The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-08-04
Before and After.

Before and After.
At Cincinnati more than year ago ::
. at st. Louis last February; at Omaha
July 4th, the Peoples party stated the
following as one Of the conditions
which need remedying:
The urban workingmen are denied
| the right of organization for self-pro-
lection: imported pauperized labor
beats down their wages; Il hireling
| stdnding army, unrecOynized by or
| l0rs, is established to shoot them
do~n: and they are rapidly degenerat-
ing into European conditions"
| At the very time when the Home
stead trouble was brewing, the Peo-
| pies party at the great Omaha conven-
ton reiterated the above "calamity
howl for the third time within the last
months.
And vet there are not half dozen
prominent papers in the United States
but what have ri,liculed the suggestion
of troublesome conditions. They have
declared that all such intimations were
baseless, and that they emanated only
from crack-brain reformers. whom they
denounce as calamity howlers."
The declarations of the Peoples
party platform for the last year have
been emphasized by the blood and
wounds of more than one hundred men.
Is it not time for people to stop and
| listen? Is there not something to howl
about? Is it not time to look the stu
alton square in the face?
And in making up their verdict peo-
pie should remember that the dcclara-
tions Of the Peoples party were made
| before the tragic events u! Homestead
and not after. as have been some of
the utterances of alleged statesmen
Chicago Sentinel.
An American Millionaire.
Ten years ago John Swinton made
the somewhat notable prophecy: The
nineteenth century will witness an
American billionaire." At that time
the richest man in the nation was cred
tied with being worth $50, 100000 in
hard cash. To-day we are told that
| young William H. Vanderbilt, who has
just died, was the prospective heir of
$40. 900, 900.
In connection with the demise of
young Vanderbilt, the New York World
enters into some very interesting com
putations Of the prospective wealth of
this great family, allowing its invest
ments to continue as substantial as
| they now are. and substituting for the
enormous profits now returned from its
great railway properties the modest
rate of per cent.
| Two years ago the wealth of the VAN
! derbilt family was thus summarized:
| Cornelius Vanderbilt t...............SI1 SI1O OOnD
| William X. Vanderbilt. ilt.........,..... 5000
| Frederick W. Vanderbilt. ........... liuhWu
George W. Vanderbilt. .-.-............ 15.tUll 20
+; Mrs. Elliot F. Shepard d............... l2.eUun
| Mrs. W. ID Sloane. e............ 80. -. l..tOtOoJ
Mrs Hamilton Mex. Twombey 20no Q
| Mrs. ". Seward Webb. ............... l2uun u
Total .-.......-.. -.....-.-....--...s2s s2si.teoGol
That this wealth has since grown to
be $500, 900, COO is stating it very con-
servativclv. The estimated income
per annum is S15,OOO.OOO. At current
rates of interest, this fortune. it kept
intact, will in twenty-five years have
grown to be nearly $1,000, 100000.
The enormous pile of money COM
prised in 81 900, 600, 900 is hardly real
lied by most people. What figure a
Millionaire would be may perhaps be
best understood by saying that such i,
man. if his wealth were all concen-
trated in these parts. wonld hold a
clear title to the whole city of Boston
proper meaning all its lands and
buildings as they stand.
1t is by no means certain that John
Swinton's prophecy will not material
ize before the century closes The in
terest on the Vanderbilt wealth at
per cent. would make it at the end OF
five years $34O, 100000; in ten years,
$44S. .OOO, 900; in twenty-five years,
s?4l 100000; in fifty years, 50 ,00O, ,00O,.
600.
How They Voted.
The large majority of Democrats in
the House had II Peoples party men
and Republicans to help them adopt
the free coinage bill, but "a of them
voted with the Republicans to defeat it
Reform Thought.
Relieve the people by increasing the
currency.
Put your vote where it will have q
beneficial influence on finance and
transportation.
The thief who defies the law and the
one who has the help Of it are not ex.
actly twins. but they are of the same
tribe.
Elevate the coming campaign 10 a
contest over issues, and do not repeat
the degrading scramble for Office.
The time when a political party car
win upon a campaign Of prejudice j.
passed. The people are reading with
vim.
The tears Of poverty exhausted b,
toll ill the garden of plenty are sand
blast to the scription on the Deca
logue stones.
| Plutocracy must be nipped in the
bud by the ballot, or the necessity
will soon arise to plug it in full bloom
by the bullet.
There are some men who are so part,