Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-06-06
AN OBJECT LESSON.
1T Is TAUGHT BIZ SOME FIGURES
AND A MAP.
The Official Figures From the Officers
of the Various States and what
They Mean-BiS Losses
Everywhere.

Here is the story Of one year of the |
gold standard:
It is story told in figures-fgures
furnished by the sworn officers of the |
various states Of this union--a story !
the truth of which there can be no
gainsaying.
A few days ago the Constitution took
occasion to demolish, by plain state
ment of facts and figures, the claim
which had been set forth by the advo-
Gates of the single gold standard that
''the average financial condition of the
farmers is improving all the time"
The statement was made in the vain
hope of demonstrating to the people of
America. and particularly to the people
of the south, that they were growing
richer under the operations of the gold
standard.
There is a very simple and very
easy way to ascertain the exact
facts concerning this point, and
the Constitution presents to-day
that story It is indeed lesson of the
gold standard. The table of figures
presented here is one that anybody can
understand. It shows the change in
the property valuations of the different
states OF the union from 1893 to 1894.
And in showing this it presents what
might be termed an official history of
the operations of the single gold stand
ard in single year. It demonstrates,
more clearly than any argument could.
the fact that under the operations of
this system, which has been in full
force within the past year, the people
have sustained great losses, and that
the money centers have sustained great
increases in valuations at the expense
of the peoples prosperity.
The official figures from forty-three
states and territories are presented.
In one or two Of the states of the
union the fixing of property valuation
is arbitrary on the part of the state
and is only made once in five years.
This is the case in Michigan, for in
stance. In Rhode Island and COnnec-
ticut there are no returns of property
for taxation-at least no figures show
ing such returns could be obtained
from the proper officers of the state.
OF the others only North Dakota and
Delaware are missing, the expected
kilograms from those states net having
reached here in time for this article.
The figures presented are from the
official reports of the auditors and
comptrollers of the state in fortE-three
states and territories. OF these forty
three only twelve show an Increase OF
property valuations. The remaining
thirty-ene show almost uniform de-
ereases. The total increase for the
twelve states is 1887 500. .75S. OF this
amount 1926 1888, ,4S2 comes from New
York alone. Seventy per cent Of the
entire increase in property valuations
as shown by thise official returns comes
from the great money center OF the
union and 20 per cent of the remainder
comes from the two states Of Pennsyl-
vania and Massachusetts,: The total
increase in the remaining nine states
is only $50, ,s22 .092.
Thirty-one states-and by using the
term states several territories are in
ciuded-show falling off. The total
decrease in property valuations Of those
states is $500, ,1S5, ,7s0.
This falling off is widespread. There
is no overwhelmingly large change in
a single. state, as is shown by New
York, bat the decrease is uniform all
along the line.
In other words, the only large in
creases are at tine big money centers
New York, Boston and Philadelphia
and the territory Immediately to those
places in which the money has been
eongested and where the stringency
in currency and the corresponding
shrinkage of values are not felt.
There is an object lesson in the map