The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1894-08-31

ing the fact that many of them
found their homes gone to destruc
ton and their fortunes wrecked
they found a large volume of float
ing currency, and labor in demand
at good wages, and it was but &
few years till the horrors of tn,
war were supplanted by the re
ljolcings over immediate prosperity
with nothing to mar their happi
ness, except the ever sacred memo
ry of some dear one lost in the
cause of his country. There were
but three millionairs and no tramps.
but everybody prosperous and hap.
lpy, what beautiful picture. Al.
most two beautiful to behold, when
we contemplate that it eminated
from the war. But why linger to
contemplate these prosperous times
when their very existence produc-
ed that apathy that always endan-
gers the liberty of the people, and
while the people were basking in
the sun shine of prosperity and
happiness, the vile schemer and
conspiratOr was at work to under
mine that American liberty which
had been SO dearly purchased.
chattel slavery had been abolished
and wage slavery must be estab-
lished, and this could only be done
by controlling the volume of mon
ey, thereby fixing the price of and
controlling wages and all other
produce. The great volume of
money that. existed as a conse-
quence of the war. and which was
the source of such unbounded pros
perity could not be controlled,
therefore it must be destroyed, and
all but S346, 900 was called in,
bonds bearing Z per cent interest
in gold issued therefor and the
money burnt, Ut would make this
article too long to specially detail
the manner in which this money
was called in and destroyed, hut
we will say that it forms the black
est page in American history, and
would advise our readers to study
it) this money was destroyed by
virtue of an act of Congress in
which 53 Republicans voted for it,
and 53 voted against it; % Demo
Gratis voted for, and one voted
against it. Thus it is to be seen
that the Democrats could have
saved us if they would.
There are other things that could
be mentioned, and which cOntribu-
ted to the distress that has follow
ed, but we can not mention them
here, but suffice it to say, that as
Lincoln predicted gigantic corpora
tions were enthrOned; the peoples
money destroyed; the issue and
control of money was turned over
to the national banks, by which
they could absorb all the wealth of
the laborer, by high rates of inter
est compounded, and also by con-
trolling the volume of money con-
troll the price of produce and la
Dor. The apathy of the people
continued until wages were reduced
below the cost of living. The price
of produce was reduced below the
cost of production. England had
piled up private and public in
debtednesS that all the wheat, oats,
corn and cotton raised in the Unit
ed States will not pay the annual
interest on it. The people worked
harder, economised more, and grew
poorer and poorer. When sheer
necessity forced them to do so,
they began to look about them for
the cause. Lo! and behold, they
found in existence a worse state Of
affairs than confronted our fore
fathers, they found that England
in cOllusion with the money power
of the United States was demand
ing greater money tribute than
ever England dared to allow; and
as our forefathers, they set about
seeking relief. They sent peti-