Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-07-11
TEMPERANCE COLUMN,
EDITED BY JosEsBoRo W. G. T. u.
WHAT HAS DONE IT?

dealing with the body physical.
What has done itp
1t is impossible for any man to say
in me word or sentence what is the
cause is. There is no one cause to
which the present fearful condition Of
things a be attributed.
The diagnosis of a disease is some
times aided by elimination. Certain
ailments are ruled out, and the num-
Der of possible diseases reduced to the
lowest point.
SO in deciding the cause or causes of
the present suffering, starving condi-
ton of this country-for it amounts to
that, whatever may be said of tive
are compelled to rule out some causes,
because the symptoms or facts prove
that they do not exist.
What has done itp
1t can not be a scarcity of money.
We have in this country more money
than we ever had before. The banks
ut the great money centers, are filled
to overlooking, and literally bursting
out with fairness.
What has done it2
1t a not be failure of crops. Fail.
ure of crops always causes an advance
in prices. Not only is there an album
dance of crops, but the prices are lower
than has ever been known before. The
cotton of the South never was SO ruin
ously cheap as it is at present. Wheat
is equally 30, while the western corn
raiser is selling at almost starvation
prices. The great herds of cattle and
droves of hogs are waiting to be slaugh.
tered.
What has caused it?
1t can not be a want of demand for
the products of farms and factories.
look over the country and see the de-
mands everywhere existing for every
thing this country produces. There is
not a factory, not a mill, not a machine
that would not be kept running full
time to supply the demand, the abso.
lutte necessities of the people of this
country. Every farmer would need to
double his acreage, every factory to
double its force, every iron and wool
machine to be multiplied by two in or
der to supply the actual wants of the
people.
What has done it?
1t a not be the want of men to run
our farms, factories, mills and other
industries. Men, after vainly tramping
all day in search of some employment.
however humble, are returning to their
bare, desolate homes, to face hunger
and quaint despair, while the cry goes
constantly up, give us work, that we
may get bread.
No, the present fearful condition of
things a not be the result of any of
these causes
1t is evident then that whatever
name we may give it, the real cause of
the present financial stringency is the
inability Of the masses of the people to
supply themselves with the things they
absolutely need. This, like a chain.
binds all classes. The people can not
buy enough groceries and provisions
and boots and shoes and clothing and
stoves and carpets etc.
But why is this when we have SO
much money and so much needp
All, there is the troubled The money
flows in another channel. Surprising
we conld add five hundred or a thou.
sand millions to the amount spent for
breadstuffs, clothing, boots and shoes,
hats and caps, furniture and other lie.
gitimate industries, would not the far.
mer rejoice in his increased success
and the wheels in our factories begin
to turn
How can it be done?
Easy enough. Suppose there are
two mills in a city supplying the PEG,
pie with flour. If one is closed all the
trade goes to the other. Suppose one
is a brewery and the other a flour mill.
The people have been paying halt
their money for beer and buying onln
half as much flour as they need. Sup.
pose now they decide to stop buying
beer and pay all their money for flour,
will not the -four mill get the benefit /
Here is the largest part of the cause
of our trouble, and the people must see
1t and change it before we Can hope
for material improvement. While the
factories have been idle the farmers
products, waiting for purchasers, and
the people suffering for the necessities
of life, the products of the breweries
and distilleries and their consumption
have enormously increased.
Here is the secret. Here is the cause
that is working our ruin. Twelve
hundred millions of dollars was divert
ed in 1893 from the legitimate indus
tries-that is, the people paid for liqu
ors $1,000, OOO, 900 that they ought to
have paid for groceries, provisions
hats and caps, boots and shoes, car
pets, clothing, stoves, furniture and
other necessaries.
The remedy?
Simple enough. Close those brew
cries and distilleries. Turn that 81,
200, 000, 900 into those other channel,
of trade. Double up on your farms
Enlarge your storehouses. Increase
the capacities of your mills. Put day