth being piled upiS true.
The few have done this in all ages,
and while they are so doing today,
the thrifty among the masses are i'm
proving their condition as never be-
fore. We have the testimony of Ed
ward Atkinson, the statistician, that
the workingmani is getting "a steadi-
ly and progressively increasing pro-
portion of constantly increasing pro-
duct" This could not be so if the
country is growing poorer, as Senator
Kyle AYERS.
The report of the Senate Finance
committee confirms the statement of
Mr.. Atkinson, in the report of it's in
vestigation of the workings of the
Mckinley law. One can not move
around anywhere and use his eyes but
that he will see great improvements
that have taken place during the last
twenty years or more, and note people,
who were then in Strengthened cir
cumstances, who now have comfort
able homes, and enjoy many of the
comforts and luXuries of life.
1t is favOrite theme Of the calami
ty bowler that the condition OF the
farmer is rapidly growing worse and
some time ago Ig. Donneily compared
their condition as worse than that of
the slaves previous to the war. Yet
Mr.. Donnelly might search the north
west over and he would fail to find a
farmer willing to improve his condi-
tion by exchanging for place similar
to that occupied by the slave. Curious
it is that if the farmers condition is
worse than il was years ago, he shows
so many evidences of prosperity. A
month or more ago the writer was at
his old home in Wisconsin, and spent
d couple of hours on a Saturday after
noon in neighboring village. Dur
ing that time probably fifty or more
farmers drove into the village. More
than half of these came in carriages.
Not more than half a dozen had
lumber wagons, and those were with
loads so they had to use them,
while the rest were in open buggies
or light wagons. Twenty years ago
carriage, unless it came from a
neighboring town, was rarely seen on
the village streets. The buggies and
light wagons were few and far be-
tween, while the lumber wagon, with |
a board across the top for seat,
abOunded at every hand. All this
had entirely disappeared, and those
who drove the fine teams attached to
various vehicles had that air about
them indicating that prosperity was
lingering about their places of abode.
And what is true of the improvement
of the farmer there, will hold good in
all portions IF the country, outside of
those sections that have been recent
ly settled.
The cry of the calamity bowler has
lost its force. The people have no
time for that class who will libel
their country for the sake of bolster
ing up their own personal desires.
Here and there are cases of misfor-
tune it is true, that appeal to human
sympathy, but no man has right to
judge an entire nation by the misfor-
tunes of few, nor to endanger it's
prosperity in the vain hope to i'm
prove the condition of these unfortun-
ate ones through the channels of leg
islation.
THE .op60p Tr.,aoo ic Of tho oDipiop |