The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-09-28

increase of the wealth of the world. Ii
is simply mathematical impossibility
for the world to pay its debts under suci
a social regime. About every 20 years
in the case of human events, it may be
affirmed with certainty that there will
be financial crash, period of bank
ruptcy, of reputation and wreck and
suffering. This is the periodical year for
an attempted settlement. The debt of
the world cannot be paid, and as the ef-
fort is made to settle its affairs the whole
body is convulsed. We are fighting
against the stars in their courses eco
nomically.
Take our own nation, for example, the
most prosperous in the world in It's real
resources of wealth. 1t is estimated
that our production Of wealth is 81, 800.
900 per day above all expenses of produc.
tion and maintenance of workers. The
average cost of the United States gov.
ernment per day, exclusive of certain
sums Of the budget not counted as legit
innate governmental expenses, is vastly
over 81 ,000, 900 per day. The interest
our public bonds is $370,000 per day,
the interest on our railroad bonds, 5000.
900 per day; the interest on private
debts, s., 400, 900 per day; dividends to
absentee holders Of railroad, bank and
industrial stock, 100000, the grand
total Of our daily indebtedness amount
ing to 81, 4,370,000. Our net daily income
from production, with which to meet
this Indebtedness, being only 81, 800, 900,
1t does not take much figuring to see
that we are running in debt at the rate
Of $3.50, 900 day. 1t is easy to sec
that such scheme Of economies is
bound in the long run to ruin the society
which maintains 1t. It's only result can
be the accumulation of practically all
the wealth of the nation in the hands of
the creditors, who must become them.
selves fewer with the process of hquida-
ton.
1t is also apparent, under the present
system of society, that the proportion of
the increase Of the worlds wealth which
goes to the laboring man has suddenly
decreased during the past generation
until the proportion now received by the
laborer, as contrasted with the income
to capital, is less than one-half what it
was 40 years ago. The business of this
age, into which has been poured more of
human endeavor than in any other field
of activity, is a stupendous failure. Our
young men Of energy and genius enter
the business world
Into this great caldron we have poured
our brightest blood through the past CEN
tury, and what are our returns? Our
political economist tells us that under a
system of competition and commercial
war the delightful principle of self in
terest will work out the salvation of the |
world. But the facts are-and they can
be ascertained from any commercial
agency such as Bradstreet's-that 90 per
cent of all the business enterprises of the |
nation are sooner or later bankrupt. It
is momentous fact that only 8 per cent
Of those who enter our commercial world |
ever succeed in establishing themselves.
Can it be possible that we have deceived |
ourselves into believing that q system
which produces 95 failures to successes
is worthy of being perpetuated to all |
timer When 95 fail under a given prin-
ciple and only . succeed, is it possible |
that we can believe that such a system
is best? The plain facts stare us in the |
face. Our present regime, say what we |
may about its traditions, that date
through the centuries, stands arraigned
by its own method and utter failure.
THE DREGS AND THE FRoTH.
Tho f,rp1npt Of gpciat,,
scheme can be but of the same piece.
The dregs and the froth are out of all
to the saving strata. The
suffering and misery and crime under
such u commercial scheme must be con-
-inuously on the increase. Are we sat
SIZED with such an order? Have we
cause to congratulate ourselves upon it? |
II you are satisfied with the record which |
Bradstreet gives you from the business |
world, can you be satisfied with the in |
,idental Accomplishments which we see |
about us. Under our present scheme |
our country is being depopulated and |
,he dark, crowded and fetid alleys of our
,ities being overCrowded.
In 1860 only 16 persons out Of 1OOlive |
n the large cities; in 1870 there were 21; |
n 1880, %; in 1890, 30. The number of |
owns having 5000 inhabitants have in
,reased during the last 10 years from 2S6 |
20 443. This is one of the saddest facts |
IT this century, for it means depopula-
ion and decline Of the rural districts.
which are the basis of the nations life |
md the real source of its wealth and |
'ower. Are we satisfied with the pres
mt business, with its 50 per cent of fail
Tres? If SO, can we be satisfied with |
he necessary concomitants of our pres
mt regime? A man who has spent his
ife in New York as student and poll.
ician and newspaper man wrote some
ime ago thus:
Sept. 4, the midnight hour, found 20 girls,
nee virtuous and respectable, drunk and dis
rderly on the streets Of tho Bend. They were |
licked up by the police, run into the Tombs
nd next day were sent TO the work house for
hree months This is a fair example of tho
cense saloon output of one district for one
light. Into the back rooms Of hundreds Of |
lcse saloons, into the upper and front rooms
hundreds of othcra, girls are enticed and |
lade drunk, ruined and made 10 ferment and !
suffer- They hang around the places where |
ley lost their all, as millers around q lanp at |
lght. AT ages ranging from 20 to 30 they |
ring children into the world TO fill pauper
raves and founding hospitals, and later Oh
10y sink into the potter's field or wander OF to
70 as suicides. The dominant political party |
on hand and responsible, up to its hips in
rmentation, its feet and legs In dirt and dis
$50 rotten, and its above ground portion hur-
hing for Tammany and steadily sinking into
I'll. As this combination controls politics,
'ery decent man in city or county is educated
keep out Of politics, instead OF entering that
I'D and changing aims and results.
THE TREACHERoUS UNDERToW.
Can we be satisfied with such facts