The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-02
of confidence in our own productive prop
critics and energies?


critics and energies?
Do I hear the cry of over-production? In
answer I point to the millions everywhere
in rags and without bread Cnder-con-
sumption, then? Correct. But why under
consumption? Poverty? That is it. People
do not go naked and starve unless they
have to. Why are the people poor? No
work. Why no work? Because the manu-
facturer, the miner. the builder cannot get
money to run his business with. Why
cannot he get money as usual? Because
the capitalist has lost confidence in the
business of the country Why should the
capitalists lose confidence in the business
of the country? Why? There is
the rub. Is 1t because he wanted to? o
no. l hear my good friend, the banker
say the capitalist wants his money at
work. Well, but here is a fact traced d.
rectly back to Mr.. Capitalist that needs
explanatio Ignoring a fact neither re-
moves it nor explains 1T. Kind reader
don't lose sight of this point, that the
present panic, with all it's horrors and hells
of soul and body. with all it's privation
and starvation and suicides and insanity
was caused directly by the fact that our
moneyed men lost confidence in the BUSH
ness of the country.
Now what reason had our moneyed-men
to thus act, and bring on this horrible
catastrophe? In the name Of humanity in
the name of American citizenship, we de-
mand their reason, and if insufficient we
edmand condgn retribution.
this matter. Two years ago the metro
poitan press, and finance reports all, with
one voice, were crying-"firer' "firer'-on
account of the Sherman law. And then
Would the gold reserve hold out?" And
just remember, that all this time gold was
drawn for United States notes as fast as 1t
could be counted out. In nine months 1882,
| 100000 was thus drawn. This howl about
| the Sherman law started the panic among
| foreign securely holders, as we'll as home
capitalists.
Was this fear of the Sherman law we'll
founded? Did our financiers really fear, or
have cause to fear. that we were going
bankrupt or on to a silver basis from its
operation? 1 say no! First: Because that
| of the government to keep the metals at
par. Second Their own action, few
months later, in buying bonds at a
premium, proves conclusvely that they did
| not doubt the ability of the government to
redeem it's promises.
Wall street wanted the Sherman law re-
pealed for another reason, towit: that it
added about $500 900 annually to our cir
| culating medium. But it evidently would
not do to urge this their real reason for re-
| peal, to the people. So they-our financiers
preached early and late pig silver is
bankrupting the government I'VE are 60
| ing on to a silver basis,'' etc, etc. We
know what followed. Now who is RESPONSE
BILE then for this panic and all it's conse-
| quences of sorrow, and suffering ?
| First, our metropolitan press and shylocks
| behind them. 1 wish these parties would
| go to Germany and try such a caper at
| Berlin. They would soon find out what
| labor at hard work in the penitentiary
| meant Oh, the crimes committed in the
name of liberty
Secondly, our representatives in the halls
| Of congress. Grover Cleveland and John
| Sherman are marching on with their gold
| cohorts over smoking ruins and mangled
| victims in their mad career. Will this
| Wall street regime never end? No. not I'M
til you, my brother Republican, and you
my Democratic FRIEND divest yourselvs of
your partisan prejudices and study these
questions from a business and patriotic
stand point.
These lines are contributed in the hope
| that this time has finally come to many
| as it has come to the writer.
may at another time trace the real mo-
| tive of the late moves of Wall street as it
appears to me-contraction of the currency
CHRISTIAN JOHNSON
New London, MINI.