Nevada County picayune., 1892-02-18
than any other that ever existed.

! y
To them, if they are not to he en-
slaved by laws that foster other in
I dustries at the expense OF their own.
open markets in the great centres of
/ civilization are a necessity-not those
of the undeveloped countries of the
Southern half of the hemisphere and
/ islands Of the sea. that produce more
agricultural products than they con-
sumo, and furnish vastly better
markets for the products Of our mills
than our farms, but those of the most
populous countries OF the old world,
whose hungry millions are ready to
to take all our surplus food pro-
ductions at fair prices in exchange
for those staple necessities of life
that they produce and we must
use.
It, is no stinted concession of right
in the lesser markets of the world,
such as so-called reciprocity affords,
that ought to satisfy these people.
They have made the bulk of the
wealth of this nation, but its laws
have turned the golden stream from
theirs to other hands.
1t is no unfair advantage of others
that they ask or deserve.
Simple justice demands that SO far
as the necessaries of life are concern
ed they should be permitted to buy
in markets where prices are fixed by
competition.
Nor are the farmers of this nation
the only class intensely interested in
this great problem.
To all who live by toll of any kind,
it is the crowding question in the
whole list of economic problems that
we must soon settle one way or the
other as the future policy of this
Government.
Thirty years ago the wealth of
| this nation was much more fairly
| distributed than it is to-day.
Then one could almost count upon
/ his fnycr ends those who could
rghtfully be termed millionalres.
Now they are numbered by thous-
ands.
Can a few men absorb the wealth
of this nation and leave the masses
Independent.
Let us not be deceived. For ev-
cry immensely rich man there must
from necessity be many wretchedly
poor. All wealth is labor. Great
fortunes simply represent the earn
ings Of great numbers, No one man
can perform the labor requisite to
produce them.
They can only be acquired by an
individual through the aid of some
process that enabled him to appro-
pirate that winch many produce,
What is it that has changed the
current of the nations wealth, and
that is directing it away from the
many INTO the hands of the few?
Let us stop and think Thirty
years ago great necessity compel.
ed the levy among others of an cnoi :
nous tariff tax. One by one mos,
of the war taxes disappeared, This
remained, or if changed at all it was
changed in the interest of these whose
business profits it increased.
At first these men could not bring
to their aid the united strength o
either of the great political parties OF
the country. In both were willing
champions of the peoples rights
and in both, regret to say, wer'
those who, yielding TO the inlluenc,
that wealth is always able to exert
joined hauds to perpetuate in times
of peace, laws that were born OF
wars necessities alone.
The scene has changed. Upon
one side is now arrayed the beneii
Charles of these laws, aided by allies
more powerful than themselves, il
the shape of trusts and combine:
that these laws have made possible
and so strengthened, they are in
charge of the Republican party.
They dictate its policy-they con
troll its actions.
If they maintain their po5itioa it
does not follow that This nation as ;
whole will cease to grow rich.
We shall still go on producing
wealth as we have done before, bu
few will control it, many will b,
poor.
Can we change these laws: Can
we divide the mighty currents tha
are emptying the wealth of this natior