Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-09-07
The Real Cause.


San Francisco Argonaut: What is
the cause of the present financial
stringency throughout this prosperous
country? What is the reason so
many mills are closing down? Why
are the railroads taking off trains and
other railroads passing into the hands
of receivers? Why are hundreds OF
thousands of workmen walking the
streets looking for work that does
not come?
The answer is not hard to find.
The Democratic partisan organs are
vainly trying to make a scapegoat OF
silver. 1t is, perhaps, the first time
in the history of the world that a
great and prosperous country has
been told that ruin stared it in the
face from the possession OF too much
OF one OF the precious metals.
The answer, as we have said, is not
hard to find. The public memory is
short. but it can readily go back to
the Democratic platform on which
that party swept into power last No
vember. Here is the vital cause:
"We denounce Republican protec-
ton as a fraud; arobbery OF thegreat
majority of the American people
for the protection of the few. We
declare it to be a fundamental
principle of the Democratic
party that the federal government
has nc constitutional power to inn
pose and collect tariff duties except
for the purposes OF ven only.
That is the answer.
When the Argonaut and other Re-
publican journals warned the Ameri-
can people of the dangers sure to fol-
low from Democratic free trade, the
reply from the Democratic organs was
calamity shriekers." When the Re-
publican speakers pointed out that
free trade meant the paralysis of
American industry, the Democratic
organs made merry. The deluded
workmen who followed these false
prophets laughed too. They are not
laughing now
The mere threat of free trade, re-
sulting from Democratic accession to
power, has caused such a cataclysm
in the United States as has not taken
place for twenty years. The Demo-
Gratis have had full possession OF the
government for less than six months,
and under the menacing influence OF
their British free trade plan they have
already caused widespread ruin.
Let us take a glance at this gloomy
picture. The Northern Pacific rail-
way is in the hands of II receiver.
The Reading railway is in the hands
OF a receiver. The Erie railway is
in the hands OF a receiver. The
Union Pacific is threatened with bank.
ruptcy: it is taking off trains, dis.
charging workmen and closing shops.
THE Southern Pacific is taking of
trains, discharging men and closing
shops.
Since the Democratic party came in
power American securities listed OIL
the New York stock exchange have
shrunk in value $685. OO, 900. Tht
bonds of American railways have de
clined in value $685. 900. Whea,
has fallen from ninety to seventy cent:
ii bushel; corr from sixty-two tC
forty-nine cents n bushel. In short
the shrinkage in values OF American
property can be shown to be 81 300,
OOO,OOO.
One hundred and five natioua
banks, says the comptroller OF thu
currency, have failed in the last 81,
months-or since the Democrats cam,
into "only 1O5," say tn,
Democratic organs. We have no sta
~tistics concerning the failure OF bank:
other than national, but they are uI
in the hundreds. Scores of mills are
closed in the manufacturing districts
thousands Of factory hands are idle
in the New England factory towns
In New York city 36,177 men are out
OF work in ~ffty-seven trades unions
And to add to the misery, other scores
of thousands are pouring into the
east from the west, a grand army o
brawny laborers seeking for employ
~ment-crying out for a chance to carr
bread, that their souls may not b,
parted from their sturdy bodies.
One can feel nothing but pity fol
these deluded men. 1t is by theil
votes, it is true, that n political revo
luton has been effected.