The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-09-10
SENSIBLE CONCLUSIONS.
The Effect Of Demonstration OF
Silver Reviewed From q
Logical Standpoint.

of trade in his special line and the
chances are ten to one he will an
swer that his business is dull and
on the decline. And furthermore
the decline has become 80 chronic
that he anticipates no improvement
in the near future because he sees
no reason to expect improvement
Ask any man who is laboring fol
wages if he has received any in.
crease in the last four years, or has
any reason to expect an increase
and he will answer in the negative
unless perchance he belongs to some
labor organization which has forced
an increase. No advance in wages
has been made by the voluntary
action of the employer.
Ask the farmer about the prices
of his products, his wheat, his flax
seed, his corn his cotton, his hogs
and cattle and horses, and you will
receive the same monotOnous reply
that the prices of everything he
produces are afflicted with steady
decline. Temporary causes may
advance prices of some commodi-
ties fraction for a short time, only
to return to the same or a lower
condition.
If you go to the local ticket
agents of the railroad companies
and inquire about the sales Of local
tickets you will ascertain that there
is very little business Of that kind
and that its volume is steadily
shrinking. This signifies, of course,
that the revunue derived by the
railroads from farmers and labor
ers is steadily diminishing and that
the masses of people are travelling
by railroad only when they are COM
PEELED to do SO. No money spent
by that class Of people on pleasure
excursions. People are retrenching
in expenses of all kinds except
those of absolute necessity. Pinch
ing and economizing is the order
the times on the part of all pro-
ducers. A steady grind of wealth
producers and bread winners which
will in time beget a sordid mean
ness and selishness that will re-
duce our National standard to that
of the European peasantry. 1t is
not pleasant spectacle to con-
template.
Now it is of the first Importance
to find the real cause of this chronic
decline in the prosperity of the
classes upon which depend the well
fare and glory of the Republic, the
classes which must fight its battles
and defend its flag. which have made
it respected an honored above all
other Nations in history; for when
the true causeis found the applica-
ton of the remedy is easy. Ii you
put the question to men as you
meet them the answer will depend
much upon the political party from
which he comes. A Republican
will be likely to answer that over
production and foreign competition
are the cause of the trouble and
little more tariff and a production
to the demands of the home
market will cure it. A Democrat
will likely tell you that too much
tariff and other taxes have produced
the mischief, and the remedy is less
tariff and more foreign trade.
The answer of the Republican is
Too absurd to deserve serious notice
but for the fact that many are 50
blindly partisan as to stultify them
selves by trying to accept it. What
proportion of the population of this
have an ample abundance
IF all the things produced by in
1ustry which would conduce to their
and convenience and hap
Diness and so elevate them morally
ind socially? While few, very
ew, have such an enormous and
wrongful surplus as to make them
selfish and despotic the masses are
compelled to see their children grow
ng up amid such destitution and
poverty as to degrade the average
one Of society. While many are
rot pinched to such degree, yet
ew have such abundance even Of
,hings convenient as not to be de-
orived of manyathings necessary to
heir enjoyment and happiness.
For instance while a few farmers
1ave raised surplus of horses on
which they hoped to make q profit
md for which they find no market,
! large number are overworking the
ew horses they have and would like
o buy more if they could afford it.
30 there is probably no real surplus
# horses although few may have
more than they need or can find q
market for. And 50 it is in other
hings. This is given only as 9
ample. If there was 9 full and
rec distribution of things no SUR
,lus would be left. The argument
+ overproduction is childish nom
enee.
The democratic specific Of tariff
is good as far as it goes. It
vould answer as q sort Of tonic af-
or the.application of the true REM
dy has scattered the disease. II