Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-07-12

| rlslngS against the existing O-der o
things.
} "Nor is it strange that so many NOR,
T thousands, good and reputable citizens
in no wise identified with the labor or
nizations, aud having no special sym
pathy with their aggressive demonstra
tions. have become, in a measure
indifferent to what is going on about
them, and almost ready to welcome
any outbreak that may relieve the
arouse our legislators to a more press.
ing and patriotic sense OF duty.
Owe have no apologies to make for
Ilawlessness, and we should esteem i,
neglect of obligation not to curb as far
as possible, the impatience of comuni-
ties bowed down with adversely. Yet
! is it not true that lawlessness is many
times begotten of the inadequacy OF
the law to protect and promote the in
| terests of the citizen, and can we won
der at the popular impatience to which
the law-making power of the govern
ment is so supremely Indifferent?
1.-The Post is no alarmist? 1t has
great faith in the future. 1t would
fain repose as much confidence in the
capacity of the American people for
self-government as it has knowledge
| of the illimitable resources with which
, God has blessed their country. But
| we are firmly of the opinion that unless
a higher. broader, better order of
craftsmanship is developed, greater
zeal for the public welfare, a more in
telligent conception of the public needs,
a bolder and reader resolve ON the
part of our governing powers to afford
the suffering people of the United
States relief. and those who are suffer-
ing include the great majority, the
worst of the crisis through which we
are passing has yet to be SEEM"
Reasoning from effect to cause, it is
an easy matter to find the remedy
which the situation demands, but it is
not SO easy to prevail upon temporiz-
ing federal legislature to apply it.
The crv of distress which furnishes
the Post with text is system which
the Democratic party. as the represen-
tative of the people cannot afford to
ignore, and it is the privilege, as well
as the solemn duty of the statesmen of
that party to discover the cause and
apply the remedy. Craftsmanship, in
its last analysis, is the application of
the principles of common sense to the
problems of politics.
There is some cause for the wide
spread distress and discomfort on which
the Post comments. What is it? We
know that the strikes that have occur
red and are now occurring through
out the country are the result Of re-
duc.ion of wages. We know, too, that
the reduction in wages has been caused
by lack of markets for manufactured
products. We know that in spite of
the unprecedented cheapness of all ar
ticles of prime necessity, trade and
business are duller than they ever been
in this country. We know that in spite |
of the fact that flour is $3.50 barrel |
and other things cheap in proportion, |
thousands of able bodied men and |
women, who are able and eager to work,
are in destitute condition. They are
less able to buy -four now than they
were when it was selling at So bar
rel. Why? Because the scarcity of
money in business and trade has placed
them in position where they are un-
able to earn living.
Let US pursue the investigation lit
tie farther. Business was prosperous
two years ago, and the people who are
now flying the flag of distress were en-
joying the results of that prosperity.
What has happened to bring about such
a vast change in the condition of af-
fairs? Nothing less than vast change
in our financial system-a change the
most violent and momentous that ever
occurred in the history OF people sup
posed to be free. Nothing less than
the destruction-the obliteration-of
the debt-paying quality of more than
half of the coin and currency in circu-
ation. Every form OF paper currency
afioat. as we'll as the silver coinage,
has been made redeemable in gold.
This has increased the value of gold to
such an extent that the profits of hu
man labor of all kinds, the prices of all
The products of human labor and the
value of all forms of property have fall
len and shrunk with a rapidity that is
without precedent or parallel in our
economic history.
If the value of only one of two forms
Of property had shrunk, or the price of
only one or two commodities had fall
len, thoughtful persons would be justi-
led in tracing these results to other
causes, but when the value of all forms
Of property is shrinking and the prices
Of all commodities are falling the cause
can only be found in the fact that the
money for which this property and
the commodities are exchangeable is
in value. The only remedy
known to economists is to increase the
supply of the money of redemption.
As this cannot be done in the case OF
gold. we must have recourse to the
g. l