The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-08-31
ARE THEY BLIND2


When up at Ketchum the other day
we were more forcibly than ever i'm
pressed with the intimate relation be-
tween the interests of the eastern
moneyholder and the welfare Of the
people of the west. We had our
time pretty much occupied and did
little prying around, but some one
told us that the town, which is incor-
porated, is bonded for several thou
sand dollars. OF course these bonds
are placed with eastern bankers.
They were issued at time when the
clouds that hang over the west were
not quite as dark as they are today.
Then big mining plants were in oper-
alton, mines were being worked, the
eternal mountains were pouring forth
their treasure into the lap of Ketch-
UNI, her people were hopeful and
happy, the town was growing in pop
ulaton and wealth, with new mines
and mills and brick buildings in pros
pect. Interest bearing bonds on such
a town was gilt-edged investment.
But mining was her sole industry, and
as these mines brought forth gold
and silver, and only enough of the
two combined to make them paying
properties, when the latter metal
is struck its death blow, the opera
tons that back up the community are
stricken down. Today the mills are
silent, deserted and decaying, and the
mines are widowed; the men who
toiled in them and with the product
of their toll built up handsome cot
tage homes to shelter their wives and
children and to become part of the
security on which the city bonds are
issued, today see the property, in
which they have invested their all,
practically worthless and they are on
the same level of poverty on which
they began years ago. II the prop
erty is thus deprecated what must be
the value of the bonds which it Sc
cures? The holders of the paper are
the very men who have been tireless
in bringing this condition about.
They have cut their own threats, but
why cannot they realize that factf
By paralyzing western towns, an6
great numbers of them are bonded,
they render worthless their own in
vestments, and by shutting up the
mines they also stop the production
of the gold they worship. And this
rule holds good in all lines of western
securities held in the east, whether ot
city, county, state or private nature,
When the eastern man comes out tC
collect his city bonds, what picture
his countenance would present if he
found his Incorporated town to b,
only few tumble-down wrecks oil
buildings, with not soul around tt
point out a hotel to him, and when he
goes out to foreclose his mortgage or
his victims farm, to behold waste
of weeds and dilapidated rail fence
He will then certainly realize what
free coinage meant to him, when be
thinks of the good gold pieces he lei
go for the paper he holds and looks
at the prospect of getting them back.
Geo. Gould some time since in an in.
teryiew expressed himself in favor OF
a gold standard: yet he is sufferer
through lack of free coinage. The
disasters in the west have deprecated
his Union Pacific stocks, through the
roads loss of patronage, until he has
lost not less than $40, 900, 600 and
more likely double that figure. Is he
blind or lunatic? Gladstone
proudly proclaimed in the English
parliament that England was cred
itor nation, held securities in all parts
of the world, which by skillful engi-
lneering she had got payable in gold,