The representative., 1894-01-03


haven't we had rough time Of it
Right glad am l, for | have just got
to the end of my rope. But thank
God the change has come. BY the
way, would like to borrow thous-
and dollars of you this morning. l
am owing about that amount and my
creditors are very urgent"
Cashier. "What security have you
to give?'
Farmer. "Well, really, none. I
thought con- nfdence was restored and
you wouldn' t ask any security"
Cashier. confidence is all right in
it's place, but it takes good real estate
security to purchase the confidence of
this bank for the amount you ask;''
and the farmer walked out wonder
ing within himself if this isn't all
huge game of confidence with con-
gress shuffling the cards.
**
Presently another farmer stepped
up to the same banker and said:
"Mr. Cashier, would like to loan
you thousand dollars (this is of
course mythical farmer), what Sc
curity can you give me?"
Cashier. 'Well, really, we have no
security to give, nor do we think it
necessary. Now that confidence is
restored we supposed that you farm
ers would be only too glad to put your
money in the banks without secur-
ity."
Farmer. "But few moments ago
you refused my neighbor loan with
out security"
Cashier (mOre candid than dis
creet. "My dear sir, you don't seem
to understand the first principles of
public finance; and that illustrates
the folly of farmers trying to dabble
in these questions that are too deep
for them to comprehend. Know then,
my dear sir, it was never intended
that the banks should have confidence
in the people; the whole scheme is to
get the people to have confidence in
the banks. 1t was because the peO-
pie had lost confidence in us that
they are suffering. The calamity
howler has got in his work and that
is why the country is going to the
dogs. You farmers should farm with
your muscle and not with your
mouths or your ballots, and put all
your earnings into the banks; and
then the country would bud and bios
som as the rose" And farmer No. 2
went off asking himself if the whole
thing were not a colossal game of
confidence.
That idea that common people
ought never to meddle with public fl
nance is not new one. Expert rail-
road men have told us it was impos-
sible for us to understand the intrica-
cies of their business, and the more
we interfere the worse we make
things. And the manufacturers have
told us the same thing, and retailers
have assured us that we would go
straight to ruin if we should attempt
to get on without them. So, also, the
politicians have warned us against
meddling with the machine, for it
was the most dangerous thing we
could do, not understanding the combi-
nation; and lastly the educated class
es declare that we are not fit to vote
if we are not educated.
Thus it appears that if we are to
have the respect of the "better"
classes we must let all these great
questions alone, and either refrain
from voting at all or vote as we are
told.
What republic!
The truth is, these so-called better
classes never had any confidence in
the masses; and now that the masses
have begun to lose faith, there is
trouble. should have remarked in
the proper place that all the thieves,
burglars, and blacklegs feel just like
their brethren, the monopolists:
while every saloon keeper knows that
we have no right TO interfere with
the liquor business-all because we
don't understand. Yet we are citi-
zens of the greatest nation on earth.
Why doesn't some car come along
and relieve us Of all these heavy re-
sponsibilities for which we are not
qualified?
~
Let us not despair. There is one
public duty for Which We cannot be
too ignorant or stupid. 1t is the jury
box. Not long ago 1 attenaed court
when the jurymen we're being
examined as to their fitnesS to
sit on an important case. A btf-
ley-headed country jake was under
the crossfire. His only fear seemed
to be that he might loose his job at
90 dov A flor ocoor<o;r;oc