Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-02-22
WHY PEOPLE ARE POOR.
The Enormous Tribute Paid BY Labor Ii
the Past Twenty Years.

the Past Twenty Years.
1t seems curiously paradoxical to say
that the people of the richest country
on the earth are poverty stricken, and
yet it is true. The mine million mort
gagged homes" disclosed to view by the
eleventh census of the United States, is
proof enough Of that fact, without cit
ing more Yet any one who will
take the trouble to study the conditions
which have prevailed during the past
twenty years will not be surprised,
after investigation, that it is so.
During that period the productive
forces of this country have been called
upon to pay tribute to foreign specu-
lators, to the amount of almost 81, ,OOO,-
600, 600, of which we have positive
knowledge, and perhaps twice as much
more, concerning which, having been
reinvested here, we are unable to get
complete information. They have paid
over 81, 500, 600, 900 on the principal of
war debt, and about $1,000, 900, 600 of
interest on the same. There has been
consumed by fires 81, 500, 600, 600, accord
ing to the best estimates obtainable.
Not including the payments on either
the principal or interest of the debt, it
has cost "a, 900, 600, 700 to run the nation
al government for that period, or
including the post offices, S., 900, 0OO,-
600, and fully as much more
to run tho several state, county
and municipal governments, and the
| Judiciary probably considerable more,
but say $4,000, 900, 900 for those pur-
poses. The interests and dividends on
railroad bonds and stocks, including
that on water" has been about 81
| 000 600, 600 more. The interest on the
$4,000, 600, 900 of real estate mortgages
which Mr.. Porter's census agents re-
ported at 8 per cent, would amount
in that time to $14. 400, 900, 900 and the
interest on other individual debts in
cluding the real estate mortgages not
reported by the census, would be fully
as much more. Then the direct "aids,"
bonuses" grants" and other conces-
sions to great corporations have been
considerably above billion dollars in
value. say 81, 200, 900, 900.
Omitting from the calculation all
reference to the excessively expensive
business methods now in use for hand
ling supplies of all kinds, and which
has been variously estimated to cost
from half billion to billion dollars
annually in excess of what the same
business could be easily done for, and
| the following table shows the enormous
expense which has been saddled upon
the people during the period named,
and the annual average:
Tribute to foreign spectators ...s 1909 600 600
Principal national debt paid .... 1,5O0, 0,OO1 OO0
Interest national debt paid. ....... 1000 CO., O0O
Loss by fires. s..........-........... 15CO,UOo 000
| Expense national government. 5000 600 600
Expense states etc............... 1000 OOO 900
Interest and dividends to railroads 1000 600 900
! Interest on private debts (real es-
tate mortgages) es)................ H. 400 OO0 OIO
Interest on private and other debts IA 400 600
| Direct grants to corporations.... Loo, 900
Total, 20 years $40 900. 600 O1O
Annual average. 2 475 oo0 0OO
Not much wonder that this country
| is now afflicted with 1900, 600 mort
| gagged homes, 10000 miLlionaires and
| 5000, 900 tramps, when the productive
forces of the nation have been loaded
with an annual burden of over two and
one-half billion dollars, nearly all of
which went directly into the Golfers Of
few powerful corporations.
Now, how much of this incompre-
hensibly vast sum might have been
saved to the people, and how much can
| the burden be now reduced? Is there
any way in which the necessary reduc-
| ton can be made except by undoing
the vicious legislation which has been
ut the bottom of most of it and enact
| ing just and equitable laws in its stead?
| -Toxxyo Eov Tv;Ir